Happy 4th of July!
The Haight Street Underworld
Giants Clobber The Astros, 13-0
SFist Tonight
Much to everyone's delight, we're certain, today Golden Gate Bridge corporate officials rejected an offer that would have seen the city rolling around naked in millions of dollars from advertising. A plan that would have finally allowed innocuous ads on a tiny part of the bridge not visible to passersby, plunged to its death today after much contemplation.
While not on the main stretch of the bridge itself, discrete corporate logos would have popped up in visitor area, just to the right of the bridge before it goes across the Bay. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
Supporters wanted it, of course, for the money it would have brought in to the district, and would have seen a less frequent toll raise. Naysayers found it to be "intrusive and inappropriate for the historic span ." We agree with both sides, completely. Or, seeing as how we don't take the crimson entrance to the Bay, we don't care at all. Not sure which.
Any GGB fans, frequenters care to chime in?
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Sounds like a good compromise to me, as the logos wouldn't get in the way of the "postcard shot" sections of the bridge, and the city (which - let's face it - is looking a little more ragged around the edges) could have used the money. Oh well.
I don't use the GG bridge frequently, so don't have to deal with the tolls on a regular basis. So feel free to weight my comment accordingly.
That said, the Golden Gate Bridge (and Bay Bridge, and GG Park, etc.) are powerful symbols of what the Bay Area and its people are capable of. Advertisements or not, what does it say when we as a people throw up our hands and say, "We're not capable or willing to present this bridge anymore. We need MegaCorp to do it for us."
I just returned from a trip to Great Smokey Mountain National Park. The park was beautiful, but took on a sad feel at times due to the donation boxes scattered throughout the park. They were constant reminders that we, as a country, can't even fund our own national parks. Now that's depressing.
I can't help but draw parallels to the GG Bridge situation. To me, corporate sponsorship just seems like a sign of civic failure.
To me, corporate sponsorship just seems like a sign of civic failure.
Amen. Hallelujah. Hear, hear.
Hmm. On the other hand . . . maybe we're all thinking too far inside the box on this issue.
There are some companies where a sponsorship of the Golden Gate Bridge would kill two birds with one stone.
I'm prepared to consider reasonable proposals from the makers of Zoloft, Effexor, Cymbalta, Paxil, Cymbalta, Seroquel, Lexapro, etc.
Oh. Nevermind. I was familiar with Boniva as a bone-strength med for women. So I missed the in-joke of that logo. Classy.
The bridge district apparently can't adequately manage the money they rake in.
Just raise the stupid toll to $10 already, sheesh!
I don't see how anti-crazy meds tie into the bridge.
Erection pills are more in keeping with the big stiff proud towers.
I'm not crazy about the idea of adding advertisements to everything. Too much materialism and commercialization in this world. I'm glad it was voted down. Money can be raised in some other way, I'm sure.
This is so stupid.
Every year they bring this idea up so it will be shot down in favor of higher tolls. It's like the NPS threatening to close the Washington Monument if they don't hget their budget request.
I don't see how anti-crazy meds tie into the bridge..
Crazy people often jump off the bridge. Ergo, anti-crazy meds. I realize if they could just make an anti-jumping pill, that would probably work better. Also, dude, crazy is not the preferred nomenclature. Mentally ill, please.
I take some of those anti-crazy meds, so I can call myself whatever I want, which is crazy not mentally ill which is too PC for me.
Sorry I didn't get the connection to the bridge. We OCD ADHD Manic nutsos are slow sometimes.
"Show me a man who thinks he is not insane, and I will try to cure him."
Carl Jung