Five years into a 50-year agreement, a move is underway to remove Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s name from San Francisco’s public hospital.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 Tuesday to approve a resolution that condemns the 2015 naming of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, which bears the San Franciscan tycoon’s surname after he and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, donated $75 million for a new acute care and trauma center.
It does not mean a heck of a lot, though. The resolution is nonbinding, so there is no law requiring the hospital to drop his name, and the board does not have authority to revoke the initial deal. The lone dissenting vote, Board of Supervisors President Norman Yee, supports the idea of replacing Zuckerberg’s name with Chan’s name. She was a practicing pediatrician there.
“There’s been growing public outrage that this important public health institution was named, and the naming rights were sold to the highest bidder, and to somebody as controversial as Mr. Zuckerberg and Facebook,” resolution co-sponsor Supervisor Gordon Mar told the Associated Press.
Facebook critics have complained about the naming for years, contending that the social media platform endangers public health, in addition to its privacy and misinformation issues. Taxpayers have funded the hospital with more than $1 billion in bonds.
However, hospital chief executive Dr. Susan Ehrlich said in a statement to AP that new technology was purchased as a result of the donation. Zuckerberg Foundation CEO Kim Meredith said in a statement to AP that the donation paid for furniture, fixtures and equipment.
Chase Center and Oracle Park, you’re next for San Francisco scrutiny.
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