Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, plans to propose an ordinance this October that would decriminalize urinating in public property — namely in parks — for Madison’s homeless population. Two accompanying proposals aim to protect the property of the homeless and their right to sleep in public locations.

According to Konkel, these measures will save taxpayers money because the homeless will no longer be forced to spend time in jail after being unable to pay their fines for committing these acts. Fundamentally, however, Konkel told the Herald these ordinances are simply intended to protect the homeless population’s “life-sustaining processes.”

Konkel’s proposal comes in response to the recently proposed 2009 Madison budget, which has failed to create room for any new programs to assist the homeless. Concerns over homeless rights have also been raised at a time when the transient population has been under considerable scrutiny after the murder of University of Wisconsin student Brittany Zimmermann.

While we sympathize with the homeless population, we find Konkel’s proposal to decriminalize public urination not only a gross misstep in regards to public health and sanitation but also unfairly and illegally excludes one group from a law by which others must abide.

Because it may also be difficult to physically identify a member of the homeless community from other citizens for whom this ordinance may not apply, this has the potential to open the floodgates for everyone to relieve themselves in public. And let us not forget, for one day every August, thousands of students are flushed out of their apartments and become temporarily “homeless.”

We are not — dare we say it — pissed off about Konkel’s proposal, but this ordinance doesn’t quite go with the flow. Perhaps, if finding adequate restrooms is a concern, the city should make these facilities more readily available rather than approve frivolous proposals destined to go down the toilet.