Portland, Oregon, cops arrested two homeless people for “theft of services” because they plugged their cell phones into a planter box outlet. According to electrical industry researchers, recharging a cellphone costs 25 cents a year, which means a single recharge uses less than a penny’s worth of electricity. What did this cost taxpayers? It took 4 cops to make this arrest, plus court time and the cost of a public defender. Doesn’t sound like a good deal for taxpayers. Just psycho cops getting their jollies by gratuitously harassing the city’s poor people. This isn’t unique to Portland, it happens everywhere. Some Florida cities make it a crime for citizens to give food to homeless people. It must be something in our culture.
Photos: Being poor is a crime in our money-crazed society.
