Editorial: Lawmakers, be pals and approve J.P. Patches plate

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 2, 2019

By The Herald Editorial Board

Unless you’re of a certain age — and grew up in Western Washington — you’re not going to get it.

You’re not going to understand why some of us would shell out $40 — and then $30 every year afterward — for a specialized license plate that has a couple of clowns on it and identifies the car’s owner as a “Patches Pal.”

Legislation that has passed the state House and is now in the Senate would create the specialized license plate honoring children’s entertainers J.P. Patches and Gertrude, with proceeds going to Seattle Children’s Hospital’s “Strong Against Cancer” program. The Patches Pal plate legislation was sponsored by state Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, who, during a transportation committee hearing admitted watching J.P.’s morning kids show with his kids, as The Herald’s Julie Muhlstein reported Friday.

J.P., the mayor of the city dump on KIRO-TV’s show from 1958 to 1981, was played by the late Chris Wedes of Edmonds and joined by Bob Newman who portrayed a number of characters in sketches that ran between cartoons including Gertrude, the evil Boris S. Wort and Ketchikan the Animal Man. The plate featuring Wedes and Newman will informally honor a tradition of regional children’s TV entertainers who included Capt. Puget (Don McCune), Wunda Wunda (Ruth Prins) and Brakeman Bill (Bill McLain).

But, no, unless you ate your morning cereal while watching the “J.P. Patches Show,” you’re probably not going to get the plate honoring children’s TV show host J.P. Patches and his sidekick Gertrude. Which is fine, because you have your choice of more than 30 — and counting — other specialized plates that allow you to show your affiliation with or support for organizations or causes.

Currently vehicle owners can order specialized plates that recognize veteran, active duty and reservist members of the military branches as well as Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families; the state’s universities; the Seahawks, Sounders and Mariners; 4-H; the rhododendron, the state flower; breast cancer awareness; volunteer firefighters; farmers and ranchers; state and federal parks funds; and several others.

And legislation that has passed at least one chamber thus far would establish plates for Washington’s wine industry, the Seattle Storm WNBA team and a stewardship fund for San Juan Islands conservation work.

In nearly all cases, these plates offer a sustainable fundraising opportunity for specific groups and a way to promote their efforts. The wine industry plate’s fund will go toward research at wine programs at WSU-Tri-Cities and community college programs in Yakima, Walla Walla and South Seattle. The Storm plate will raise funds for the Legislative Youth Advisory Council and provide grants for athletic and recreational programs for girls and women, especially those with disabilities.

The Patches Pal plate’s fundraising is spot on, raising money for research and treatment for children with cancer, but is also a recognition of Wedes’ own struggle against the blood cancer, multiple myeloma, that claimed his life in 2012 at the age of 84.

There’s no significant outlay by the state for the specialized plates; organizations pay a $6,300 set-up fee for production of the plates, and the state takes a fee up $12 for the initial plate and $2 for renewals.

These plates and others in the future — Seattle’s new National Hockey League team and someday the Seattle Sonics NBA team, perhaps — offer a way to personalize our vehicles and raise money for good causes at the same time.

State lawmakers should be Patches Pals and approve the license plate proposals before them.