Posted on 07/16/2005 2:53:34 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - That smiling sun on Kentucky's license plates was just a bit too cheerful for most drivers: Now Mr. Smiley's headed for the recycling bin.
The sunshine plates were met with ridicule when then-Gov. Paul Patton unveiled the design in December 2002. Gov. Ernie Fletcher is scheduled to announce the change at a news conference Tuesday.
Some drivers drew a mustache on the smiling sun's image or covered it up with a frowning-face sticker or duct tape. Others even paid extra money not to have Mr. Smiley greet other drivers with his motto, "Kentucky: It's that friendly."
The backlash brought a surge in sales of specialty plates.
"A lot of people found them to be so obnoxious they wouldn't put them on their cars," Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins said.
Despite the criticisms, the smiling sun won the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association 2003 award for best license plate, beating Maine's lobster by one vote.
The Mr. Smiley plates will not completely vanish until all cars receive the "Unbridled Spirit" tags beginning Jan. 1. The new plates will have a small outline of Kentucky in the center.
Mr. Smiley even irritated some state legislators, who proposed several bills over the past two years to change the plates.
"I think it's a fortunate situation that Mr. Smiley will disappear," said Republican state Sen. Tom Buford, who sponsored some of those bills. "The state was not served well with an odd plate like that."
Virginia has Parrot Head license plates. They're a big hit.
I just realized that the smiley face was the standard issue. Kentucky is probably trying to erase the memory of Gov Patton. I forget the scandal.
Now HERE is where we need the visage of Alfred E. Neumann with the slogan "What, me worry?"
If Virginia DMV thought there was money to be made, they'd do it. Hope they don't read your post.
Well Thank-God they didn't put Mr.Happy on their plates.
Yikes!
Well, maybe on a Sesame Street toy car that would be suitable.
This decision will anger Mr. Sun.
I like the Mr. Smiley.. Mr. Fletcher is WRONG about this, and I helped his campaign...
It's a cute plate, albeit in a weird, childish, Republic of Walmartistan way.
I like it. What's wrong with it?
Maybe they'll go to a goth theme and have have a vampire murdering a woman under a grimacing full moon.
My wife (we are both ex-pat Kentuckians, been out of ths state since 2988) thinks those plates are the ugliest things ever created by human hands.
I wonder if KY could have "Mr Natural" plates? They'd be a big hit. (Much more popular than Mr. Smiley!)
OOps, I menat "1988"!
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