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New Newspaper Bins

Re: Don't have a cow over new boxes

Coin-operated newspaper boxes began, in the typically American money-making tradition, as a way for newspapers to get money from customers who would otherwise take newspapers for free from honour-system racks.

They are neither guarantors of freedom of the press nor champions of the dissemination of heroically contrarian opinions in a police state, but rather vehicles for larger economic profits. As such, they became useful tools in the competition between newspapers - the classic example being the one I gave earlier of USA Today, a radically different full colour product which was launched in fancy new boxes in the early 1980's.
 
Re: Don't have a cow over new boxes

Another two of these boxes were placed today at Yonge and Bloor (NE corner outside of HBC).
 
Re: Don't have a cow over new boxes

I just wish the boxes were a bit more colourful, the black doesn't work for me. Toronto in Feb. is dull enough, we don't need dull street furniture.
 
Re: It's about the clutter.... Sheesh......

"sold without government interference. Though you may not be capable of thinking thoughts that aren't government sanctioned, which is what you're advocating"

A very immature rant by this guy. The thread is about the new bins replacing the ocean of bins out there which is a nightmare mess on our streets. Simple as that.

And the city most definitely has the right and obligation to control clutter on our streets and reduce it.

You want to turn this topic into a polictical free speech assault and make it personal, go to another forum. Comments like the above quotes are completely uncalled for and personal.

The poster came across as being foolish and intolerant with his comments.
 
Re: Don't have a cow over new boxes

AP, you're getting close to getting banned again. Tone it down.
 
Re: It's about the clutter.... Sheesh......

The bins do not represent an attack on free speech. Free speech does not entitle anyone to unrestricted access to public space.

In the Ramsden v. Peterborough case, the issue was postering. The City tried to ban all postering on public property, and Ken Ramsden ("Reverend Ken") challenged the new by-law on Charter grounds. The Supreme Court found that a total postering ban violated the Charter's free speech guarantees, but an alternative approach (such as placing controls on postering, and/or regulating permitted locations) could be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society (as per s. 1 of the Charter).

If the City tried to ban all newspaper sales in all public spaces, there might be a valid Charter challenge. If the City tried to ban specific publications (say, the National Post, for example, because Councillors did not like its coverage), there would most definitely be a valid Charter challenge. But where the City simply tries to regulate and control newspaper sales on sidewalks in a manner which does not discriminate against any particular publication, pursuant to valid public interest objectives, that is not an attack on free speech. All Charter rights are subject to the reasonable limits provided for in Section 1 of the Charter.
 
Re: Don't have a cow over new boxes

No in the scenario you describe. But if the city imposes the bins in question (setting aside the obvious non-charter issues as to whether they can, since the newspapers have a licence or an easement over city land to put newspapers boxes on sidewalks and have done for more than 40 years), there would be a definite charter issue if:
1) an new newspaper started up;
2) the city refused it space in its boxes; and
3) the city refused to allow the newspaper to set up its own boxes or
4) allowed the new paper to set up its own boxes but continued to force the other papers to sell only through city owned boxes.

Which has been my point all along - the city can't say "only these newspapers can be sold and no others".
 
Re: It's about the clutter.... Sheesh......

The issue is not about banning public access to a particular publication, but about regulating one possible channel of distribution for said publication, one of which there are many. There are all kinds of regulations regarding private access to the public realm. As long as the regulations are applied evenly where is the problem?
 
Re: What is this guy's problem?

Trying to understand this guy's rant regarding restriction of free speech with these new bins replacing the old ones. It makes no sense what he's ranting about.

The city isn't saying no to future publications outright and it certainly isn't trying to restrict the rest with what they can print.

This is simply about the city trying to control the mess of multiple bins scattered across our sidewalks resulting in clutter that's been completely out of control for some time now.

The city is certainly entitled to controlling unnecessary clutter and garbage on the streets. This guy needs to take a pill and realize he's ranting in the wrong forum. Sheesh......
 
Re: It's about the clutter.... Sheesh......

As long as the regulations are applied evenly where is the problem?
Click to expand...

That's just the problem. It can only be applied evenly if the number of papers freezes as of the date these huge ugly boxes are imposed.
 
that's nonsense. if a new publication emerges i'm sure the city could find a way of accommodating them. the city could, for example, design a standalone expansion box that matches the existing design, and install them as needed to meet new demand.

Edit: Here's an idea from Seattle that I quite like. It's a modular unit, and I take it the newspapers are responsible for providing their own modules (instead of supplying boxes they supply modules). This allows newspapers to retain some of the distinctive looks of their boxes, while also reducing clutter. And if a new publisher emerges the city just needs to tack an extension onto the end of the unit

www.seattle.gov/economicd..._boxes.htm
 
So...... you're opposed to the physical appearance of the new bins? At least this is something we can debate about regarding the new bins that makes sense.
 
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