More waste

(Disclaimer:  This blog is going to be a little different than my previous ones.  I read an article on npr.org that I originally linked on my Facebook page.  The story just sprawled on me after that and I figured there was enough material to blog about it.  I promise I'll get back to the norm on the next go around.)

I just finished reading another ridiculous example of bureaucracy at work.  The main body of the story is the congressional mandate to force the production of 1 dollar coins through the year 2016.  I guess they did this for because of the overwhelming support they received from the public the first few times they've been introduced to the populace.  To be honest, they haven't been accepted at any point in our nation's history.  The only place that they've found prominence, according to the article, has been in early casinos and as an occasional Christmas stocking stuffer. The only real advocates for dollar coins seem to be the vending machine markets, and of course, whoever is actually profiting from selling the metals to be used in the coins production.  (The zinc industry is almost entirely responsible for keeping the penny in rotation despite the government's loss of money every time one is produced.)

I don't know about you, but any dollar coin I've received in the past would go in a jar with all my other overbearing change; or on my dresser, or in the ashtray of my car, or in my couch cushions.  It just doesn't make since to create another item that so many Americans disregard, and some downright loathe.  Creating less pocket money instead of more is an easy answer, but it gets a little more complicated than that quick and easy one.  I think the most straightforward would be to get rid of money all together and go to paperless (and metal-less) currency, but I'm also not a big fan of lists available to track my spending records and trends. I'm not sure what the answer truly is, unless there was an affordable and easy way to xfer cash onto a card without it being linked to your name or statistic. Unfortunately, the companies that have developed or purchased that technology will only allow it to be used if they get there personal cut.  In my opinion, that's the main reason that the Amex gift card hasn't become more popular:  you can't use it in many, many places.  American Express is too pricey for many small businesses to use as an acceptable form of currency.  I'd like to see another option, but no one's going to develop or further the technology without some sort of financial upside.  A government subsidy could possible work... especially if it was still a fraction of the cost of mint production. 

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, you could manage to develop a picture perfect alternative to the wasteful spending in coin and paper production.  You could avoid all of the pitfalls associated with big brother knowing everything you spend your money to purchase.  You could also avoid the loss of jobs that come with automating any industry.  Even if you manage to come up with this ideal and perfect answer, you'd have to get Congress to sign off on it, the public to accept it, and the rest of the world to embrace it.... good luck with that, I guess.  And after all of that, you'd get to deal with large scale fraud as the hackers will continue to stay several leaps in front of any technological government program.