Panhandling is becoming a bigger problem in Downtown Pittsburgh, and Democratic nominee Bob O'Connor has promised to tackle it if he is elected mayor in November.

In the meantime, the initiative of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and others to encourage people not to give beggars money but, instead, to donate to organizations that try to address their problems, is very welcome.

Confronted on the street by a person asking for a quarter or spare change puts most pedestrians in a pickle. On the one hand, people -- particularly Pittsburghers -- want to help. On the other hand, it is well known that many of the people begging on the streets want money either to feed a drug or alcohol habit, or to avoid working for it. Some have medical issues.

In any case, the Downtown Partnership is now urging people, through signs and other publicity, not to give to them. "The more you give change, the more things will stay the same," the placards say. Spare change enables panhandlers to avoid seeking real help. In addition, their presence on the streets is both symptom and cause of Downtown blight.

The flight of businesses from Downtown provides more doorways where they can set up, and their presence is one more deterrent to people who might come to shop or attend cultural events, not to mention potential investors looking at Pittsburgh as a possible venue for business. If unemployment is one of the sources of beggars on the street, the process thus becomes a vicious circle.

Yet there is a considerable amount of help available, which makes not giving them money acceptable, both socially and morally. One of the partners in the anti-panhandling effort, the Downtown Ministerium's Walk-in Ministry is one example. The ministerium, made up of five churches, has had for 25 years a walk-in program for homeless and low-income people.

Confrontational beggars are something else again, and there are some. Pittsburgh has had an ordinance since 1995 that bans aggressive begging, including near ATMs. Fortunately, the police bureau is another partner in the new initiative; any instance of aggressive begging should prompt a quick call to 911.

We commend enthusiastically the Downtown Partnership project. Donations to organizations which provide real assistance and services to those in need, instead of handing out money that may just find its way to the nearest drug dealer or liquor store, makes all kinds of sense.

One suggestion we would make in this day of cell phones is that one of these organizations add a hotline to its menu of services. If a pedestrian encounters a beggar, he could phone the ministerium, for example. With increased contributions, the ministerium might be able to dispatch someone to make the beggar aware of its services.

In short, there is no reason to give money to panhandlers. Pittsburgh can deal with this problem in better ways.