As soon as a proud coin of the realm, the penny has develop into a pest. It will get no respect.
And the penny shouldn’t be even value one cent anymore. It prices the federal government practically 4 cents to mint one penny.
No surprise President Donald Trump ordered its demise. So sooner or later, each time it rains it gained’t rain “Pennies from Heaven.”
Talking about unfastened change, the nickel, dime and quarter shall be subsequent on the hit record earlier than it. It prices 14 cents, or 14 pennies, to make a nickel, six cents to make a dime, and 15 cents to make 1 / 4.
And Trump did the penny pinching with out Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats combating to save lots of the penny by shutting the federal government down over it. He did it with out even providing Schumer a penny for his ideas.
Realistically, “Shutdown Schumer” would have been higher off had he shut down the federal government to save lots of the penny.
“In for penny, in for a pound,” a combating Schumer might have stated. In any case, a penny saved is a penny earned.
However when he discovered that Trump secretly deliberate to exchange Abraham Lincoln on the face of the penny along with his personal picture, he balked. It was a foul penny of an thought in any case.
Unnamed and nonexistent sources stated Schumer known as it a “penny-ante” sort of a deal within the first place.
In fact, Trump had no such plans to exchange Lincoln on the penny. However no matter Trump deliberate the Democrats would have attacked him on it anyway. Trump might not like pennies, however he likes Lincoln.
Moreover, my imaginary White Home sources say that Trump, after capturing down thought of changing President John F. Kennedy on the previous half-dollar coin, is planning to exchange George Washington on the $1 invoice.
Underneath his image it’ll learn, “IN TRUMP WE TRUST.”
He plans to do this on the opening ceremony of the brand new Trump Ballroom he’s constructing on the East Wing of the White Home, which has price a reasonably penny even when the cash to pay for it got here from personal sources and never taxpayers.
Nonetheless, difficult Trump over the abolition of the penny is one thing that individuals might have associated to. All people has pennies, whether or not they wish to eliminate them or not. Pennies are in every single place.
Which is why — placing my two cents in — at Market Basket I at all times say “Shut sufficient” to the change, together with pennies, the part-time highschool cashiers — having problem making change — give me again.
And it will have been a greater approach to problem Trump moderately than shut down the federal government and institute payless paydays for the army, air site visitors controllers and authorities employees, whereas threatening needy individuals to go with out meals.
It was a Schumer Shutdown over nothing.
Within the occasion you haven’t been watching each penny, Trump ordered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cease making new pennies in February. Final week the U.S. Mint ended their manufacturing.
The Mint has been producing them since 1793. Lincoln’s picture was placed on the penny in 1909.
Whereas no new pennies shall be manufactured, there are billions of them in circulation and they are going to be round for some time, like many different authorities packages.
Pennies, just like the American individuals, are rugged survivors. Throughout World Battle II, for example, pennies had been zinc-coated to save lots of copper for the struggle effort. However they bounced again after we gained the struggle.
We now have lived with pennies all our lives. Pennies are American historical past.
And they’ll nonetheless be round, outlasting individuals, politicians, popes, pundits, poets, paupers and presidents.
Save the cent.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas will be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
