We learn from Dang that DGI is planning to buy newspaper racks to replace the current newspaper racks used by N&R, Yes Weekly, Rhino and other existing print publications. It sounds good in theory but like many theories once put into practice there are problems that DGI isn't talking about. For example: As Dang pointed out, these newspaper racks cost $8,000.oo each and will be paid for with taxpayer funding. Here we go, corporate welfare once again.
Then there's the problem of new publications that don't currently exist demanding space in the racks. Legally neither DGI nor the City of Greensboro can deny these publications the right to distribution on public property anywhere in the City of Greensboro. So when a new publication comes along and wants a space in a filled up rack and is denied space by DGI and the City of Greensboro then you can bet new racks will have to be bought to replace the over capacity racks that deny access to the newer publications.
You see, there are United States constitutional implications involving freedom of speech and freedom of the press that force Greensboro and other cities to tolerate newspaper boxes even though Mayor Robbie Perkins has openly expressed his hatred of said boxes and if you think Greensboro's downtown boxes won't suddenly be taxed with more free publications than they can hold....
Well seriously folks, the costs of distribution has been the primary factor stopping me from founding a print publication for a number of years now and with the City of Greensboro and Downtown Greensboro Incorporated as well as Greensboro's taxpayers picking up my distribution costs, myself and a lot more of Greensboro's aspiring print publishers will soon find ourselves in the desktop publishing business.
Just think how many more readers this blog would get if I were distributing a free print publication downtown. And seriously, you will never get away with charging a fee to force publishers to use the DGI boxes-- no court in this nation will allow that to fly.
Then there's the problem of new publications that don't currently exist demanding space in the racks. Legally neither DGI nor the City of Greensboro can deny these publications the right to distribution on public property anywhere in the City of Greensboro. So when a new publication comes along and wants a space in a filled up rack and is denied space by DGI and the City of Greensboro then you can bet new racks will have to be bought to replace the over capacity racks that deny access to the newer publications.
You see, there are United States constitutional implications involving freedom of speech and freedom of the press that force Greensboro and other cities to tolerate newspaper boxes even though Mayor Robbie Perkins has openly expressed his hatred of said boxes and if you think Greensboro's downtown boxes won't suddenly be taxed with more free publications than they can hold....
Well seriously folks, the costs of distribution has been the primary factor stopping me from founding a print publication for a number of years now and with the City of Greensboro and Downtown Greensboro Incorporated as well as Greensboro's taxpayers picking up my distribution costs, myself and a lot more of Greensboro's aspiring print publishers will soon find ourselves in the desktop publishing business.
Just think how many more readers this blog would get if I were distributing a free print publication downtown. And seriously, you will never get away with charging a fee to force publishers to use the DGI boxes-- no court in this nation will allow that to fly.
