There are three fallacies floating around out there when it comes to the homeless and/or panhandlers.
FALLACY NO. 1: Panhandlers are all homeless.
A good number of panhandlers aren’t even from Manteca. Over the past several years we have done five stories at different times and found cases where panhandlers drove into Manteca from Modesto, Stockton, and other areas because, quoting one gentleman at the entrance of the Costco parking lot who said he preferred the nomadic life and was camping at the time at Modesto Reservoir — “people in Manteca are more generous.”  
In another case a Manteca man who received SSI payments and was living with his brother’s family was panhandling so he could purchase electronics he put on layaway. And then there was the Stockton couple who were quite open that they had an apartment and used the money to help make ends meet. The day they were interviewed in August of 2016 they said they had collected $60 in five hours. For the rest of us that pay taxes that’s almost the equivalent of making $15 an hour
FALLACY NO. 2: The homeless and panhandlers are exclusively a Manteca Police Department and a City of Manteca problem.
It takes two to tango. Panhandlers wouldn’t be panhandling if people weren’t giving them money. The act of giving someone money in areas clearly posted not to do so such as intersections with traffic lights where there are legitimate public safety concerns as verified by court rulings, the person giving the money should be cited
City policy did not create homeless. And being homeless per se isn’t a crime.
Manteca Police are working to connect the homeless that are ready and willing to accept help and follow the rules with services to get off the street. At the same time they have come up with a voucher system through the Hospice Hope Chest to make sure they get needed clothes that actually fit as opposed to the used clothes dumped that people who believe they are Good Samaritans at various places around Manteca where the homeless hang out.
Not only are there organizations that will provide food for the homeless but a large share of the homeless receive general assistance or some form of assistance. While no one in their right mind is going to argue that is enough to live on in terms of keeping a roof over your head will trying to buy food and such, it’s amazing the number of people who get hoodwinked into giving “homeless” food or money  to buy a meal.’
Two months ago a man was working the parking lot at Food-4-Less where he got a bunch of donations including a rotisserie chicken. We happened to drive by the next day and there was the shopping cart he commandeered with half eaten fast food and a bunch of untouched healthy stuff from Food-4-Less including a rotisserie chicken we saw a lady give him the day before. Also in the basket were three empty beer cans and empty bottles of hard liquor that nearby workers said they saw the same homeless man consume behind Applebee’s. The bottom line is they don’t have to worry about food thanks to donations that they aren’t likely to consume most of so they have money left to get drunk of high.
FALLACY NO. 3: There are no services for the homeless or those close to being homeless in Manteca.
There are a wide variety of services already in place. The partnership with non-profits serving the homeless and Manteca police have resulted in even more people accessing the services. That’s what is needed.
Instead of giving to panhandlers, save the money up each time you have the urge to give and donate it to those agencies that work directly with getting the homeless off the street and back on their feet. That way you know it will help someone who is really homeless and isn’t just panhandling.
We do not need to enable the homeless. We need to help them. And that requires tough love which means not undercutting efforts in place to get the homeless they will take help to get off the street.
As for panhandling we need to separate that from the homeless argument and recognize it for what is it — people essentially shaking down people for money either playing the sympathy card or much worse by playing on fear.
The 7-Eleven on East Yosemite Avenue gets it as witnessed by their new A-frame sign,
More Manteca businesses need to do the same and we need to heed their advice.