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VetteLT193
03-23-2011, 10:47 PM
This is kinda politics, but it is bizarre enough to be not really at the same time so I'm posting here.

In summary, The FL legislature has a bill that would allow Corporate license plates. If you got a sponsored plate, the Corporation pays $75, you save 50% of your plate fee (35-40 bucks). so you save money, the State makes more money, and your car is a rolling bill board.

What do you all think? I'm just curious more than anything.

Ghost
03-24-2011, 12:10 AM
This is kinda politics, but it is bizarre enough to be not really at the same time so I'm posting here.

In summary, The FL legislature has a bill that would allow Corporate license plates. If you got a sponsored plate, the Corporation pays $75, you save 50% of your plate fee (35-40 bucks). so you save money, the State makes more money, and your car is a rolling bill board.

What do you all think? I'm just curious more than anything.

Do you have a choice of corporate or unsponsored?

If you opt for corporate, do you get to pick? Or are you stuck with "Vagisil" or whatever else comes off the stack?

Tidbart
03-24-2011, 06:34 AM
I don't mind it. There are currently 120+ license plates available to choose from. What's a few more? If the state can make some money this way, it will defer my taxes, and if some corporation thinks I will buy their product based on an advertisement on a plate, more power to them.

If you think about it, they are already allowing advertising on plates, Miami Dolphins, Rollins College, etc.

Anyways, I would be all for it.

Ghost, yes, you get to pick your plate. Currently, you can take the standard plate or pick any number of armed forces, colleges, or causes. In the case of a cause such as "Save the Manatees", they give $25 or so to the cause, not sure about the others.


B

BUIZILLA
03-24-2011, 07:00 AM
if they run it like they do the lottery the public will never see the money or a tax break..

I say it's worthless

gcarter
03-24-2011, 09:53 AM
Jim is probably right!!!!!!!

You can even choose if you want your county name or "Sunshine State" on the plate.

Everybody gets what they want.

HOWARD O
03-24-2011, 10:45 AM
I think that's a great idea and you see a savings right off the bat.

Jim sure is right about the state lotteries though. I was in California when they started the education lottery there, "for the children". Schools aren't seeing squat and the same here in NC and it's only 5 yrs. new. Didn't take them long to break into that coffer.

"Vagisil". Mike, you're too much! :kingme:

HOWARD O
03-24-2011, 10:47 AM
In the case of a cause such as "Save the Manatees", they give $25 or so to the cause, not sure about the others.


B

How about, "Kill Jimmy Buffett"? :boggled:

BUIZILLA
03-24-2011, 10:58 AM
it would be much cheaper to give every manatee a 2hp evinrude vs what it costs to move them out of the way

zelatore
03-24-2011, 05:05 PM
it would be much cheaper to give every manatee a 2hp evinrude vs what it costs to move them out of the way

Come on now, you know we can't go polluting our precious waters with those nasty old petroleum powered motors!

Give 'em something like the electric Torqeedo!
http://www.torqeedo.com/us/hn/home.html








(yes, I'm deliberately ignoring the 'remote pollution' arguments for the sake of a joke)

silverghost
03-24-2011, 05:24 PM
I can see everyone running around with their "Official" TRUMP licence tags now !

Do you think they can also put his face on the plate too ?
For an extra fee I would guess ? !

VetteLT193
03-24-2011, 08:07 PM
I think Jim's hangup is why I'm personally on the fence about this. Seems like another way to blow even more money, even though the idea itself is pretty good. like a voluntary tax for business with a benefit attached.

gcarter
03-24-2011, 08:21 PM
such as "Save the Manatees", they give $25 or so to the cause, not sure about the others.


B

The truth is, most manatees (over 50%) die in the state owned locks and flood gates.
I haven't read about any money being spent for safer designs of those fixtures!!!!!

Ghost
03-24-2011, 09:09 PM
if they run it like they do the lottery the public will never see the money or a tax break..

I say it's worthless


I think that's a great idea and you see a savings right off the bat.

