Thursday, April 28, 2011

"The Economics of Street Charity"

Courtesy of Stephen J. Dubner's "Freakonomics" blog, I pose a question to you:

You are walking down the street in New York City with $10 of disposable income in your pocket. You come to a corner with a hot dog vendor on one side and a beggar on the other. The beggar looks like he’s been drinking; the hot dog vendor looks like an upstanding citizen. How, if at all, do you distribute the $10 in your pocket, and why?

Read the blog for guest commentary, but this one was my favorite by Barbara Ehrenreich:

"....Although I’m atheist, I defer to Jesus on beggar-related matters. He said, if a man asks for your coat, give him your cloak too. (Actually, he said if a man “sue thee at the law” for the coat, but most beggars skip the legal process.) Jesus did not say: First, administer a breathalyzer test to the supplicant, or, first, sit him down for a pep talk on “focus” and “goal-setting.” He said: Give him the damn coat.

As a matter of religious observance, if a beggar importunes me directly, I must fork over some money. How do I know whether he’s been drinking or suffers from a neurological disorder anyway? Unless I’m his parole officer, what do I care? And before anyone virtuously offers him a hot dog, they should reflect on the possibility that the beggar is a vegetarian or only eats kosher or Hallal meat. It’s none of my business whether he plans to spend it on infant formula for his starving baby or a pint of Thunderbird."

HILARIOUS!

Comment on how you would distribute the money, if you would......and don't forget to follow me!

4 comments:

  1. This is a great post! LOL. I loved it! And thanks for visiting my blog and for the sweet comment! I would give it away SOME way - maybe not to the beggar who I thought had been drinking - but give away nonetheless. I know a lot of people (friends, friends of friends, or people affected by the recent tornados) who need it just as bad as homeless people on the streets.

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  2. HAHA my first thought was to buy the hot dog and give it to the begger. Funny.

    x
    Michelle
    www.michellesstylefile.blogspot.com

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  3. Well in NYC, a hotdog is about $10 so unfortunately it's an all-or-nothing situation. So, sorry, but I get the hotdog. In other cities it might be different though.

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  4. Lindsay With An "A" : Thanks!! You make such a good point too-many of us are just one paycheck (or disaster) away from being on the street. Thanks for the thoughtful post, and follow me if you like :)

    Michelle's Style File : Love your comment!!

    MichaelB : So true, I have family in Brooklyn! Thanks for the comment!

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