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Alexandria (web | news) , Va. - After hundreds of residents complained about unwanted newspapers being delivered to their home, the city of Alexandria is fighting back against the superfluous nuisance by creating a do not deliver list and even fining the newspaper companies if residents on the list still receive the publication.

"I usually flip the pages quickly before it hits the recycle bin," said resident Dave Copenhafer. He doesn't mind the free paper once a week, but residents like Amy Bayer has voiced her opinion several times. "Because I already subscribe to two newspapers and recycling becomes a bit of a burden, we asked not to receive the Examiner and it depends perhaps on the carrier, but we seem to call every few months and it stops for a couple of weeks and then we start to get it again," said Bayer.

Council member Justin Wilson says it seems to be a problem throughout the city. "It's probably, in a year and a half on city council, probably what we receive the most complaints about," said Wilson.

Alexandria leaders want to create a Do Not Deliver list, much like the Do Not Call list, where residents can make their desires official. If the industry doesn't comply, the penalty could be a $25 fine for the first violation and up to a $100 fine for a third. "These papers are dumped in stacks and they blow around. They litter, they're in the gutters, they just, they're very much an eyesore for the entire community," said Wilson.

Wilson continues by saying the ordinance is very much like one the city wanted to pass two years ago, but waited to see if the papers could self-regulate themselves. Now, the city is stepping in again and leaders are considering additional options to control the newspapers. "I'm wondering if you couldn't have an unobtrusive sticker or something somewhere that's easy to see that just lets them know don't throw one in this driveway," said Copenhafer.

No matter what, residents want to see the issue taken care of. "We ought to have the right to say no thank you for something showing up on our doorstep that we have to deal with, and actually have it go away," said Bayer.

The council is set to consider the plan in January. In the meantime, two member on council will sit down with industry representatives to see if there is another way to resolve the situation outside of the ordinance that has been proposed.

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