Why Aren't There More Voluntary Aspirational Taxes?

This probably should be part of my tax series, but I thought I would pose the question to the readership.

Provincial and municipal governments are always looking for additional money, but taxes are unpopular and have unpleasant economic side effects. Municipal governments and school boards also need to assign names to roads and schools.

Why don't cities simply sell the naming rights to roads, as they do to stadiums?

They could set some guidelines - the roads have to be named after people, not corporations, as I could see a segment of society not wanting to live on Pepsi Lane. There may be worries that the person the road named after may later fall into disfavour (Alan Eagelson Road?), but it should be relatively straight forward to put a morals clause in the contract that allows the road name to be changed if the person "engages in acts of moral turpitude."

Many schools are often named after persons as an act of recognition (my elementary school was named after Baron Tweedsmuir) but are often given the name of the subdivision where the school is located (e.g. Orchard Park). In London, ON, at least, new roads are given bland, inoffensive names like Bloom, Marigold and (ick) Pleasantview.

Having a local business person or other well-to-do pay, say, $25,000 to name the road after herself (or her father or some other person she admires like Jackie Robinson) seems like an easy way to earn additional income for the city. Plus I would much rather live on Eric Lindros Ave. or even Bill Jones Lane than Bloom Cres. The city can promote these naming activities as a way for the more fortunate to give back to the community.

I know that in the United States, cities will often allow companies in industrial parks to name roads after themselves in exchange for paying for the maintenance of the roads (so the Acme Paint Company's national headquarters will be on 1 Acme Paint Road). In academia it is very common to have buildings and chairs named after donors (e.g. Richard Ivey School of Business, Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, The Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management). Why do cities not use this tool more often? Is there something I am missing?

Comments

[Nick Rowe]

Because there was a conspiracy of silence by university profs; we didn't want the competition. Ahem!

[Pierre]

There are potential negative externalities associated with names. I would not want to live on a street named after a bilionnaire I do not like. My guess is that many would share this sentiment. Of course, governments will sometimes be willing to take the money and force the negative externalities on their citizens.

[Mike Moffatt]

"There are potential negative externalities associated with names. I would not want to live on a street named after a bilionnaire I do not like. My guess is that many would share this sentiment."

I could see that being an issue, so it probably doesn't make sense for cities to rename existing streets (along with all the other related expenses). But typically roads are named before any houses are built or construction begins. People, then, have informed consent when it comes to living on a street with a particular name.

[Just visiting from Macleans]

Back in the 70's, when Western was winning all of those College Bowls, they had a running back by the name of Rick Scarborough, who, as the announcers liked to remind listeners, was from Scarborough Street in Scarborough.

Imagine, two Vanier Cups and they name not only your street but the whole city after you...

[Jim Rootham]

Roads last too long, they are not a renewable source of income. And we shouldn't be building any more of them anyway.

[Frances Woolley]

When I walked home from elementary school, the street names en route were a perfect reflection of Canada at a particular point in time: Haywood, Inglewood, Jefferson, Kings, Lawson, Mathers, Nelson, Ottawa, Palmerston, Queens, Rosebery.

The monarchy, British military heroes and prime ministers,a touch of American influence...

[Josh]

When I worked for the City of Ottawa, I was told that new subdivisions usually had their streets named by the developer. The City still had to approve them, but they were usually pretty innocuous (the names of the developers' wife and children for instance). So I suppose to some extent you have naming as an inducement to develop.

[Evam Harper]

My old alma mater! Go Bears!

[Leo Petr]

Not everyone might share my code of ethics, but I consider it to be in poor taste to name things after people who are still alive.