`super Conference' Needs Adjustments To Serve All Teams 
When The Wyoming Valley West Swimming Team Destroys Scranton Prep, There Is No 
Blood In The Water.

4th Suit Filed Against City's `impact' Team

Sunday, January 18, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Initiatives in Congress for new coins not worth a plug nickel &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It seems that the members of the Congress, although they complain about how
difficult and wearing their duties are, find plenty of time for tomfooleryOne
of the items plucked from the basketful they left behind when they recessed
for the holidays, is painfully typical. This one calls for new designs for the
quarter and dollar coins. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Why? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Well, we are told that there aren't enough of the present dollar coins to
meet the demand. The demand, it is explained, is caused by the ever heavier
use of dollar coins for transit fares, postage stamp and mailer machines, and
other coin operated devices. The soaring cost of even the simplest commodities
has virtually eliminated the penny- except for sales taxes- and has even
eliminated the quarter as the base rate for most pay telephones. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of course, the nickel cigar, soda, and ice cream cone disappeared long ago.
Increasingly, a dollar is the base price. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But that argument runs against what exists in this area. Haven't you
noticed that most coin-operated machines- aside from the pay telephone- in
this community are able to accept dollar bills along with coins? If they
accept the paper dollar, they also give change. This is true whether it is the
soft drink machine, the various post office devices, or other mechanical
dispensers of goods. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why should the taxpayer bear the burden of creating a new coin to serve
machines for the likes of the transit turnstiles, slot machines, and other
devices which are said to consume so many of the dollar coins? Let their
operators and users bear the cost of adding paper dollar devices to their
machines. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why- why- is a new coin, a "gold colored" coin at that, needed? If more
dollar coins are needed, why doesn't the Treasury just mint more of the
existing dollar coins? What is there about this coin that has diminished its
value as an instrument of currency? What is to be gained from the costs of
creating a new metal- with all of the security components intended to
discourage counterfeiters- let alone the costs of designing a new face and
back, and to comply with the congressional mandate that its edge be different
from that of the quarter? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was less than a decade ago that a similarly overworked Congress foisted
the Susan B. Anthony dollar on the public. It was not a success, largely
because those whose fingers were insensitive to the multi-edges and size of
that coin, confused it with the quarter. What great passion drives the
Congress to try again? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Finally, who would rather carry a dozen metal dollars than a fold of 12
dollar bills in his or her pocket? The weight of the dozen coins- and their
wear and tear on the pocket fabric- are far greater than the comfort and
illusions of a "Missouri bankroll." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And, isn't it cheaper to print a paper dollar- even though it may not wear
as well or long- than to mint a metal coin? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The quarter doesn't have any of the excuses offered for creating a new
dollar coin. Instead, advocates of a new quarter appear to have several
purposes in mind. These rest on the congressional mandate that the reverse
side of the new quarter be completely redesigned. In fact, under that mandate,
ultimately there will be 50 new designs. Each year, for ten years, five new
designs will be minted, one for each state in the sequence in which it was
admitted to the Union. After that, the quarter will revert to its present
design. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The purpose, the advocates say, is to honor each state and, not so
incidentally, to create a collector's dream. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The advocates figure that as each of the 50 new coins are withdrawn from
circulation by the collectors, the federal government could realize an
estimated $1 billion bonanza. A third, unmentioned purpose is to strengthen
the current drive to diminish the federal government and increase the stature
and power of the state governments. That the process would also cost a sense
of nationhood is, if not deliberate, ignored. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Together, the commitment to new versions of our major coins seems to be an
extravagant gesture. Worse, given the misery, the loss of necessary human
services, and the other mean-spirited tearing of the nation's social fabric
that are resulting from congres sionally mandated reductions in spending- for
it now to throw millions of dollars into s

Initiatives In Congress For New Coins Not Worth A Plug Nickel 
It Seems That The Members Of The Congress, Although They Complain About How 
Difficult And Wearing Their Duties Are, Find Plenty Of Time For Tomfoolery.

Initiatives In Congress For New Coins Not Worth A Plug Nickel It Seems That The Members Of The Congress, Although They Complain About How Difficult And Wearing Their Duties Are, Find Plenty Of Time For Tomfoolery.