Why Not, Why Now?

On the weekends, our good blogger friend over at likes to post pictures of his favorite Florida vanity license plates.

There's a ton of them to pick from, with a portion of the proceeds, so says the State of Florida, going to public charities and causes -- some more worthy than others, no doubt. But have you ever wondered how much of the money you pay the Florida Department of Transportation for these "official unofficial" optional front license plates really reaches the intended good cause?

The answer is hinted at in the application requirements for organizations seeking to add their own plate to the list. It costs them $60,000 to apply (!) and $2 of the fee you pay is kept by the State for "processing."

So we want to ask Why Now, why not buy direct when you can?

Take the case of the 'Mock' Sea Turtle Plate now being offered by the laudable folk at Caribbean Conservation Corps, headquartered in Gainsville. It's every bit as unofficial as one issued by the Department of Transportation, and the charity gets to keep 100% of the money.

For those who live in a state or country that doesn't allow optional front license plates, you can adopt a turtle or give a gift of "turtle adoption" to someone else.