Cincinnati officials are talking about appealing a federal magistrate's decision that struck down the city's ban on panhandling and sitting on sidewalks. Move on to other issues. Such an appeal is, at best, misguided, and could cost us a bundle. Not that I'm wild about bums bearing cups, sprawled out on city sidewalks or hitting people up for spare change near storefronts, parking meters and ATMs.
Panhandlers can be a problem.
But, to the degree that they exist in Cincinnati, tools are already in place to fix this problem. Laws against aggressive panhandling remain on the books. We just have to enforce them. To appeal the magistrate's decision shows a serious disregard for everyone's free-speech rights. The sidewalk is a public forum.