dave.ofmassdestruction.com

I read today that Apple is going to renovate the Chicago “El” stop across from their store. The run-down stop is in bad repair and the Chicago Transit Authority has no money to do anything about it. In exchange, Apple gets naming rights, control of ad-space in the station, and, of course, a better looking neighbor.

I am of two minds about this news. On the one hand, I think it is a unique model for municipalities (or transit authorities as the case may be) to make some much needed upgrades when our poor economy and our national attitudes don’t provide enough support and funds to do so. At the same time, I cringe at the possibility of the “Apple iPhone North Station”. We have too much corporate sponsorship already. More will dull our senses (not to mention our history and traditions).

This quote from the article sums up the problem well:

“We are selling everything, aren’t we?” says Joseph Schofer, director of Northwestern University’s Infrastructure Technology Institute. “We haven’t come to the point where we recognize how critical the system is to the economy, and provide it with long-term, stable funding.”

Its a choice we have to make as a society – “Macbook Pro Stop West” or preserving our heritage. Unfortunately, in this economy, and with the “tea-baggers” ideas getting the airtime that they do I fear we will simply sell.