"Selling" out

I read an interesting article over the weekend, about a Florida state representative who wants to allow corporations to pay for the right to have their names attached to elementary and secondary school cafeterias. Rep. Irv Slosberg, a Democrat from Boca Raton, has introduced the “Public School Food Service Enhancement Act” into the state legislature.

The bill would give school districts the ability to sell naming rights to cafeterias, similar to what sports franchises do with their stadiums and arenas. In an article in the Miami New Times, Slosberg used that analogy. “We can name our ballparks Allstate Stadium or whatever, to maximize the dollars,” Slosberg was quoted as saying. “We should be looking around for every last penny.”

I’ve seen this proposal before, and it troubles me. I’m bothered because I’ve been around long enough to realize that nothing is free. Companies do not buy anything unless there is something in it for them, and that is the question that Florida politicians should ask before voting to adopt this legislation.

If I were an executive at a fast-food company or soda manufacturer, I would be salivating at this opportunity to have my company’s name in students’ faces at lunchtime—even if they aren’t buying my products at that particular moment.

However, Slosberg has said he is prepared for that possibility. In another article on the First Coast News website, he was quoted as saying, “The bill is not for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Aunt Jemima pancakes. The bill is basically for places like Whole Foods, Publix, Fresh Foods and there would be a lot of filters.”

Filters? Somehow, I doubt that. How would those filters be set, and how would they work? If the idea would be, as Slosberg told the Miami New Times, to generate “every last penny,” could a financially strapped school administrator say “no” to $10,000 from McDonald’s? He or she could? Then how about $100,000, or $250,000?

Does Slosberg really believe that it would be possible to be selective about what companies would be eligible to purchase naming rights? If so, then I would love to meet this man, because a naïve politician is a rare breed indeed.

This is a bad idea, plain and simple.