Friday’s Wall Street
Journal reported a new low in corporate advertising, and in the desperation
of cash-strapped institutions: A 140-foot-long billboard now dominates the front
of Grace Church on Broadway in New York City.
                 The
church sold advertising rights on the billboard to Citibank (and, before it, to
Infinity) to help pay for some crucial, expensive restoration.
                 Here
at home, the Doyle administration is preparing to sell naming rights to some of
the shelters in the county parks. The purchasers get a plaque in the shelter.
                 OK:
The administration isn’t proposing billboards on the façade of the shelters, or
flashing lights over the fireplaces. And maybe I shouldn’t get worked up about
this. A discreet little plaque isn’t what companies look for when they buy
naming rights, so the county may not get many takers. The principle’s a bad
one, though, and we oughta fight it.
                 We’re
talking about public parks here: something generations of Monroe County
residents have been proud of — and have been willing to pay for, through
their taxes. The Doyle administration, of course, is obsessed about taxes,
refusing to let the county’s tax income even keep up with modest inflation. The
result is a real financial crisis.
                 And
so the Doyle administration is looking for new, non-tax income anywhere it can
find it. If it can sell naming rights to public property, why not broaden the
concept? The county could sell sporting-goods stores the rights to Mendon
Ponds’ spectacular hiking and cross-country ski trails. It could sell swimwear
companies the naming rights to Ontario Beach.
                 It could sell naming rights to an entire
park! What’s so sacred about the names “Mendon Ponds” or “Genesee Valley,” after
all? Why not name them after local companies, and hang large banners at the
entrances? (Why not sell naming rights to the entire county?)
                 I
know, I know; selling naming rights has become routine. That doesn’t make me
like it. (And yes, this newspaper did object when the city sold Blue Cross-Blue
Shield the naming rights to the War Memorial.)
                 The
Doyle administration’s attitude toward parks is nothing new. If it hadn’t run
into money problems, it would have already paved part of Seneca Park for a parking
lot. It put a commercial light show in Northampton Park. (The show would have
been put in Mendon Ponds, but neighbors howled and spooked Republican leaders,
who were afraid the flack would cost them a County Legislature seat.) The
administration privatized the public golf course in Genesee Valley Park, which
subsequently led to the cutting down of numerous old trees. It proposed selling
off part of Webster Park.
                 The
Doyle administration has the authority to sell shelter naming rights (up to
$5000) without any public input, and without the approval of the County
Legislature. And anyway, public protest isn’t likely to impress Doyle. But
maybe the threat of public protest would concern companies thinking about
buying those naming rights.
                 We’ll
name names. Maybe you’ll write letters.
                 Want to comment? Write
or The Mail, City Newspaper, 250 North
Goodman Street, Rochester 14607. Please include your name, address, and daytime
phone number.
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This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2003.
