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AMENDMENT # 203
BUDGET PAGE n/a
Mr. Jones of North Reading, Ms. Rogeness of Longmeadow, Mr. Peterson of Grafton, Mr. Lepper of Attleboro, and Mr. deMacedo of Plymouth move that the bill be amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

"SECTION___. The department of parks and recreation is hereby authorized to develop guidelines and criteria on the subject of the public sale of naming rights for state forests and parks or for facilities within state forests and parks; provided, that said division shall provide a report and recommendations on such criteria and guidelines to the committees on ways and means and the joint committee on natural resources and agriculture by November 15, 2003."

The Environmental League of Massachusetts today commented on a budget amendment offered by several state legislators that would allow the state to sell naming rights to state parks.

"With the current state fiscal crisis, it's important that we all think outside the box," said Environmental League President Jim Gomes.

According to Gomes, Massachusetts has over 200 state and metropolitan parks that could be candidates for new names.

"Myles Standish State Forest? Please. Sure, he was a pilgrim. That and three bucks will get you a small decaf latte. It's time to take this underperforming asset and convert it into some serious cash. I think 'Fleet Forest' has a nice ring to it."

"I realize that many people have a sentimental attachment to the old names," said Gomes. "But think of the possibilities. General Electric Corporation got a lot of bad press over the PCBs that got released into the Housatonic River. For a reasonable fee, the state could change the name of the Mount Greylock State Reservation to the General Electric State Reservation, and give the people of Berkshire County a happier reminder of GE's presence in that region. Maybe the state would even change the name of the mountain itself to Mount Jack Welch if GE kicks in a few million more."

City parks, too, might provide a hitherto untapped revenue source. "Boston Common -- how lame is that?," asked Gomes. "It's real estate, and in real estate it's all about location, location, location. You don't think John Hancock or Prudential would pay to have the Common named after them? We could probably get a nice bidding war going. The cities and towns are always asking for new revenue sources -- this could be their big chance."

"Why stop at parks? We have lots of rivers that have old, unremunerative, names. Take the Charles. It's named for some old British monarch, who paid diddly for the name and got 300 years of free PR. If we could sell the name to Harvard, whose property the river runs through, everybody in Massachusetts would benefit. And think how much those kids from Yale and Penn would hate it if they had to row in the Head of the Harvard race."

"Quabbin Reservoir? Who the hell was this Quabbin, anyway? The Esplanade? First of all, it sounds French, and that's a real problem nowadays. And imagine how much some company would pay to have the 4th of July Pops Concert broadcast all over America from the "Your Name Here" Riverfront Park?"

What about the State House itself? Gomes thought for a moment. "Make us an offer."