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IT MADE GOOD SENSE TO SAVE THE PENNY
The Right Honorable Ernie Eves, the Federal Finance Minister, has decreed in the budget the demise of the penny in the near future. The one cent piece has always been a part of our heritage.
The local variety store on Hamilton Road in the past had a large assortment of penny candy for a dime Two Gummies cost one cent and bubble gum was a penny a piece.
The children would carefully do the math and the sales lady would take their orders and fill their paper bags with the treats. It was an easy way to teach the youngsters to learn to multiply add and subtract. No calculator or computer needed.
We taught our children to: "take care of their pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." Remember the wise saying that: " a penny saved is a penny earned." For those who hoarded their coins they were referred to as penny pinchers. With the demise of the penny in April young grandchildren will no longer know the meaning of the coin. Perhaps, we have lost an integral part of Canada’s past one hundred and fifty year history to be able to find true value in the smallest of coins.
To-day financial planning is a lot more complicated with business/ governments spending/debt in the millions/billions and trillions of dollars. I have to admit that I have absolutely no clue to try and comprehend the gigantic numbers.
I still pick up a shiny penny when I am walking in the mall. The one cent Maple Leaf coin to me equates to luck money. I gladly give the shiny coins to my granddaughters to put in their penny banks that we gave them. Strange, the children seem to value the coins more then the cheques we write for their future education.
The retailer will have to change their cash registers/ price tickets to reflect the loss of the penny. $9,99 will be surely be rounded off to $10,00. The extra penny is going to cost us all more to shop - when we pay cash.
I will miss the penny that has become an integral part and parcel of our heritage. Too soon the nickle and dime I wager will disappear after being declared redundant to the economic needs to society.
Len Lesser