Benton County Beggars' Opera

The Rogers City Council will consider a ban on beggars this week. The proposal prohibits soliciting drivers in the city for money or other charitable contributions. It is such an annoying and uncomfortable thing for Rogers residents to see beggars, so this ordinance would make the poor and homeless less visible to those in a hurry to get to their gated communities.

Wendy Shumate, assistant to Mayor Steve Womack, said her office gets complaints about panhandling. Mike Johnson, public information officer for the Rogers Police Department, said the city has its "fair share" of people soliciting money on city streets, but there have been no reports of anyone hurt while panhandling. The proposed ordinance provides an exception to the begging ban for city-sponsored fund drives, mostly for good causes and conducted by clean people.

Brooke Benoit, vice president for United Way of Benton County, warned earlier this year that donations to the organization were down by $260,000 or more, meaning that the 80 agencies and programs it supports would have their funding cut by 20 percent or more. Nancy Johnson, director of senior services for the Office of Human Concern in Rogers, which administers the Meals on Wheels program from three senior centers in Benton County, said that would be 2,824 fewer meals delivered each year to lower-income elderly.

Final figures showed that United Way of Benton County fell $500,000 short of its goal, and it has since announced plans to merge with the United Way of Washington County.