They are simply trying to keep their news boxes from walking away, and the poles are handy. That just ain't right. They're not props in a movie. The public might as well get some utility out of them. The kiosks would be maintained by hiring disadvantaged youth through a special city program.
Funding is, of course, a problem.
While that's not my job, I will throw out some ideas for starters. Or maybe we as a city might opt for a simple, reasonable solution for a change. Repeal the poster ban, because it's really a pointless ordinance. The poles are public property. Bug the city council about the issue.