{image1}Recently the state's Department of Revenue queried the Wisconsin public, asking us to vote on their designs for the flipside of the upcoming Wisconsin state quarter to be minted, of course, by the feds. Apparently, more than 340,000 folks voted online, though the state's publicity of the poll was spotty, at best.
Their three choices were all well and good -- "Agriculture" won with 49.6% of the votes -- but they weren't the kind of designs that would get us excited about slotting these puppies into parking meters, washers at public laundromats and the old Dragonslayer machine down at the arcade.
A cow and a block of cheese? We know this was the design the governor settled upon, but please! A fur trader and a Native American shaking hands? Not exactly the image of a new Wisco we'd prefer to portray. But no one asked us or our loyal readers, and we suspect that, if given better options, it would have gone down a little differently.
So, we decided to cook up a few designs of our own, realized by our own design whiz Craig McKinney. Here are our five suggestions and we encourage you to vote for, and comment on, your favorite using the talkback feature at the bottom of the page or the poll in the left column.
And who knows -- maybe your vote will make a difference. State Treasurer Jack Voight is trying to push through his personal favorite, the trapper design, but he could be swayed. We'll send him your comments, and maybe, just maybe,a cooler quarter will come from them.
The first option celebrates Wisconsin's decades-long love affair with the Green Bay Packers, which shows no sign of slowing. Two images depict QB Brett Favre.
The next option seems obvious this year as Harley-Davidson, a true Milwaukee original, celebrates 100 years in the Badger State. A vintage bike dominates the design.
Hey, what's more Wisconsin than the mullet? Two examples of our favorite hairstyle show that Wisconsin is long on hair and short on hate.
Everybody's talking Calatrava these days, even two years after the opening of his Milwaukee Art Museum expansion. So, why not let Wisconsin's most recognizable building spread its wings on our quarter and give the coin a Milwaukee-feel?
Finally, there's no denying Wisconsin's favorite pastime. Thanks Calvin. You've said a handful.
