Claims that Urbana is picking on poor people badly miss the point.

After a series of meetings and much discussion, the Urbana City Council has passed an ordinance aimed at deterring "aggressive solicitation" of money by strangers from strangers.

Despite the label, it's essentially an ordinance designed to restrict the kind of panhandling that goes beyond a polite request for assistance. It covers the entire city, but it's aimed at helping authorities get a better handle on the kind of quality-of-life problems currently plaguing southeast Urbana.

Mayor Laurel Prussing and Alderwoman Diane Marlin deserve credit for their willingness to revise the proposed ordinance in a way that satisfies some of the critics, particularly skeptics on the city council, but still give police tools to address the problem.

This was a tough issue for Urbana City Council members, mostly because it forced them to choose between constituent groups they historically have favored — the elderly and the poor.

Critics of the legislation contended that the aggressive solicitation ordinance is reflective of a war on the poor. They portrayed panhandlers as meek victims of economic injustice seeking bus fare or money for a phone call and food. Ordinance supporters suggested such representations were not only not accurate but not the problem. They asserted that people were genuinely frightened by intimidating requests for money and a reluctance to take no for an answer.

Also at issue were claims that people are starting to stay away from the Sunnycrest business area to avoid solicitation, adversely affecting the viability of the businesses there.

This ordinance is in no way reflective of hostile attitudes toward the poor. It is reflective of a hostile attitude toward bad behavior.

All of us — even the poor — have a responsibility to contribute to the overall health of our society. Southeast Urbana needs help. This ordinance is perceived as one of the solutions. If it goes too far or not far enough, the issue can be revisited in 18 months.