June 11, 2009 06:00 PM UTC

At Least They're Not Your County Commissioners

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• by: Colorado Pols

A variation on our recurring “At Least He’s Not Your Legislator” series, from the AP:

In this friendly little ranching town, “hello” is wearing out its welcome. And Leonso Canales Jr. is happy as heck.

At his urging, the Kleberg County commissioners on Monday unanimously designated “heaven-o” as the county’s official greeting. The reason: “hello” contains the word “hell.”

“When you go to school and church, they tell you ‘hell’ is negative and ‘heaven’ is positive,'” said the 56-year-old Canales, who owns the Kingsville Flea Market. “I think it’s time that we set a new precedent, to tell our kids that we are positive adults.”

The new salutation, according to the county resolution, is a “symbol of peace, friendship and welcome” in this “age of anxiety.”

On Thursday, courthouse employees were answering the phones, “heaven-o.” And the chamber of commerce was working on a campaign promoting Kingsville, a Rio Grande Valley town of 25,000, as a “heavenly” place to visit.

“People seem to think that it might catch on,” said county Judge Pete De La Garza.

Don’t look now, but Doug Lamborn may have found a better crusade than swapping Mt. Democrat for Republican Mountain. Can we get a “heaven-yes?”

H/T: Pharyngula