<p>Berkeley is so tired of these beggars that some folks want them neutered. That may sound harsh, but the alternative is to kill them.</p>
<p>The beggars in question are the city's increasingly aggressive raccoons. City Councilwoman Linda Maio can't stomach the thought of the traditional solution by workers at the pound. So she's planning to propose a new ordinance in Berkeley (which already has frowned on everything from nuclear weaponry to wood-fired pizza ovens) to underwrite sterilizing the pesky raccoons.</p>