Pink Flamingos on Bascom Hill, 9/4/1979
Posted on 09/02/2009 1:53:42 PM PDT by green pastures
MADSION, Wis. -- At a busy Madison Common Council meeting Tuesday night, council members voted to make the plastic pink flamingo the official city bird.
The new mascot was debated for five minutes, and then the Common Council voted 15-4 to make the plastic pink flamingo the official city bird, reported TV station WISC.
The idea was sparked by a 1979 prank when pranksters on campus put out 1,008 of the birds.
"It sure lives in Madison lore as a really fun thing," said Wisconsin State Journal writer Doug Moe.
Moe proposed the idea in a column, and Alder Marsha Rummel brought it to the council.
"Let Madison have a little fun and laugh at itself. We've always been pretty good at that. I might suggest in these so-called tough times, a little laughter is not a bad thing," Moe said.
Not everyone embraced the idea of voting on the plastic flamingo. "I respectfully ask for this City Council to devote more time to more serious business at hand," said Alder Thuy Pham-Remmele, of District 20.
But Rummel defended bringing the proposal to the council. "We are capable of multitasking in life, and if you don't have a little fun, it's not worth living, and I spent like 20 minutes on this since April," Rummel said.
LOL!
Thanks for alerting me to the new official “bird” for the city. I somehow missed this news item. At least the Common Council is wasting its time with this adolescent nonsense rather than intruding on more of our lives.
Pinko bird for a pinko town...but they’re all fakes...perfect if you ask me.
Have the illegal mexicans taken over the town?
“Madistan” is basically a college town with alot of hippies and government employees as well. Saw more illegals in Milwaukee and Beloit when I was traveling around Wisconsin 10 years ago.
The only lawns that ever have plastic flamingos on them are mexicans.
We always joke that when you see a plastic mexican on the lawn you know the flamingos have moved in.
LOL! That is funny (and true!). Growing up on Long Island, you knew which ethnicity lived in the houses with “Mary on a half-shell” or “Mary in the tub” on their lawns. When I was in Chicago, you could tell who the Polish folks were by the ceramic ducks near the front stoops.
They should name their plastic bird Obama.
I saw that movie. It was... [speechless]
I saw bits and pieces of it. Never had any desire to see what I missed.
Hey! Is that just off Loop 360 in Austin?
You’re right— it is perfect!
Yes Toucan?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.