New Tags! New Tags!
The newest design for Alabama's standard vehicle license plates is now being distributed.

[State Revenue Department spokeswoman Carla] Snellgrove said she has not gotten any feedback about the new design.

Jennifer Dossett, a bookkeeper in the Etowah County tag department, said she hasn't heard many comments about the new tags but noted the office only began issuing them Jan. 2. She said one person said they "looked cheap."

Well, cheap is as cheap does. The problem is not that they are cheap-looking, but that they are offensive. Not in the "bodily fluids as an art statement" kind of way, but that they try so hard to be inoffensive. "Heart of Dixie" has gotten very nearly legislated off the plates, and in its place we get "Stars Fell on Alabama" in great big colorful letters. Yes, stars did fall on Alabama, but unless you are trying to get the astronomy crowd hopped-up, that just doesn't cut it. Why can't we have a good sturm und drang motto like New Hampshire's "Live Free or Die"? Now THAT says something! Of course, our actual state motto is pretty good, too--"We Dare Defend Our Rights," but I'm sure everyone would be too scared by that. Maybe if we made up a better slogan, like "If Ignorance is Bliss, I'm in a State of Nirvana." Or "Our Ten Commandments Are Bigger Than Yours." Or "Leading the Nation in Indicted Public Officials." Or "Howdy, If You Can Read This, You Must Be a Visitor." Or "Teach a Man to Stamp Plates, and He Eats Forever."

Oh well.



posted by Terry at 11:24:00 AM