New Ontario licence plate shows support for troops

[PMedMoe]

Article Link

Motorists in Ontario are being given a new way to show their support for the Canadian Forces.

Special licence plates featuring the Yellow Ribbon -- Support Our Troops logo will be available starting Feb. 1, 2010.

They can be ordered through select ServiceOntario locations and driver and vehicle licence issuing offices across the province.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the licence plates will go to the Canadian Forces Personnel Assistance Fund.

More on link

 

[Bass ackwards]

I hope the other provinces/territories follow suit. I'm very glad to see that the whole "Support the Troops" movement (if that's the correct term for it) is still alive and kicking.

 

[kratz]

I like this. There are many people who do not consider themselves veterans who can now better display their pride and suport.  :nod:

 

[tango22a]

Sounds like a plan when I renew my plates.


tango22a

 

[tango22a]

The only complaint I have is the minuscule amount (LESS THAN 2%) that is being passed on to CFPSA. It looks like it is another typical McGuinty cash cow


NOT pleased!!


tango22a

 

[navymich]

Great idea.  Too bad it couldn't be a federal plate vice provincial though so military members wouldn't have to change it when posted between provinces!

 

[PMedMoe]

For those wondering about the amount from the plates going to the troops fund, here's an article link:

Licence plate offer 'offensive'

Sarbjit Kaur, a senior communications adviser to Takhar, says the standard arrangement with other speciality plates, the "regular series graphic licence plates purchased through regular government channels currently cost $77.75 per set. Personalized plates with the graphic are $314"

So how much of that goes to the troops fund?

"I am thinking maybe half, or at least one third," says NDP transportation critic Peter Tabuns.

PC Opposition House Leader Bob Runciman thought the same thing.

They're way off.

Says Kaur: "As a registered charity, CFPAF will receive a royalty fee of $2.25 for every set of regular series plates sold with the yellow ribbon graphic and $4.50 for every set of personalized licence plates."

You read it right.

Sun reporter Don "Pistol" Peat did the math and determined the charity gets 1.43% of the sale of the $314 plates and 2.89% on the $77.75 set.

"The province has to sell 223 plates before that charity makes $1,000," notes Peat.

More on link

 

[PuckChaser]

Disgusting. $2.25? What are they going to do, buy a coffee?

 

[FDO]

Well, it's the least the Ontario Government can do for our Veterens. Seriously, it is the LEAST they can do!! Anything less would be nothing. On the up side, how many plates can they sell? 5 million people in Toronto alone. Then you take a look a Ottawa and the cities that have bases near them. It could net a pretty penny, but if they used it to the fullest it could net hundreds of thousands.

 

[mariomike]

"'Yellow ribbon' licence plates misleading, Ont. Tory charges:
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Yellow+ribbon+licence+plates+misleading+Tory+charges/2216120/story.html

Rob Ford says he could make them for $15 a piece. Don't the cons still make them for tobacco money?
I'm still driving with my ONT 1973 Keep if Beautiful plates:
http://www.15q.net/cdn/on74.jpg
That's not my specific plate, but that's how it looks, and it's still legal. Notice how the sticker goes on the bottom of the plate.

 

[tango22a]

FDO:

The only problem with me is the amount CFPSA gets from each plate. IMHO they should get at least 10-15% on each one. This whole hoorah supposedly was to raise money for CFPSA and NOT to become a cash cow for the Provincial government! IMHO the money should go to CFPSA and NOT pissed up against a wall lowering the Provincial deficit.


tango22a

 

[OldSolduer]

In Manitoba we have Veteran's Plates. I don't personally have one as I do not consider myself in the same league as the WW2, Korean and Afghan vets.
We do not have a Support the Troops plate, yet...

 

[Rheostatic]

Ontario has vet plates too, for those who are eligible. These new plates will be available to anyone.

