Posted on 08/21/2010 7:17:45 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
Today, the U.S. Treasury released a $1 coin commemorating former President James Buchanan. And people aren't happy about it.
To understand why, some background is helpful. In 2007, thanks to a bill promoted by then-Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire, the Treasury began minting $1 coins with the likenesses of former Presidents, starting with George Washington.
The coins -- which have been appearing ever since, featuring a new President every three months -- are meant to improve use and circulation of America's dollar coins, which are often seen as an awkward misfit among currency, neither fish nor fowl.
Sununu's initiative drew inspiration from the 50 State Quarters Program, which launched in 1999. The runaway success of that effort, according to his legislation, "shows that a design on a U.S. circulating coin that is regularly changed... radically increases demand for the coin, rapidly pulling it through the economy."
The bill also suggested that a program wherein Presidents are featured on a succession of $1 coins, and First Spouses commemorated on gold $10 coins, could help correct a state of affairs where "many people cannot name all of the Presidents, and fewer can name the spouses, nor can many people accurately place each President in the proper time period of American history."
So the bill passed, and the Washington dollar coin appeared not long after. It was followed by Adams, Jefferson, et al., with the First Spouse coins minted alongside.
Now we're up to Buchanan, the fifteenth President, who took office in 1857 and turned things over to Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and whose coin (produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints and purchasable through the U.S. Mint website) has occasioned the aforementioned grousing. Here's where some feel the coin program is falling short:
1. The coins aren't circulating.
Many Americans have never gotten into the habit of using $1 coins, and as a result, over a billion commemorative Presidential coins are sitting around in a stockpile at the Federal Reserve. As BBC News reports, if these coins were stacked up and laid on their side, they'd stretch for 1,367 miles, or the distance from Chicago to New Mexico.
2. They don't seem to be educating people, either.
In February 2008, a year after the first presidential coins were minted, The New York Times reported that a survey had found large numbers of American teens to be woefully ignorant of their country's history. It was far from the first time Americans had gotten a dismal grade in history, suggesting that Sununu's commemorative-coin campaign isn't having much of an effect in that arena, either.
3. James Buchanan was kind of a crappy president.
In fairness, this is a grievance with a specific president, not the presidential coins program as a whole. Still, it seems to come up in all the coverage of the new coin: Buchanan wasn't very good at his job.
That's the consensus of historians, anyway, who have traditionally censured Buchanan for his failure to prevent the Civil War. Last year, a C-SPAN survey of historians granted Buchanan the dubious distinction of worst president ever.
Still, all of this isn't reason enough to declare the commemorative-coins program a total failure. If more coin collectors start avidly pursuing the presidential coins, it could have the effect of pushing down the national debt, thanks to the way the value of the coins fluctuates with their availability. And if the dollar coins were to catch on and replace paper $1 bills entirely, it could save the country between $500 and $700 million each year in printing costs.
Plus, if things stay on track, 2012 will see the release of the Chester A. Arthur dollar coin -- marking the first time that long non-commemorated president's face has ever appeared on any nation's currency. And who are we to deprive him of that?
The wifey and I celebrated our 8th this past May.
We’re not going anywhere, but we can’t even imagine 50 years of marriage, not to mention 62. Congrats!!
Made sense to me, others might enjoy comments directed at you even if you are unable to appreciate them, why this is a PUBLIC forum.
And Muslims? Or Hindus? Or agnostics. Will they be free to worship when and where they want in your restored Dixie? Or will your freedom of religion have restrictions.?
But let me ask you this, in your restored Dixie would you advocate the posting of the 10 Commandments in all public buildings and/or schools?
Yes.
Which version?
I adore each of the FReepers you've named. Perhaps it's a cultural difference?
No, I think its more ideological.
---------------------------------------------------
Get off your high horse Mayor Daley! We have mandatory seat belt laws, speed limits laws, etc, etc, etc. None of which you concern yourself with. These laws are said to "save lives? " Mr. Daley/Non-Sequitur firearms save lives!
In regards to the other liberal "nonsense"... The question is what are you going to achieve by staying "up there" when ALL the Conservatives have already fled South? Your businesses, tax base, decent clothing makers, gun manufacturers, etc... What will be left? Mr. South basher will be stuck all alone in his parents basement, cherishing his doll of disHonest Abe, and asking, "why me "...
When that day arrives and you want admission into the more perfect Union, the "Conservative States of America", you'll be crying at the guards feet pleading for him to call one of us. I'll be waiting Non-Sequitur!
Hell you’re from AR-Kansas. You probably voted for Billy Bob Clinton when he was Governor and President because he was “from down home”....
Didn’t you?
Methinks you don't understand Dixie. There's a strong belief in live and let live, or each to his own, in Dixie. A person's religion, or lack thereof, is personal and we don't butt our noses into anothers' personal matters. That said, a majority of us are Christian and are but humble messengers of God's word. Those who choose to worship differently, or not at all, are left to their own.
Those who wish to assimilate into Southern society are welcomed. Those who seek not to assimilate, but instead seek to change Her culture, will meet firm resistance. Surely you recognize the chasm between freedom of religion and the mission of those who would seek to replace a society.
Which version?
Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.
No, I think its more ideological.
I believe it to be both cultural and ideological.
Now, back to my original question:
Can you please explain how we sound, what we believe, and how we think, act, and worship?
My eldest son took a semester architecture course that was taught in Europe. They toured much of Europe doing architectural assignments. At the end of the course they were allowed to travel individually for a month wherever they wanted. I recommended he visit the Alhambra. It blew his mind. I've always wanted to see it.
Heretofore, I've always arranged our own trips (hotels, air, train, rental car, destinations, sights) and have never taken an organized tour other than our high school senior trip. My wife says I should have been a travel agent.
My alumni travel organization just sent a brochure on a tour they are offering in Egypt. It was surprisingly cheap. Usually they want an arm and a leg for any of their tours, so I did some checking tonight. If several online reviews can be believed, the Nile River ship, crew, and food were awful. That's why the tour was so cheap. They must be having trouble filling some of their expensive tours.
I thought it had possibilities. Like Pavlov's dog, the reb heart reacts to mention of "worst president". Reb thinking operates at 180 degrees from realty. Nest equals worst, Slavery equals liberty and failure equals success. Lincoln is the worst president and Jefferson Davis is a great statesman. That is how our rebel friends think. We must continue to try to educate our rebs so as they might take full joy in the victory of Lincoln and freedom.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.