oh good grief...

[acroyear]

In Fairfax County: the Great Outdoors, Sponsored by . . . - washingtonpost.com:

Would Burke Lake lose some of its value if it were named after a hotel chain or a defense contractor? How about if the Super Slide at Audrey Moore RECenter at Wakefield Park suddenly had the corporate logo of a technology or telecommunications firm plastered on it? What if the Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole in Reston were named after a bank, a grocery store or a clothing outlet?

Cash-strapped Fairfax County is looking at whether selling the naming rights of its 24,000 acres of public parks and facilities could pull in enough revenue to offset some of the millions of dollars in budget shortfalls that have hamstrung many county programs and operations.

Comments

[katrinb.livejournal.com]

*rolls eyes* But if it keeps Robert's swimming lessons available...and the playgrounds maintained...and the nature centers running...well, hey. I can ignore names.

[greendalek.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, this doesn't disturb me very much. There's a playground here in the Upper Valley, on public (state) parkland, that was constructed entirely by the Saturn company in some kind of community agreement through which Saturn assumes full responsibility of construction and maintenance.

I have to tell you, it is hands-down the cleanest, most well-maintained, and above all the COOLEST playground to which I've ever taken my kids. Everything's brightly colored, always in good repair, well-landscaped, tidy (truly, you NEVER see any trash lying around), and SAFE. Granted, you do have to walk past a prominent Saturn logo as you enter the park, but I suspect 99% of the kids that frequent this playground are too busy to really notice.

The private sector CAN and DOES do a better job and this playground is living proof. If the trade-off for keeping well-maintained parks and facilities is having to look at a few corporate logos or brand names as you walk past, then I think it's worthwhile.

[uncle-possum.livejournal.com]

Well, sure, as long as (1) the company decides it wants to maintain the service and product and (2) the company can afford to do so and (3) the company is still in business.

Government also has done many things very well, but over time, government places seem to run into the above first two things--people decide they don't want the park as much as something else, or they object to paying taxes to keep the park up.

We are seeing the latter here in Milwaukee--there used to be some very nice swimming pools in the city (natatorium--an indoor swimming pool)--but they are now run down, and no one wants to fix them. The corporations are very interested in performing arts and sports, but not pools or parks. Could this in part be due to the perception that conservatives go to baseball games and liberals use parks?

Oh, and what about the corporations which are beginning to cancel health insurance and even pensions?

From where I sit, it appears there is no real difference between the government and at least large private business.

(Admitting to wondering how I'd react to the AIG White House, or the Morgan-Chase Grand Canyon)