The Boston Globe has an interesting story today about Mayor Tom Menino and his “edict” banning voicemail in Boston city government:

Though some think of it as a mundane and necessary cornerstone of modern communication, Mayor Thomas M. Menino banned it more than 10 years ago after suffering through a lengthy recording when he called a city department. He was so irritated that he issued an edict that he still personally enforces with a special vehemence. Menino has been known to sniff out clandestine voice mail and leave indignant messages.

While his methods may be a bit odd, maybe Menino has a point: it only reinforces the image of government as an expansive, bureaucratic monolith when citizens are continually routed through a maze of robotic voicemail boxes.

For all of the talk we hear about the ways new technology may increase citizen participation in politics - making it easier to give small amounts to candidates running for office, using a MeetUp to find people within your area who are interested in the same issues you are - technology also has the ability to make your interactions with government darn frustrating.