Seriously, is it really helping the homeless to let them lie out there and beg for their next quarter for pot or meth or booze or whatever? Should Berkeley really aspire to be that laissez-faire tolerant?
I agree most with this part:
"Street musician Diane Dejongh said she sees both sides -- that of the merchants, some of whom are her close friends, and the street people who aren't bothering anybody.
"'I'm very egalitarian,' said Dejongh, a guitarist who views street musicians as a vital part of any urban culture. "''m no better than anyone else. That said, I have friends who are shopkeepers and they're right to complain about some of these jelly-headed stoners who can be really obnoxious. Most of the people standing out here would stab their own sister or brother in the back to support their habit.'
"Dejongh said if police asked her to pack up her guitar case and move along, she would do so willingly but hopes authorities will apply discretion and not expunge all character from Berkeley's streetscape."
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