Pennies: Good Riddance

A full page ad in yesterday's New York Times warns that Congress may soon consider getting rid of the penny. The advertiser, Virgin Mobile, sees this as a bad thing, and is organizing protests.

I, on the other hand, have hated pennies for years, avoiding them whenever possible. Now that each penny costs our government more than a penny to make, it seems obvious the penny's time has come and gone. A dime today is worth about what a penny was when I was a boy, and inflation will only make it worth less in future.

Time to retire the penny.