The operators of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, its orange towers recognizable the world over, are looking into selling corporate sponsorships for the landmark to reduce a budget shortfall, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.
The authority operating the bridge faces a shortfall of $87 million over the next five years, and its board on Friday may vote to hire a consultant to review corporate partnerships, said spokeswoman Mary Currie.
“It’s actually something we’ve been thinking about for the past few years,” Currie said.
She said the bridge authority would develop a “class-act” program, adding it admires the National Park Service’s “Proud Partners Program,” which allows corporations to pay for projects and take credit for them.
Sell it to Larry Ellison. Then, he won’t have to take his boat to town.
I’d like to say its been fun chatting with all of you. You are all really great, but I don’t think you’ll be hearing from me anymore.
It is not that I want to stop posting here… It’s just that after I go on a murderous rage filled rampage, killing as many people in business suits as you can, as I a plan to do after reading this article, I think they probably will take my Internet access away…
There may be further punishments too. I don’t know. I’m not all that up on current law….
Is corporate sponsorship of the White House next? How about the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial too??
JD, the White House all ready has corporate sponsorship, well at least the people living and working there are um “sponsored”
These idiots (Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District ) have squeezed every penny out of people they can. They have funded every project that can be thought of as long as it has been run by part of their family and every project “looses” money. Their policy have always been how much they can steal regardless of what it does to the welfare of the bridge or the community. Now thay want more money for selling the goose as well!
87 million over 5 years is not a lot of money. They seem a little too eager to do this to me considering how many options they have.
I can’t wait to se the “GOLDEN PALACE CASINO GATE” bridge.
#5, I’m thinking how much does it cost to maintain a bridge for the next five years? I don’t know how much they earn from the tolls or what maintenance is required, but I can’t see it exceeding the tolls.
Does the Golden Gate Bridge tolls support any other projects?
There are no tolls to cross the bridge… as I recall from crossing it a few times…
And roads and bridges should never have tolls. Tolls always make me wonder why I pay taxes.
Come to think of it…. why do I pay taxes?
I’m surprised they haven’t leased-out Alcatraz as a site to post huge billboards for ads… or just enormous company logos… maybe lasers to paint animated ads and/or logos on the fog…
Instead of the Bat-signal, you could have a huge, glowing, multi-colored “Google” in the sky… have it change as their webpage logo changes…
Have a green laser write “Jobdango” on the side of the Coit tower… [a truck was actually doing that on the walls of some big-box stores here, during the morning/evening commute – seems like about 2-years ago. I’m not sure if the stores approved, or if it was a “guerrilla” compaign].
And no, I’m not giving-out my address, so just put the pickaxe & machete down… 😉
Come to think of it…. why do I pay taxes?
Comment by OhForTheLoveOf — 11/18/2006 @ 9:00 am
To hire consultants who can suggest selling the naming rights. That and to pay for Bush to travel the country on Air Force 1 so he can raise money for Republican candidates.
To be the biggest whore in San Francisco is quite a feat.
Ah, the romance of The City. I can see it now – parked up on a hill with the bridge in view, watching the fast-food and Wal-Mart ads scroll across the giant display mounted just below the roadway. Waiting for OhForTheLoveOf to show up with an ax to fine-tune the display’s power cord…
I’m surprised they haven’t leased-out Alcatraz as a site to post huge billboards for ads
Nah there saving Alcatraz for you Bay Area lefties when the round up begins.
This calls for some photoshop skills to place some ads on the bridge. Was it the second Major League movie where the proctologist ad was on center field wall?
I think there should be some way to lazer imprint advertisements on the moon.
Maybe Mount Rushmore and the Pyramids in Egypt also should get corporate labels.
Budget shortfall???? $5.00 a car! what are they smoking CRACK?
There are no tolls to cross the bridge… as I recall from crossing it a few times…
The toll is charged only for southbound traffic, going into the city. Northbound into Marin in free.
#8 There are tolls, $5.00 to go south. No toll to go north.
#7 The bridge runs a ferry system and an extensive bus system. Why? I don’t know. Years ago there were Grayhound busses. They quit their Marin to San Francisco commuter service, probably because they couldn’t make money. At that time Golden Gate Bridge District created their bus system. It boils down to how much do we subsidize public transit. And how do we do it?