And for property owners in Rosedale, the hike in property taxes, combined with what Ms. Breslauer calls a "sidewalk tax" paid to panhandlers, is a common complaint.

If Mayor Richard Riordan and City Attorney James Hahn have their way, it could be tougher for panhandlers to levy their sidewalk tax in Los Angeles. This week, they proposed an ordinance that would prohibit panhandlers from coming within 3 feet of a person, blocking the sidewalk, following people, using profane language or threatening people who refuse to give them money.