Saturday, May 29, 2010

Pennies. Pennies - Pt 2: Does it make sense to stop making the cent?

Dear Finance Minister Jim Flatulence,

Please don’t stop making the penny.

Really, for most Canadians, stashing pennies in a jar may be their only savings program. And trust me, with pension plans falling into deficit the way they are, someday we’re going to need them to pay a monthly heating bill or our lines of credit.

Your pal,

Gord

Really, if Jim Flatulence is trying to look frugal by saving Canadians $5 million, he should give his head a shake.

Maybe he could save taxpayers a billion dollars at the upcoming G8 conference - on security costs alone - by telling his PM to hold it on a boat 30 minutes from shore in Lake Superior. There isn’t a protester in the world who would last 10 minutes in that frigid environment.

Five million for pennies looks pretty puny when standing next to PM Harper’s security budget.


["First we save 'em. Then we roll 'em. Then we start again"]

And how is he going to get billions of purchases to round out so that pennies aren’t needed? Will cash registers across the land have to be replaced or rejigged? That won’t come cheap.

And will he round up or down? If he rounds up to the nearest nickel there will be mass revolts across the land, especially every Monday morning at Timmies.

Extra security again will cost a fortune.

And where will he get all the extra nickels?

At the Royal Canadian Mint, I bet, at 7.5 cents a pop is my guess.

Why, that’s an extra two and a half cents (compared to half a cent for the penny) for every transaction in Canada every day for the rest of your life.

See, I told you the mark up on pennies was cheaper at twice the price.

So, if you want a free or cheaper country, and I’m sure you do, vote to keep the penny.

Boomers like me across the land will thank you.

Especially if counting and rolling pennies is the main source of entertainment between periods of a hockey game.

.

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