Star readers weigh in on that new, now not-to-be Kansas license plate design | Opinion
We hear you. You hate the new Kansas license plate. And apparently, Laura Kelly has heard you, too. The Kansas governor has decided to pause distribution of the new design.
Nearly 70% of you who responded to The Star’s survey said you did not prefer the design. The survey accompanied a story by Opinion correspondent Joel Mathis, who liked it, by the way. Fewer than 30% of you agreed with him.
Here’s what a few of you had to say about the new, and apparently failed, design:
“Kansas has so much to offer — beautiful rolling Flint hills with cattle, fields of wheat and amazing sunsets — show off our state!!”
- “Too bold, I like the softer background. I want to notice the car; not plate screaming for attention.”
- “It looks like accountants ‘designed’ it.”
- “Belongs in Missouri.”
- “M.U. colors, New York design.”
- “It might be the ugliest plate design I’ve ever seen, which might be the goal — just as Texas and Nebraska have done, making boring and bad plate designs, the goal might be to intentionally have a bad plate design to boost sales of optional plates.”
- “Obnoxious colors with no recognizable link to Kansas other than ‘KANSAS.’“
- “It’s ugly and does not reflect anything positive about KS — you know, wheat, sunflowers, ‘Wizard of Oz.’ Geez, whose bright idea was this? I never thought I would agree with Kris Kobach about anything.”
- “I like a defining plate, but let’s get back to wheat. Colorado doesn’t try to move on from the mountains. Mute the colors, add some wheat, please.”
Too military
Some commenters thought it was reminiscent of the armed forces:
- “Stars look like military rank.”
- “The stars on plate remind me of a military plate.”
- “The boring military-esque stars should be replaced with wheat stalks.”
“I hate the stars. They seem somehow militaristic. This plate looks like something that should be on the back of a Willy on an episode of ‘M.A.S.H.’”
To the stars?
A few of you commented on the catch phrase:
- “‘To the stars’ versus ‘Ad Astra.’ Reminds me of ‘To the moon, Alice!’ from ‘The Honeymooners.’”
- “No picture to define Kansas and “to the stars” sounds like Buzz Lightyear.”
- “‘To the stars?’ Is Kansas somehow now a part of the space program?”
“The motto is better in Latin.”
Those who liked it
And a few of you did like the design:
“The bright color makes it easy to read.”
“It can be clearly seen and identified. I love the colors and understated Kansas theme (unlike our Real ID driver’s license that looks like a child’s coloring book). I was ready to switch to a custom KS arts plate (which are also beautiful) but no need.”
“Refreshingly new!!!”
“Bright sunshine imagery.”
“Not boring.”
This story was originally published November 28, 2023 at 1:13 PM.
