Pennies: yay or nay?

[Art Vandelay]

There are good reasons on both sides of this argument, but I come down on the 'keep them' side. For one thing, getting rid of them would have a negative impact, and more of an adverse affect on the poor than the rich or middle class. Lower classes are more likely to save, roll, and spend their pennies than other income groups who may not need them as much. And on a sort of related note, increased prices that would come from rounding prices up to the nearest nickel would hurt the poor and elderly most, as they are the least able to afford it, and generally make more small, cash purchases. For another thing, getting rid of pennies would hurt charitable organizations. Organizations like the Salvation Army rely on penny drives, and pennies collected in the donation conatainers you see at most grocery stores, gas stations, etc.

[bigken117]

save 'em...money is money

[j_d_mcnugent]

i say keep 'em because i dont want them to round everything up to the nickel. plus the whole abolish the penny argument is also applicable to the nickel. where do you stop? if they ditch it they should at least give per penny pricing to those using credit/debit cards. i rarely use cash anymore.

[Red Stripe]

Well everything that is sold then would have to go by fives. Can't have anything sell for $9.99 anymore. You need pennies for that stuff although they're are too damn many of them.

[RugbyD]

given that the simple raw materials cost is more than the value (not even counting energy, machine, labor, transportation, etc) moving to a $0.02 minimum makes sense. Pennies would still be valid, but no longer produced and gradually pulled out of circulation and replaced by the 2s (which should be called 'deucies'). And in another 25 years we can dump those and just use nickels.

[Pokeyouindaeye]

Why don't we just make cheaper pennies? We've done it in the past, by switching from totally copper to a zinc core with a copper outside.

[Simulacrum]

I'm superstitious. If they're face up, I pick em up. Otherwise I'll leave them. And if there's chicks around I never, ever pick them up.

[CubsFan7724]

Have to keep them. Otherwise, everything has to be in increments of 5 cents, and you know they aren't going to round down

[Dan Lambskin]

Have to keep them. Otherwise, everything has to be in increments of 5 cents, and you know they aren't going to round down

i posted this on the football side: why not just do it like the IRS does with your tax refund. if your purchase comes to $1.02, you pay $1.00. if it comes to $1.03 you pay $1.05. eventually it should even out.

[jzfran]

I hate pennies. I never pick them up and I usually leave them o the ground if I get any. They should just round to 5 cents and make all our lives a lot easier.