You have flunked the IQ test when you go out of your way to make sure that the homeless don’t get fed.  It reminds me of when you go to the zoo and the signs say – “don’t feed the animals”.  Well – they don’t want you to feed the animals.  It’s a sad state of affairs that not only are we not trying to help these people … we’re literally saying there will be consequences if you do.  ’Merica #1.

In Houston HERE:

A city councilwoman broke city ordinance as organizers passed out dozens of warm meals to the homeless in Downtown Houston.

Volunteers set up camp on public property across the street from the city’s library.

The problem?  They didn’t give the council notice nor did they receive written permission to serve food.

“We do not need permission to feed and share with our fellow people,” said Nick Cooper with Food Not Bombs, the group behind Wednesday night’s event.

Cooper was fully aware he could face a citation, but he said his organization feeds four days out of the week and will continue to do so, despite the revised city ordinance that went into effect July 1.

Houston City Council voted to require all organizations get written consent from the city before camping out and feeding the homeless.

In Philadelphia HERE:

Angela Prattis, 41, of Chester Township has been distributing free healthy lunches in a neighborhood that has a per capita income of $19,000 a year.

Prattis made no money from the meal distribution, and gave out food provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The “lunch lady” ran the charity out of her garage, to which about 60 children came, five days a week.

After the city council was alerted of the free lunches, it ruled that she would have to acquire a variance to give away food next summer – or pay a fine of $600 a day. The council considers Prattis’ deed a zoning violation. Three months of distributing food would instigate a fine of more than $50,000.

“It’s not like I’m selling food,” she objected.

“These kids are hungry. I’m not tearing down the community. I’m keeping the children out of harm’s way,” she said in a Fox News interview.

In Phoenix HERE:

Dana Crow-Smith said a City of Phoenix worker came up to her during the First Friday festival in downtown Phoenix last month and told her she was violating city code by handing out free water because she did not have a permit.

Crow-Smith and a group of others were there exercising their Christian beliefs by engaging people to talk about religion if they wanted.

The group brought several cases of bottled water to give away in the 112-degree heat, but said a Neighborhood Preservation Inspector told the group they had to stop handing out the water or would be cited.

“It was really hot and yeah we wanted to show God’s love and a small act of kindness is a great way to do that without shoving it down someone’s throat,” said Crow-Smith.

In Orlando HERE:

Orlando police arrested five more activists from behind a makeshift buffet table at Lake Eola Park on Wednesday evening, bringing to a dozen the number charged in the past week with violating city restrictions on feeding the homeless.

The members of the group Food Not Bombs were ladling out corn on the cob, rice, beans and watermelon to about 35 people when they were handcuffed. About two dozen activists and homeless people booed and chanted “Food is a right, not a privilege” as they were loaded into a waiting police van.

They were violating a controversial city ordinance that prohibits sharing food with large groups in a downtown city park more than twice a year. Food Not Bombs has been fighting the ordinance but lost a legal appeal in April, clearing the way for the city to begin enforcement.

In Las Vegas HERE:

The ACLU sued Las Vegas over a 2006 ban on feeding the homeless, which reportedly ended up with nonprofit organizations and individuals actually getting arrested for feeding people who appeared to be poor, in groups of two dozen homeless or more; gatherings of more than 25 in Vegas’ public parks required permits. The legal settlement requires police to see actual unlawful activity — not just arrest or ticket for the act of feeding itself.

In New York City HERE:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s food police have struck again!

Outlawed are food donations to homeless shelters because the city can’t assess their salt, fat and fiber content, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Glenn Richter arrived at a West Side synagogue on Monday to collect surplus bagels — fresh nutritious bagels — to donate to the poor. However, under a new edict from Bloomberg’s food police he can no longer donate the food to city homeless shelters.

The list keeps going.  I just don’t have the time to share that many cities.

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