New License Plate Design Now Available

Public Service Announcement

Despite an abundance of talented artists living right here, the design contract was awarded to a pompous ad agency based in Austin, TX, who convinced City Council they could create a new look & feel for a city they’ve never visited, for an undisclosed fee. The City insisted the new design include a backdrop of the Organ Mountains colored in purple, but the artists were otherwise free to create whatever they wanted.

The new license plates are currently being printed and stamped by hand by the winter-session inmates of the Tent City Correctional Facility located near downtown Phoenix.

Motorists will have the opportunity to purchase the new license plates starting next spring for a fee of $35. Motorists with 3 or more DUI arrests will be required to order the new license plate.

The majority of the $35 fee will go toward administration costs, printing, and to make monthly installment payments to the graphic artist. The few remaining dollars will accrue in “investment accounts” for 6-8 years until there are enough funds to do something meaningful for the community.

We were given the privilege of interviewing the designer, Thom Thomason, who is excited to see his work displayed on thousands of cars in a city hundreds of miles from where he lives.

“I took the design process very seriously, by taking the time to fully research the vibe and social issues that plague the Las Cruces community,” said Thomason.

The Artist stated he formed his ideas after Googling “pictures of Las Cruces” and asking a few strangers about the area on Internet message boards. Total design time was about four hours.

“My girlfriend’s brother lives in Albuquerque, so he knows all about Las Cruces,” added Thomason, “I learned a lot and I feel proud to be a part of the community.”