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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 16, 2006 Living homeless in Ashland, Jenah Dodge, 20, left, who says she is pregnant, gets a hug from Seanna Sharp, 18, in front of Ashland Bakery and Cafe Sunday. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Beggars face a backlash Publicity about a pair of ‘affluent’ Ashland panhandlers has cut handouts for some others who say they’re lucky to get enough for food By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Jenah Dodge panhandled in downtown Ashland Sunday carrying a cardboard sign that declared she was pregnant. A passerby cried out, "I’ve heard that one before." Dodge, who showed her swollen stomach to prove she was pregnant, just shrugged the comment off, saying, "I never lie when I get money. I believe in karma." While the 20-year-old, who says she gets $20 to $30 a day, hasn’t noticed a drop-off in donations, other panhandlers say the publicity about an Ashland couple who describe themselves as "affluent beggars" has been bad for business. "I’m pissed off about it," said 20-year-old Cliff, who wouldn’t give his last name. Advertisement He’s referring to Jason Pancoast and Elizabeth Johnson, who have gained notoriety lately because they say they make from $30,000 to $40,000 annually panhandling. On good days the couple, who have three children, can make as much as $300, and once they made $800. Cliff, who said the most that anyone he knows makes is about $50 a day, said other homeless people also have complained to him that they have been making less. However, he added that other factors could be playing into the decline in handouts. "Definitely dude, it goes down with the season." Cliff’s friend, 22-year-old Garrett Johnson, said that he’s happy to get $5 or $10 to pay for something to eat. Johnson said he likes his vagabond life. "I’m just traveling," he said. "Nothing holds you down. It makes you feel free." Cliff, who also says his itinerant lifestyle makes him feel free, said he’s seen Pancoast and Johnson around town looking for money. "I asked her to help me out once," he said. "She seems more smug than a lot of people on the streets." Dodge, however, didn’t bear any ill will toward the couple. "Good for them," she said. "I’m glad people are helping them out." She said that for a family of five, $30,000 to $40,000 a year is not a lot of money. Dodge said she got a medical discharge from the Army because she had uterine cancer. She said the military didn’t help get her back on her feet, and her parents rejected her, forcing her to live on the streets. Asked how she could get pregnant with the cancer, Dodge said, "It’s a blessing from God. Ten doctors said I was barren." She said she didn’t know how long she had been pregnant, estimating she’s between two and four months along. Dodge usually sleeps outdoors at night next to an Ashland church, but she didn’t think her lifestyle would hurt the fetus. "I’m a third Cherokee, and my ancestors slept outside," she said. "My baby will be strong." Seanna Sharpe, 18, of Ashland stopped by to talk with Dodge and see if she could offer her some help. "I wanted to pray with her because I was in the same condition," said Sharpe, adding that she lived off the streets but wasn’t pregnant. She estimated that Dodge was probably at least three months along. After hearing about the backlash from the community about the affluent beggar couple, Sharpe said, "People in Ashland need to learn what love means." Another homeless woman, who said her name was Butterfly Samson, said she was amazed at the amount of money Pancoast and Johnson make. "I think it’s pretty good for them," said the 30-year-old, who estimates she can make up to $65 or $70 a day. "More power to them." Samson said she is permanently disabled, suffering from scoliosis, and has had other problems with "court filings." "We’ve had a rocky few years," she said. Samson said she earns what she needs to survive, and doesn’t waste her money on alcohol or drugs. "All I want is food right now," she said. "I’ve got a dog. I’ve got a husband. We need the necessities." Unlike Pancoast and Johnson, who stay in a motel, Samson says she sleeps outdoors at night. "I’ll sleep anywhere I can lay my head on without the cops catching me," she said, adding that after a chilly Saturday night, "I woke up and my toes were numb." Pancoast said he and his wife are lying low for a few days because of all the publicity, staying in an Ashland motel and avoiding any panhandling. The state Department of Health Services audited the couple’s income on Friday, he said. "They were trying to find out if we were making $50,000 a year," he said. Pancoast, who said the notoriety has been intense, said he’s gotten into heated discussions with some people as he wanders about town. "A lot of people are freaked out about it," he said, adding that he won’t be trying to ask for money in the next few days. "We haven’t been collecting anything lately." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Beggars face a backlash ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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