Tampa Epoch street paper: giving voice to the homeless

Tags: Tampa Epoch, Bill Sharpe, street newspaper, homeless, panhandling ban, South Tampa Community News, panhandling

Tampa Epoch publisher Bill Sharpe

photo by Bill Sharpe

Today we’re going to talk about the controversial new law that went into effect in Tampa this week and how one local businessman is trying to counter its effect on the homeless. We’re talking of course, about City of Tampa ordinance that now bans panhandling every day but Sunday, with an exception for those distributing political literature or selling newspapers. The law may make the homeless less visible, but what it does not do is offer any kind of solution to those who have little to no choice but to don the city-mandated neon vest and rely on the generosity of their fellow citizens to get by.

However, one man has set out to provide the homeless of Tampa a legal way to earn an income as well as the opportunity to have a voice, by publishing a street newspaper called the Tampa Epoch which will debut later this month. That man is Bill Sharpe, publisher of the South Tampa Community News and he joins us here in the studio.