I don’t subscribe to the notion that all publicity is good publicity. Exhibit A is a story out of Tracy, Calif., in which the town’s Veterans Park being built was changed from a promised patriotic theme to a Route 66 theme.

Here’s the initial story from the Tracy Press. Here’s a follow-up from a local CBS affiliate. It seems the park’s theme was changed for reasons no one seems to know — except that the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing.

I don’t think hardly anyone would think that Route 66 is unpatriotic. However, if the local government pledges to residents a specific patriotic theme, give it to them. A Route 66 connection such as this isn’t needed if there are hurt feelings and broken promises.

The curious thing is that Tracy is in northern California — hundreds of miles from the Mother Road. So there’s no local connection to Route 66 whatsoever.