Jim sure is right about the state lotteries though. I was in California when they started the education lottery there, "for the children". Schools aren't seeing squat and the same here in NC and it's only 5 yrs. new. Didn't take them long to break into that coffer.


I think Jim's hangup is why I'm personally on the fence about this. Seems like another way to blow even more money, even though the idea itself is pretty good. like a voluntary tax for business with a benefit attached.

It's an interesting economic question I think.

First, let me say that while some extrapolations of this discussion can be inherently be political, I am focused ONLY on the economics of the program.

My gut tells me it will cost more for the state to manage than it brings in, over time, driving UP the average cost to register a car. The savings you see will be more than offset by hidden costs manifested in higher product prices. Unless the dollars spent in license plate advertising DISPLACE dollars otherwise needed for other forms of advertising.

A. If, over the long term, license plate advertising proves itself a competitive use of advertising dollars, the program could theoretically be okay. Theoretically. More on that in a minute.

B. If, over the long term, license plates prove to be a wasteful form of advertising, the buyers of that advertising will peter out (but the program will continue to cost taxpayers needlessly, as it will doubtless linger beyond its usefulness, if it ever had any).

Here's the rub. BOTH scenarios A and B, where the program can either live or "die-too-slowly" on its own merits, are predicated on the advertising of products that willing customers choose to buy, or not buy, in the private sector.

What would concern me is this. If the program accepts advertising for things whose purchase is funded with tax dollars, the spending on the advertising WON'T be business decisions by competitive firms, based on effectiveness.

Rather, it will be lobbying, paid for with public money. (Imagine Fannie Mae advertising, or HHS advertising the new Healthcare system as they do on Google already, or Lockheed Martin advertising itself.) None of these would be ads paid by private companies competing for the consumer dollar, because none of us gets to individually CHOOSE how much we pay to Fannie Mae, or the Dept of Health and Human Services, or Lockheed's missiles. The public pays what others decide.

So, where the free market might advertise here and take its chances, and the program might live or die based on that, it should not be an economic risk. (EXCEPT that it might die too slowly, and drive up costs for all.) But at least, the business decisions about whether to buy the ads would be weighed against the added product costs, by private businesses.

But I think the potential for public and quasi-public institutions to buy the ads, using public money, and regardless of the effectiveness of the ads, will be a clear economic hit. It will simply be an added, hidden cost.

So I say bag it. VERY low probability of economic success.

Again, I am speaking STRICTLY of the monetary efficiencies of such a program, the costs and benefits, leaving the principles and politics aside.

handfulz28
03-25-2011, 07:20 PM
Texas is already doing it.
The marginal cost for adding another plate to Florida's 123 existing specialty plates is nil.
Corporations would have to pay a set up fee.
If Florida's treasury people have any say, they'll require companies to put up escrow funds to draw against as people order plates.
Vehicle owners will see their costs offset right there at the tag agency.

If you're a true die-hard Donzi fan, you'll call Bill Gates (Donzi, not microsoft :D) and tell him to get cracking on having a Donzi logo on a license plate.

And heaven forbid if we scavenge a few bucks from the Save the Manatee fruitcakes.

zelatore
03-26-2011, 01:52 AM
If you got a sponsored plate, the Corporation pays $75, you save 50% of your plate fee (35-40 bucks).


I'd love to comment on this topic, but I'm still stuck on this detail - you're telling me your plates cost $75-$80?

And you're looking for a DISCOUNT?!?

Good God man - plates out here are 3 to 5 times that! Even my motorcycle plate is more than $80:shocking:

CHACHI
03-26-2011, 06:47 AM
I'd love to comment on this topic, but I'm still stuck on this detail - you're telling me your plates cost $75-$80?

And you're looking for a DISCOUNT?!?

Good God man - plates out here are 3 to 5 times that! Even my motorcycle plate is more than $80:shocking: Yeah, but you guys have mountains. :wink::wink:

Ken