Shanty town under Julia Tuttle - GONE !

[Blackford Oakes]

I just learned about the sex offenders last month from Matt. I guess they'll find other pastures to go to now.

Video | MiamiHerald.com

[Matt Meltzer]

So sad to see Perv City done and gone. But, seriously, this is a serious problem nobody wants to tackle since nobody wants to ever seem even slightly sympathetic towards sex offenders. But it's becoming a human rights issue too. People have to at least have places they have the option to live, assuming they can afford it.

[swaps522]

I just learned about the sex offenders last month from Matt. I guess they'll find other pastures to go to now.

Video | MiamiHerald.com

The county passed a dumb law, and now the state is trying to correct it. Haven't lawmakers heard that sex offenders have vehicles, and can drive to where kids congregate? Some of them were caught urinating in public, and labeled Sex Offenders. If that is the case, most of us on this list would be wearing a label. Clocker Sid

[Matt Meltzer]

Public Urination is a sex offense? I mean, I've been caught doing that in "We'll arrest you for sneezing too loud" Gainesville and let go with a "get on home now." I thought it was no worse than a misdemeanor.

[Blackford Oakes]

Public Urination is a sex offense? I mean, I've been caught doing that in "We'll arrest you for sneezing too loud" Gainesville and let go with a "get on home now." I thought it was no worse than a misdemeanor.

If the authorities didn't make piss on your car, you're fine.

How's Gainsville ? The closest I got is Archer where my dog was bred.

[Todd Packer]

I believe these people were homeless before sex offenders, no? I doubt people have great jobs and income, then get arrested, and just decide they have to live under a bridge because its the only place in town.

[TheRealEdwin]

I believe these people were homeless before sex offenders, no? I doubt people have great jobs and income, then get arrested, and just decide they have to live under a bridge because its the only place in town.

More often than not, these people where normal people who got caught doing bad things or were classified as a sexual predator for peeing in public. State law says you can't live X feet from where children congregate, churches, schools, etc. County and City laws were toughened because that's an easy way to get votes because you can pretend to be tough on crime, so they extended it up to 1000 feet from any of those establishments. That meant that these people could not live anywhere in county.

This video is a bit old but check it out. Monsters of Miami // Current

[Doug]

I think when you get caught peeing in public, an officer can either charge you with public urination or indecent exposure if you do it too blatantly. If you were charged with indecent exposure, you could end up being branded a sex offender. However, they have to establish that there was lewd intent behind it for it to be true indecent exposure, which is kind of hard to do if someone is just relieving themselves. Yet courts do this, all the same.

I'm personally against Megan's Laws, because I don't think it really does much to stop sex offenders, and it's too easy to be thrown into the same category as someone who kidnaps and assaults children in a van down by the river when you're just someone who had a questionable consensual relationship with an underage teen. To me, those things shouldn't be lumped together in the same category.

[Matt Meltzer]

Thank you, Doug. Wow, finally somebody else who sticks up for there folks. Yeah this is one situation where tougher residence restrictions aren't going to solve the problem at all. You think just by making these folks live under a bridge children will be safer? Dream on.

[swaps522]

Public Urination is a sex offense? I mean, I've been caught doing that in "We'll arrest you for sneezing too loud" Gainesville and let go with a "get on home now." I thought it was no worse than a misdemeanor.

Law enforcement used to call it a 'pissdemeanor', but when too many peeverts started going astray, judges reverted to the legally correct 'Missdemeanor'. Clocker Sid.

P.S. We used to burn cop cars on University Ave., in front of the College Inn, when we inadvertently won a football game. Students and Gainesville Police equals War Zone.

[Maria de los Angeles]

I thought the whole shanty town thing was hypocritical because they could walk over the Julia Tuttle bridge easily and end up at the many schools and religious institutions of mid-beach. Plus, isn't there still a daycare center right there behind the Denny's on Biscayne? And the design high school is right there too.

Todd, if they weren't homeless, they weren't allowed to live in their homes regardless, because of the law.

[Matt Meltzer]

College Inn isn't around anymore. Where was that?

To answer Under the Sun, Gainesville is a nice place if you either A) Want to do nothing but party and watch football all the time or B) Don't need a lot in your life to do. There's a lot of outdoor recreation and the city is very clean and livable. But it gets boring if you're there too long. Like any small city, I suppose. I hated my first year, then once I decided to stop trying to act like a grown up and just do like the Romans do, it was a ton of fun.

[Todd Packer]

I just don't think, that if the law did not exist, they would be living in houses or condos in Miami Beach. I think they would be homeless sleeping in the park instead. Its more of their financial situation, than the law situation.

[Maria de los Angeles]

If I remember correctly from reading articles when the shanty town existed, some of the convicted offenders who could afford rent or could get jobs had no place that would accept them as tenants. They were forced into a situation of homelessness, regardless. As big as Miami-Dade county is, there was not one square foot bit of property they could set foot on to live. So after they paid their debt by serving time, there was no way for them to live here, regardless of their economic situation. They couldn't even live with family or friends because of the law.

I don't think you have to be a vagrant to commit a sex offense crime. Plenty of rich people do sick things. Also, there are plenty of dumps in South Beach to live in.

I am by no means sympathetic to anyone who has committed such a crime, but the way it was handled reflects on such poor management in our county. If you're going to let people go from jail without follow up and rehab programs, that means you accept that they'll be able to function in society. Any one of these offenders could have relapsed no matter where they live. Dumping a bunch of convicted criminals under a bridge doesn't solve anything.

[swaps522]

[QUOTE=Matt Meltzer;64630]College Inn isn't around anymore. Where was that?
College Inn became the Purple Porpoise and now I hear is something else. Three doors down there was a pool hall on the second floor. That's where the Gator football team trained. As to homeless and sex perverts in Gainesville, there were none. Just a few lonely town girls loitering around the Greyhound station - that was the big friday night excitement in G Ville. Clocker Sid.

[Matt Meltzer]

It is now known as Gator City and XS. I was banned from there briefly. But it is probably THE indoor spot in Gainesville on any given night.