human trafficking is an issue everywhere.

@J2911 : Oh give me a break… they aren't out there holding a sign they have cancer. The hate for anything God related is palpable. But thank God these same churches are the ones helping those legitimately in need.

@MARYBEES : That's exactly what I thought. Street begging all throughout Europe and beyond is normal life over there. Street begging used to be unacceptable but just look now. When it first became a thing here in KW about 15 years ago the police would run them off then the mayor ordered police departments to stand down. Allowing the begging to continue which has brought to us this portion of what's to come. . Big uproar about that as I recall. When crack heads start robbing street beggars we'll have a whole nuther problem to contend with.

This from an NBC investigation in NY where it's probably worse. The Gothamist: "You've probably walked by them, or even given money to them, countless times before: young women begging with babies while huddled on the sidewalk, with signs saying their are homeless , jobless, or both. NBC has an excellent report this week about these women-whom they identify as con artists-using babies as part of an ongoing panhandling scheme in the subways and on the streets around Manhattan.NBC followed at least nine of these women over a month, and are convinced they are working in tandem (even exchanging babies a times) and aren't homeless (they followed all of them back to a building in East New York). They observed them going out to lunches together, shopping, eating ice cream and more. This isn't exactly hard proof that it's a scam, but then there's this: "Social service workers tell the I-Team the women have repeatedly refused shelter and services because they only want cash."George McDonald, who works with The Doe Fund, a nonprofit that assists the homeless, said the women are using the kids are props: "This is a scam-a business," he said. "It's a group of women who who trade off the same children. They work in shifts. We have a network of service providers who would help them if they wanted help, which they do not."There have been "begging rackets" in other cities that have been brought down in recent years, including some in which the children involved were sedated."@Ruger5: sedating kids? That would work. Especially if it 50 degrees and cold all day! These people are abusing kids imo.

@MissAmericanPie : Thanks for sharing this. Tip of the iceberg. Just watch. We're now taking in war torn refugees from places where begging is absolutely an orchestrated art form………they must feel they've hit the jackpot over here.I absolutely do feel for them though, but I will not encourage, support street begging…….or applaud those who do.

@MissAmericanPie : Well, I definitely don't hate anything God related. Hope you stretched before making that reach. You can make an observation without hate for the topic. I have tithed a plenty in my life. And yes, churches help. Never said they didn't. And some of these people do have "cancer signs". The sentiment is the same. Anyway, the point I was making that you clearly missed is people give out of conviction usually, not bc they want to encourage a scam. Simmer down there, MissAmerican.

@J2911 : Tying clear street scams to giving to church is the reach.
WHY people give has nothing to do with the issue of the con. The whole freaking point is to DECEIVE people.

I am going to quit my job and do this
Must pay pretty well . Not much effort in holding a sign. Why should I bust my a$S doing this cabling job climbing ladders and what not when I can just beg.
Ill even knock up a random chick to have a baby.

100 credits sent!
@Ruger5 tipped @Texasdad 100 credits for a post in this forum thread.

@NparkTexican : Lol. Exactly. Sadly these people breed. 😩. Ok,I take that back. A little too judgmental even for my blood, but yall know how I feel about people breeding for profit. ( many past welfare threads on that topic). Thankfully the cash benefits for that have ceased (and rightly so) but larger apartment, more food stamps and medicaid continue. 😐. Off topic, sorry

@Ruger5 : Ppl should have to take iq tests before having a baby

@NparkTexican : Are we related? 😁. Or are you masterfully poking fun of my judgmental self? 🧐

@MissAmericanPie : It could be but @ruger5 and I were having a discussion about why people give. You stepped into it. So, the topic between the two of us was relevant. We weren't talking about whether it's a scam. She made a comment about bleeding hearts or something and people encouraging the scam. My response was I don't believe people give to encourage the behavior but rather out of conviction. Then I gave an example of people giving to the church bc it is a good example of people giving out of conviction to give. I never said why people give makes it less of a scam if it is one. I responded to a post about people who give encouraging bad behavior.

@MissAmericanPie : If someone gives them money because they want to, the reason why the person is asking for it doesn't even matter.

@NparkTexican : Hard pass. Lol. I don't care how much the gig pays. I am not about that life. I'd rather climb ladders. Standing outside in the elements all day would get pretty boring for me.