 

[tango22a]

Sorry Guys and Girls:

Typical McGuinty cash cow, BUT now they are ripping off our "Support Our Soldiers" to buy down their deficit! At least that's how it seems to me.


tango22a

 

[Blackadder1916]

Though there may be many valid reasons to take exception to the current Ontario government and their handling of any number of issues, it may be a stretch to suggest that the introduction of this particular graphic licence plate was a deliberate attempt to raise funds by piggybacking off the "support our troops" movement.  The graphic licence plate program has been running (with some interruptions) for many years in Ontario.  There are already many available logos that can be put on Ontario plates (including several Ontario based regiments).  All these were initiated by outside organizations with a intent to raise their profile, send an organizational message or let their members proclaim loyalty and (in some cases) to raise some funds.  The genesis for the yellow ribbon licence plate is no different.

http://www.gov.on.ca/mgs/en/News/278615.html

. . .
CANEX and the Canadian Forces Personnel Assistance Fund (CFPAF) applied for a Yellow Ribbon – Support our Troops graphic licence plate through the government’s Graphic Licence Plate Program.

The Graphic Licence Plate program was re-launched by ServiceOntario in June 2009 with new processes, participation criteria and contract management practices.

Undoubtedly there was already some profit margin built into graphic licence plates, though it may not be as much as some would like to think.  I wasn't able to find any link to current criteria for participating in the program, but several plus years ago, one of the requirements was that the organization had to "guarantee" a minimum run of 100 plates.  It was assumed that this was to defray the initial set-up costs for the graphic.  Though someone may claim that he can make the actual plate for much less, such a claim would not include additional costs incurred for administering the issue of what is a custom made (and unique) item.

Of note, since mention was made of Veterans licence plate, in Ontario the Legion imposes a fee of $5.00 to certify the application form for those plates.

 

[c_canuk]

how do you address the issue of the above mention of 1 off custom plates costing 94 dollars, and these not so unique plates costing $314.? Are you saying we shouldn't attribute to malice what can be explained as simple incompetence?

I'm not saying that it's definite that the extra money is a cash grab, but someone is laughing all the way to the bank.

if I can take a metal blank to a body shop that specializes in air brushing and have a custom plate made for under 100 dollars, a stamped plate that comes from a computer automated process shouldn't cost so much, especially since more labour intensive plates are less than 1/3 the cost.

I don't want to commit to a position either way at this point, but I sure would like more info on why they cost so much

 

[Rheostatic]

Not that I mean to interrupt the angst parade, but $314 is the fee for a personalized plate with graphic. A regular series graphic plate costs $77.75.

A basic license plate costs $20, so incrementally you're paying $57.75 to get a picture on your plate, $215.25 for a personalized plate, or $294 for both.

Now maybe you can get a custom plate made for $100. Can you license your vehicle with it? No.

For $20 a the Province can pay an employee to take a mass-produced series plate from stack and register your plate in a database. For another ~$60 the Province will process your special order, maintain supply of the various graphic plates to each MTO office, alter its forms and databases to accommodate the new graphics as they are created, update the MTO website, approve and reject graphic designs from various groups, and who-knows-what-else. As I'm sure you can imagine, personalized plates complicate the process as well, requiring custom manufacturing. My point is, processes like these are usually more complex than one might imagine, and so they usually cost more than you'd expect.

I have no idea if the Province makes a profit from any of this, and of course a "Support our Troops" plate should generate more money for said Troops. However, I consider graphic and personalized plates in general to be luxury items. Of course it's a cash grab, and an effective one at that! If you don't like it, you're free to choose your $20 license plate.

 

[tango22a]

Rheostatic:

I was going to change, but now I prefer to keep my Generic plate. If a reasonable amount of money eventually gets to CFPSA I may change my mind.

Until then the Ontario Government with its new HST (which will cost the average taxpayer $ hundreds per year and this nicely hidden cash grab) can KMA!!


tango22a


P.S.: IF anyone should require a translation of:"KMA!!" Please feel free to PM me.