After Fort Lauderdale made it illegal to feed the homeless on city streets, Mayor Jack Seiler told the media that the city had actually added feeding sites to take care of the homeless, but on investigation journalists found these new sites didn’t exist.
“We have set up alternative locations for feeding,” he told Local 10. “There is a feeding available every day of the week through the faith-based community, churches….
…”The media’s ignoring the fact that there are daily feedings taking place in the city of Fort Lauderdale in full compliance with the law,” he told the Sun-Sentinel.
“We’re working with 70 churches. Some 20 plus organizations, they are all feeding on a daily basis and not running afoul of the law,” Seiler told “This Week in South Florida.”
The problem? There are only church feedings available four days out of the week, according to local clergy. That’s the same number of feedings that were available prior to the ban. They said there are no feedings available in the city for three days of the week, days that previously were handled by outside groups that the city has now outlawed feeding in public….
…When questioned about where the additional daily feedings actually take place, Seiler said he “didn’t have a list in my pocket” and had “no idea.” But he said he would send a list. When asked for the list, he didn’t provide one and wrote that he does not maintain” such a list.
Seiler did eventually concede that there are only four organized feedings, but said the city has now “sanctioned” every church in the city to conduct the feedings whether they choose to do so or not.