Jackson Free Press

"I'm tired of seeing people on County Line Road holding signs (asking for money)."

— Jackson interim Police Chief Lee Vance on panhandling in Jackson and the need for the next police chief, for which he is one of two candidates, to emphasize quality-of-life issues.

Why it stinks: Vance's rationale for being angry about people holding signs is just bizarre. He described a hypothetical situation in which a jilted panhandler might call his sister the b-word.

Besides, Jackson has an aggressive panhandling ordinance on the books. Several attempts at toughening the law have failed over the years, partly because it's hard to get around the constitutional issues of limiting people's free speech to ask for money. A top police official, who is bound to respect and honor the laws of the city, state and nation should know better.