Penny For Your Thoughts? Maybe Not
I could live with the arrogance of our president who’s not shy about saying anything he touches is perfect and the best ever. I could care less if he’s a scratch golfer or cheats his head off. I’m actually more than fine with arresting Nicolas Maduro, the drug dealer masquerading as a politician. I was OK with the idea that we declared we were going to run a sovereign country (although not sure I would be OK if I was a Venezuelan). Changing the department of defense to the war department didn’t cause me to lose much sleep and I was even OK when our commander in chief basically said we’re going to invade Greenland and make it our own.
You can also toss in the national debt. Yes, I had hopes that after the first time around, The Don might come back with a vengeance on reducing our national debt (for the record, he hasn’t – it’s actually grown by three trillion dollars since he took office).
No offense to the Republicans (or the Democrats), but I have just become used to the fact that nothing is going to change. Politicians are going to lie. Debt is going to go up and up and up. Society will become more entitled. We’ll continue to reduce human interaction until any and all face to face communication is replaced with texts, instasomethings and the like.
I’m tired of fighting the inevitable.
Until now.
I went to McDonald’s Monday and the bill was $7.17. I gave the nice lady a $10 bill and instead of getting $2.83 back, she gave me $2.85. I told her she gave me too much and she explained they weren’t doing pennies anymore.
OK, OK, I know what you’re thinking. I came out ahead on this. What’s the big deal?
A trip to Walmart ended with me being shorted three pennies. Another trip to the Post Office saw my purchase get rounded up to the nearest nickel. Apparently their new policy is if you are paying with cash and the amount ends in 1, 2, 6, or 7 cents, the total is rounded down. But if your purchase ends in 3, 4, 8, or 9, it’s rounded up.
Where is the justice in all this!
The government, our government, tells us they can’t produce any more pennies because it’s not cost effective. Really? THAT’S where they draw the line? We’re leaving congressional pensions alone? We’re not looking into the $150 grand the White House spent on Christmas decorations? No one yelled about the $419,000 government study to see if rats liked cocaine?
But when it comes to the penny . . . THAT’S where those ferocious government watchdogs step up?
Don’t know about you, but this is my last straw. It’s time we take a stand and the penny seems a good place to start. How about if we all come together and demand we save the penny! I can see a massive rally now. People walking around with Free Honest Abe T-shirts, carrying signs that read Conquer With Copper, Pity The Penny, Penny Payola . . .
I know what you’re thinking. I’m making much ado about nothing. Nay, nay friends. It might be the penny today but how long until they come for Thomas Jefferson and our nickels? FDR and the dime?
Abraham Lincoln spent his boyhood in the great Hoosier state. Let’s not forget one of our favorite sons. Long live the penny!
(EDITOR’S NOTE: We are checking to see if there is a problem with Tim’s medications. His doctor told us it’s just a copper deficiency.)
Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically in The Times. Timmons is the chief executive officer of Sagamore News Media, the company that owns The Noblesville Times. He is also a proud Noblesville High School graduate and can be contacted at ttimmons@thetimes24-7.com.