Boston.com - Frustrated by the sight of unkempt and abandoned newspaper boxes, Mayor Thomas M. Menino has proposed sweeping new regulations and fees for their placement, a move that has some cash-strapped publishers complaining the mayor is limiting their ability to freely distribute newspapers on city streets. Menino says the city has been receiving complaints that news boxes are sometimes filled with trash, that they impede access for wheelchairs, and that some are chained to street signs or placed insecurely. "The problem is they get so dirty, and some of these companies don't even care," Menino said in an interview. "You find there's rubbish in them for weeks, and we've got to do something." The proposed new rules would cap at 300 the number of boxes a publisher could place in the city and charge them $25 per box annually. The publishers would also have to pay a $300 fee annually to receive a certificate of compliance. 

Fucking Menino!   You got to love this guy.   Hey buddy I got a crazy idea.   If you’re so fucking worried about the racks being dirty and filled with trash why don’t you have the DPW guys who sit around and do nothing all day except barbecue and watch TV go and clean them up.   Or I got another wacky idea for you.  How about putting more trash cans out?   Because the only time people throw shit in them is when there is no trash can within 5 miles of the racks.   That probably makes too much sense huh?     And who is complaining about them anyway?   A couple old bags from Beacon Hill?   If I wasn’t so lazy I’d organize a phone blitz where every fucking newspaper in this city has their readers call City Hall and complain that they can’t get the paper they want.  We’ll shut this fucking city down.     It’s ridiculous.     I bet if you put this to a vote on whether to allow the news racks or get rid of them the news racks would win 97% to 3%.  But it’s the 3% of assholes with too much time on their hands that complain about it. 

PS – I love how the city charges a permit for the racks but still feels like they have the right to steal them whenever they want and throw them in the city dump where wild cats make houses out of them.  Only in Boston baby! Seriously my dream is to see Menino walking down the street one day and throw a wild cat in his face and see how he likes it.

Double PS - Instead of worrying about shit nobody cares about how about getting the subway to run for more than 15 minutes after the game tonight so drunk drivers aren't flying all over the place killing each other? I guess that would be to useful a cause for Menino to get involved in.