Miami Considering Making It Illegal To Feed Homeless Without Government Training And Certification

The justification is that untrained feeders of the homeless are leaving too big of a mess. And while I could certainly see why that would be a problem, I wonder if it doesn’t have more to do with the government’s social workers not wanting competition from private do-gooders.
I mean, we can’t just have people going out and feeding the homeless on their own. What do you think this is, a free country?

Miami residents may have to think twice before giving up their leftovers to the homeless.
The Miami City Commission is set to consider a proposal next month that would prohibit unauthorized people and groups from feeding the homeless downtown, an ordinance proponents say will cut down on litter and ensure the safety of the food the homeless do eat.
The Miami Downtown Development Authority recently approved the measure, sending it up to the commission.
Though the change could draw objections, David Karsh, spokesman for Development Authority Chairman Marc Sarnoff, said the rule isn’t a blanket ban. He said that anybody would be able to feed the homeless, but they would have to go through formal training first — amateurs couldn’t just give up part of their lunch to help someone they meet on the street.

So if you saw a homeless guy on the street and you decided to buy him a sandwich or give him the back of chips out of your lunch you’d be breaking the law. Why? Because only government approved charity will be legal under this ordinance.
Which is ridiculous.
Again, I wouldn’t doubt that there’s a cadre of public sector interests pushing to this. Social workers who make a lot of money feeding/caring for the homeless on behalf of the government who don’t want any competition from churches and boy scout troops acting on their own time with their own money.
And even if the only motivation here is a desire to keep groups who are feeding the homeless from creating headaches/messes for others, making random acts of kindness illegal is hardly the way to go about doing it.