The name game
Time for it to finally end Todd Eachus didn’t defy tyranny, ride into battle, spark a social movement or do much of anything extraordinary to warrant plastering his name on a building.
The Democratic state representative, however, did help to obtain grant money (aka your tax dollars) to help rebuild the fire-damaged Freeland Senior Center.
These days, in the eyes of some people, that qualifies as meritorious service. They’re apparently not looking for a man or woman of valor. They don’t much care whether the honoree has led a long, distinguished, community-enhancing career.
Just show us the money!
The senior center’s board, on the basis of Eachus’ being “so instrumental in getting the grant,” named the facility in his honor and added “Todd Eachus” to its sign greeting visitors and passersby. Good grief. What might certain people in the Butler Township lawmakers’ district have done if he had succeeded in engineering the startup of a regional cargo airport? (We’re picturing his name atop a mountain in letters large enough to rival the Hollywood sign and lit for the benefit of incoming pilots.)
Our beef, of course, isn’t with any single lawmaker or the appreciative recipients of government grant money.
Aren’t the schools, colleges, arts organizations and other institutions that affix living politicians’ names to their buildings simply trying to curry favor – and potentially get closer to the front of the line for future handouts? Aren’t they bothered by kowtowing and being beholden – or at least perceived to be – to a “powerful” person?
And for incumbent lawmakers, don’t those plaques, marquees and prominent signs equate to free campaign advertising? (Banks, casinos and other companies pay beaucoup bucks for naming rights to this area’s most popular destinations; it’s called marketing. Why do some lawmakers get similar treatment for free?)
Shouldn’t the sites – paid for, at least in part, with the taxpayers’ money – more aptly be named the Citizens’ Center, the People’s Plaza or Taxpayers’ Theater?
We find the name game almost as disingenuous and distasteful as when elected officials show up at ribbon-cutting ceremonies and project openings to be photographed with those big cardboard checks (aka your tax dollars). Boards of directors should be more discriminating when choosing names for their buildings.
Elected officials, meanwhile, should know when to decline an invitation and say, “I was only doing the job you pay me to do.” Otherwise, this phenomenon might get more out of control, and certain politicians might come to expect endless promotional opportunities.
There’s a name for that: self-aggrandizing.
(Wilkes-Barre) Times Leader