A Chicken in Every Pothole

I think a lot of other jobs that the governments don't have the resources or funds to get done should be offered for corporate sponsorship. From big things like libraries and buses to things like parks and playgrounds and school improvements to even little things like garbage bins, bus stops, and porta-potties. I know in my community, people would rather have a really great library called the Coca-Cola library than a mediocre library called the city library. People would rather have covered bus-stops with benches that said McDonalds on them than just having to wait standing near a sign in the weather like they do know. We'd rather have our kids be able to use a state of the art computer lab in every school called the Best Buy Computer lab than try and share the way too few and too out-dated computers they use now. Businesses are going to pay to advertise, why not let the people get something useful in return?

I think it's a great idea. If the city's not able to get the problem fixed and a private company has the means and wants to do it, they should be allowed to. And it's not as if there's never an overlap between the government and private corporations. Lots of city bus systems allow advertising on the buses. Why not the road? As long as they make sure that the adds have to be a certain color that's not associated with road safety messages (like blue or green or red or something instead of the white and yellow that are usually pavement markers for safety things like crosswalks), and not incredibly huge (like maybe 3 ft square max?) I think it's a great idea.

And I like Edward's idea posted above about having to use temporary paint. That way the company would get the advertising, but it would eventually wear off. That way the roads wouldn't be cluttered over the years with bunches of signs painted over signs painted over signs ,signs for companies that have been defunct for years, or signs that are old and faded eyesores.

The only problem I have with this is the printing of words on a roadway. There are enough distractions already for idiots on the road, and you don't need them leaning out the window to read the advertisement on the street. I don't know about the tire companies though, they might suffer a loss from all those pot holes beings fixed.

If the demand for what the corporation is supplying is there, they will succeed. In other words, their success depends on the general public. They have a right to exist in a free market just as the mom and pop shop on the corner does, and if they have the money to expand and advertise, it is their right to use it. You do not have to buy from them if you are so against them. Corporation does not necessarily equate to evil as much as you would like to think so. I think you've watched a few too many 80's movies, Humo. Sorry. While you have a point in saying that there should be monitoring (and there is to a certain extent), it doesn't mean that the monitoring should be limited to big corporations. I can name quite a few small business owners that should be behind bars or already have been.

We get messages from the state all the time, warning us that drinking and smoking are bad. We get PSA's up the ying yang. We have signs up all over the place telling us not to speed, loiter, litter,etc. We get unwanted phone calls from campaign offices that are not included in the Do Not Call lists though I feel that they should be. So, a KFC ad on a pot hole is not going to bother me. I'll just be glad that there is no pot hole.

And believe it or not, people can think for themselves. They can take responsibility for themselves too. Just because KFC is advertising on a pot hole doesn't mean that anyone has to go get a bucket of chicken. Heck, I don't even eat fast food, but I'm not going to complain that they are out to make a living too, and employing a lot of people while they are at it.

EB and Ted> Yeah guys, I am just a granola eating hippie... yap yap yap

Sorry guys, but I am forced to share the same space than you. You might like to live in a country-sized shopping mall, but I don't (and I am not the only one).

"one dimensional, greedy monsters, and that is not the case". Yes, it is more or less the case. We are not talking about your local burger shop, but of a giant international company. Its purpose is to expand, it's part of the goal of a corporation (they are designed like this). At one point, the only way to expand more is to destroy existing business and cultural habits, like an invasive weed. And convincing people to consume their product, especially "vulnerable" people like kids. Remember when tobaccos companies convinced your parents that smoking was cool and even healthy ?

So guys, would you let me disagree with this goal ? I am not ashamed of making money, but not at all cost. It's called moral, something not very trendy, I know. The kind of stuff that is lost inside the mechanisms of big organisations. No conspiracy, just basic social mechanisms. That's why we can change our governments by voting.

You don't mind with their advertisement, but if it was some message from the state, I am sure you would call that propaganda.
Corporations are not your friends, it's not free competition in a free market, as they tend to twist the market to their own advantage.
Corporations have to be monitored.