good topic.but although i only read your first paragraph i'd like to add to bums being mentally ill.it's true.supposedly 40% are mentally ill.but when you said that begging shouldn't be allowed, you should blame the system not the bums.these mentally ill bums chose to live on the strrets over the institutions that treat bums like prisoners.as long as that's not fixed bums will keep begging, and that's how they survive.