Oregon Number Plate Design

Last year the Legislature ordered up 40,000 sets of “Pacific Wonderland” number plates, and now, on March 1, the commemorative plates will go on sale. These were good-looking plates when they were first issued in 1959, and Oregon should go back to them for good.

The legislature has authorized several kinds of special plates over the years, usually to raise money for or to honor special causes or groups such as veterans.

In 2011, the Legislature could do all of us a big favor: It could make the Pacific Wonderland design permanent and enact it as a generic license plate for all Oregon vehicles from then on.

It would not have to insist on the two-word legend, which may strike many vehicle owners today as a little on the hokey side, but even without it, that letter, number and color combinations has a pleasing look.