Government has a mess of mascots
Sports mascots have made waves over the years with their antics. Think of the San Diego Chicken who virtually created the gimmick in the 1970s.
Today, there are even mascots for government agencies. The creepiest has to be Vic Vasive, an Agriculture Department creation. A human-bug creature, Vic is made of 15 invasive species that crawl over him during his professionally produced videos.
Then there is Sammy Soil, also from Agriculture. Sammy is a clump of dirt with legs that teaches kids about the different layers of soil.
The Border Patrol has a cuddly teddy bear and an employee for an enormous dog costume. The U.S. Mint has a fox and bird.
Agencies also give away t-shirts, coloring books, keychains, mugs, and stickers — all branded with their mascot.
Are the mascots educational or are they a waste of taxpayers' money? Some critics say they mainly provide little or no value for taxpayers.
