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Monday, July 22, 2013

GR Radio: WGRD Morning Show Confronts Panhandler

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan last year filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Grand Rapids and the state on behalf of two homeless men.

According to mlive.com, the judge's ruling struck down Michigan's law barring peaceful panhandling and in Grand Rapids, police officers have stopped citing panhandlers.  The practice of peaceful panhandling in the city is protected as free speech.

While the city is working to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Free Beer and Hot Wings morning show on WGRD 97.9 FM sent one of their cast members to the street corners to confront the legitimacy of one panhandler's claim.

The show's producer, "Producer Joe", was sent to see Rudy - a middle-aged man who occupied a busy street corner with a cardboard sign that read "Homeless Vet" - on a mission they called Producer Joe's Hobo Truth Brigade.

The radio hosts caught wind of Rudy after seeing local ABC affiliate WZZM-13's report on the phony claims of numerous panhandlers around the area. Rudy admitted to the news outlet of never having served in the military but was quoted as saying it was "better than robbing people or doing drugs."

Meanwhile, Joe returned the next day to do some panhandling/fundraising of his own.

The producer stood on the same corner and collected $1,085 for Grand Rapids Home for Veterans which the radio station matched to bring the total donation to the home to $2,170.




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