The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Many streets, highways and bridges in the Bay Area have been named after celebrities and politicians. Do you think this is a waste of time and tax dollars, or do you think it’s a good thing to do?
Talk about it.
34 comments
Part of the bread & circuses. Good or bad depends on which side you belong.
I’ve always been a fan of keeping things simple.
Salt Lake City has the simplest street numbering system I’ve seen.
Or, start with 1st street and go on from one direction and then start with A Street from the other. After a while the letters will run out but those can be doubled up too.
Keep it simple.
I do not believe that public streets, bridges, or buildings should be named after living people, and I am against renaming public streets, bridges, or buildings.
What came first CLAYCORD NEWS & TALK or Claycord Street? Let me guess… I’m sure glad we have C N & T.
No, name them after geographic things like pacific, bay, ocean, el camino, seal, shark, vineyard. Things that are part of the area. Celebrities and politicians are just pass through trends.
No for politicians and celebrities.
.
Yes for sworn police officers, highway patrol officers, firefighters, and EMTs who died in the line of duty.
.
Could not agree more. Name after those who give their lives for our safety.
Absolutely not it’s totally political.No city officials or politicians should have the power to do so.It should be put on a ballot and voted on.It is very racial the way it’s being done now.Letters and number and plenty of other names to use.Take kirker Pass Rd.For example a group of politicians want to change the name.What the hell gives them the right.
I’m not for cancel culture at all, but have you looked into what James the scalp hunter Kirker allegedly did?!
@Truthseeker….You might seek some truth about how Indians tortured outsiders and their own people, they weren’t all meek and peaceful. It’ll set you free.
Think less Disney’s “Pocahontas”
And more “Ulzana’s Raid”
@nytmuvr & Dr. Jellyfinger
+1
There are also lots of birds and animals. Plants and flowers. Maybe even a weed or two.
Old streets should keep the name they already have. New streets, however, can be named after a person that has contributed something positive to the local community, or to the nation, but only after they are dead, and maybe let the citizens of that community vote on it. I don’t think a street should be named after a politician because it would be too controversial.
My favorite is Martin Luther King Way, always the most dangerous street in town.. Poor old Martin didn’t deserve that.
+1
I’m surprised MLK hasn’t dug himself up to yell at the woke (Dems).
I love the street named Obama Way, it seem to fit because it led to the sewer farm.
This will ultimately be the fate of Kirker Pass, if the name is changed.
In the short term the name will probably change to something innocuous like Pioneer Pass. But without a name rooted in history the next name change will be easier and come with less criticism.
The trouble with naming any street or building after a person living or dead is that people are not flawless and anyone can have skeletons in closet that someday could bite them or their offspring, or distant relatives in the behind.
Putting anyone on a pedestal is asking for trouble. People, being human, and subject to error in judgement, can fall off pretty easily.
Better to use inanimate objects, flowers, trees, birds. Anything but people.
Why stop there? Name cities after the politicians who consider themselves better than and above middle class citizens; and who consider themselves above all laws:
Gavinville
Wienerburg
Bectontown
Desourair city
Oh ya, and the crown jewel of the Bay Area – Oakland!
It could be:LibbyShaftLand!
Leave it up to surviving Ohlone tribal members.
Please. Leave it as is. We don’t need the woke changing anything.
It’s needlessly costly, confusing, and just plain pointless. Found myself on an street I had never heard of before and I’ve lived in the area since 1949. It was named something else the last time I had driven down it.
The one positive quality of Bay Point/shore acres is the street names Alphabetical and nice imagery. Anchor, Bay, Beach, Breaker, Canal, Delta, Harbor, Inlet…..
I saw several streets at Disneyland California named Dumbo, Goofey, Dopey and other similar that obviously had Newsom in mind.
Perfectly fitting I’d say altho Biden was probably wanting the nod for them but he got the Blinken and Nod signs.
How about ……….. John “Liver-Eating” Johnson Rd. ?
We already have “Donner Pass” & “Donner Lake” named after the pioneer cannibal party and apparently that isn’t offending anybody.
Good one Doc.
Waste of time and money. No matter who they are, good chance 10 years down the road someone will be offended and we have to spend a lot of time and money changing it.
Just get rid of all of these names. I already know most of the places I am going and don’t need signs cluttering up my scenery. The names are arbitrary, displaying racism and xenophobia artificially excluding workers from geographically homogenous areas for the benefit of the capitalist class. We only need longitude and latitude.
what ever happened to: go right at the fork, turn left at the elm tree, go straight for a yonder, it’s behind the windmill. ???
@S….”….take the Santa Ana south to the fork in the road until you come to the Slawson cutoff, cut off your Slawson and continue…..”-Art Fern
Here in Vietnam, many streets are named after military veterans and other national heroes … seems most in USA could care less about the military and their veterans other than the obligatory “thanks for your service” … which holds little water imho. Vietnamese actually honor, respect and admire their military veterans, because they know the sacrifice they endure to keep their nation strong. In USa, people would rather spend their mental efforts playing on FB and other toxic social media apps. #iftheshoefits #sigh
Name streets after citizens. You have lived here for 70 years your name goes on a list and pick from that. As I have said if the name is offensive why are they changing only half the name. Some one is getting money to change the name.
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