I have written quite a number of blog posts that feature quotes and analysis from Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. One of the strategies she warns about is the rush to sell off public assets to private corporate hands. On her blog yesterday, Rania Khalek draws our attention to a form of this strategy that absolutely boggles the mind!
Sports fans have seen this creep for the last decade or so. In the old days, the college bowl season featured a handful of games at historic venues like the Orange, Cotton, Sugar or Rose Bowl. Today, however, in front of those historic names we now find corporate adornments like the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl or the Allstate Sugar Bowl!
Public schools have utilized corporate sponsorships to shore up sagging revenues and state aid.
In his book, Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America, Matt Taibbi talks about the case of the City of Chicago leasing its parking meters to some unknown conglomerate for a one-time multi-million dollar payment in exchange for foregoing 75 years of municipal revenue.
What's next? Stoplights brought to us by General Electric? Park benches by Forest Lawn Cemeteries? City Hall by Walmart? Public roads by Halliburton?
Where will it end?
In more desperate and bizarre attempts to fill in budget gaps the City Council in Naperville, IL is considering giving corporations exclusive rights to plaster their logos on city property. One proposed municipal sponsorship deal would allow Kentucky Fried Chicken to repair potholes in exchange for stamping the fresh asphalt with the chicken chain’s logo...Before we know it, everything we can think of is going to be corporate-sponsored!
Sports fans have seen this creep for the last decade or so. In the old days, the college bowl season featured a handful of games at historic venues like the Orange, Cotton, Sugar or Rose Bowl. Today, however, in front of those historic names we now find corporate adornments like the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl or the Allstate Sugar Bowl!
Public schools have utilized corporate sponsorships to shore up sagging revenues and state aid.
In his book, Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America, Matt Taibbi talks about the case of the City of Chicago leasing its parking meters to some unknown conglomerate for a one-time multi-million dollar payment in exchange for foregoing 75 years of municipal revenue.
What's next? Stoplights brought to us by General Electric? Park benches by Forest Lawn Cemeteries? City Hall by Walmart? Public roads by Halliburton?
Where will it end?
and in Chicago that money is already spent.
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