DD: Panhandling: You and I seem to agree that the real issues involve the many different "causes" of  poverty and homelessness.  We also agree that "handouts" to pandhandlers are not a "cure" to anything.  However, in my opinion, they do help individuals "survive" until that real assistance (addressing the root causes of poverty) comes along....and, wow, sometimes it feels like that won't ever happen.  

Increasing the minimum wage won't address the systematic inequalities in our economy.  We seem absolutely dependent on having a large pool of the working poor.  I ask myself and let me ask you:  Do you think the capitalist system as it's functioning the the US today requires that a significant number of Americans must live in poverty?