Fund-raising plates prove tough sell | Those for Gipper, AIDS Abandoned
The San Diego Union - Tribune; San Diego, Calif.; Aug 26, 2001; Michael Gardner;
Abstract:
Causes as diverse as AIDS research and the Ronald Reagan library have shown that selling fund-raising license plates is not as simple as paying prisoners to mint a whale tail or Half Dome in Yosemite.
Not enough motorists bought one for the Gipper. Girl Scouts are learning it's easier to push cookies. And Californians seem more willing to pay a few pennies more on postal stamps to subsidize breast cancer treatment than to dish out an extra $50 for a license plate dedicated to the same cause.
The organizations promoting new plates also maintain toll-free phone numbers: (866) 427-2688 to reach the Girl Scouts; (877) 834- 4673 for the breast cancer plate and (800) 952-4227 for the Rotary.
Full Text:
Copyright SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY Aug 26, 2001
SACRAMENTO -- Causes as diverse as AIDS research and the Ronald Reagan library have shown that selling fund-raising license plates is not as simple as paying prisoners to mint a whale tail or Half Dome in Yosemite.
Not enough motorists bought one for the Gipper. Girl Scouts are learning it's easier to push cookies. And Californians seem more willing to pay a few pennies more on postal stamps to subsidize breast cancer treatment than to dish out an extra $50 for a license plate dedicated to the same cause.
Campaigns to sell special fund-raising license plates must accelerate or risk losing a chance to raise millions for charitable causes.
"I have to have a big spark, a big wow!" said Maggie Wilhelm, searching for a celebrity to endorse the proposed Rotary International plate.
It's a daunting marketing challenge with so few advertising dollars available, say those pushing fund-raising plates.
"Nobody knows we're out there," said Dr. Ernie Bodai, promoting a license plate to offset breast cancer treatment costs for the poor.
Plates to honor Ronald Reagan and support AIDS programs -- once tagged as can't misses by legislative supporters -- have been abandoned because of sagging sales.
And measures by San Diego area lawmakers to launch two new specialty plates are stalled in the Legislature, dogged by divisive quarrels over abortion and hunting.
To help spur sales of plates to finance county programs for veterans, Gov. Gray Davis recently signed legislation that lowers the cost to $10 from $35. The measure was carried by Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego.
Veterans can choose plate decals to salute their Medal of Honor, recognize their status as a survivor of Pearl Harbor or more than 100 other special military-service labels.
However, the state's fund-raising license program remains profitable for some of the old standbys to help keep Lake Tahoe clear, save the whales and protect Yosemite.
More than 200,000 motorists spend an extra $30 million a year to drive around with socially conscious plates that promote the arts, benefit firefighters and finance the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.
Of that money, about half goes to the nine programs assisted by the specialty plate program. The state takes the rest for administrative expenses and to finance environmental programs, such as buying wildlife habitat.
License fees vary, but generally are up to $50 initially and then $25 per year -- in addition to the state's regular vehicle registration charges.
The Yosemite Fund, for example, has raised more than $5 million since 1993. The money goes to visitor programs, bear boxes, wilderness restoration and trails.
"We do projects above and beyond what the park service can afford," said Jerry Edelbrock, vice president of the fund.
The opportunity for another fund-raising avenue has not been lost on Rotary International, the Girl Scouts and the breast cancer treatment organization.
The three nonprofits have cleared the initial hurdle of getting legislation authorizing the plates, but must collect 7,500 paid commitments before the Dec. 31 deadline.
Pledges have barely trickled in: 820 for breast cancer plates, 235 for Rotary and 165 for the Girl Scouts, according to July 31 figures.
"It's been a slow start," said Susanne White, organizer of the Girl Scouts' plate program.
San Diego Rotarian Larry Scott remains undeterred. He plans to badger clubs into signing up more motorists.
"We're confident we'll get to 7,500," Scott said. "Having dealt with Rotarians for 26 years, I know they always wait until the last minute to do everything."
Bodai is just as adamant.
"I've been in much worse situations," said Bodai, a Sacramento physician who pushed the postal service to issue a stamp to raise money for breast cancer research.
Groups should not give up, even though sales look grim now, said Bruce Eisner of the California Tahoe Conservancy.
"We squeaked in," he said.
Today, the program raises $800,000 a year for water quality programs, new trails and wetlands restoration in the Lake Tahoe region.
"The plates are starting to advertise themselves," Eisner said.
Other plates have failed, most noteably one to raise money for the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley. The foundation collected only 764 pledges despite the Gipper's popularity.
Assemblyman Tony Strickland, a Thousand Oaks Republican who carried legislation to authorize the Reagan plate, was at a loss to explain why the campaign went poorly.
Strickland said motorists want "immediate satisfaction" and are unwilling to wait months.
State Sen. Betty Karnette, who has pushed reforms to the specialty plate program, said a glut of choices may be partially responsible for the small numbers.
"It's nothing against the good causes," said Karnette, D-Long Beach. "Interest wanes."
Karnette suggested many Californians would rather give money directly to the nonprofits rather than through this program, particularly because the state siphons some of the funds for expenses.
Politics have been in play at times.
Republicans Ray Haynes and Dennis Hollingsworth, who represent portions of northern San Diego County, have had no success in moving bills to authorize plates for contentious causes.
Hollingsworth, a Temecula assemblyman, backs a new plate to raise money for hunting and fishing "opportunities" and promote conservation.
Haynes, a state senator from Riverside, proposes a "choose life" plate that would raise money for programs offering alternatives to abortion.
"Society ought to be sending the message of choosing life regardless of where you are on the issue of abortion," Haynes said.
This isn't the first time a plate proposal ran aground amid legislative politics. A bill to authorize one for the Boy Scouts failed because of the group's ban on gays.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding new programs, sales of specialty plates remain strong. Gains are from a few hundred to 14,500 over last year's sales.
The arts program is the most popular with 43,808. It's followed by: children's programs, 40,531; Yosemite, 39,242; whale tail, 38,646; Lake Tahoe, 16,260; veterans, 13,057; firefighters, 10,760; Olympics, 2,879; and UCLA, 2,180.
"It looks like there's plenty of interest out there," said Steve Haskins, a Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman.
More information on all specialty license plate programs can be found on the Internet at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/.
The organizations promoting new plates also maintain toll-free phone numbers: (866) 427-2688 to reach the Girl Scouts; (877) 834- 4673 for the breast cancer plate and (800) 952-4227 for the Rotary License Plate.
Credit: COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
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