Why stop at a Reagan dime?

The Sun News ^ | 12/10/03 | Bob Bestler

[Holly_P]

America's conservatives are absolutely right, and I don't give a fig what conservative columnist George Will says.

They're peeved that anyone, and especially a major television network, would make a docudrama that casts Ronald and Nancy Reagan in a bad light.

"The Reagans" was, by all accounts, a pretty cheesy show, as are virtually all docudramas based on real-life people.

And now the nation's most conservative Republicans have decided it's payback time.

The price they are demanding for besmirching the Reagans will be exactly one dime - the same dime you heard about in that old Great Depression refrain: "Brother, can you spare a dime?"

The Ronald Reagan Dime Act would dump the image of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a "liberal" Democrat who actually put a dime back in folks' pockets during the Depression, and replace him with their guy.

As one California Republican explained: "I feel more connection with Reagan. He's a Californian, also closer to us in history."

Hey, wait a minute? He's a Californian? If parochialism is the criteria, those of us in South Carolina would like to nominate Strom Thurmond for a spot on the dime, thank you.

As for being a more recent president, why not go ahead and stick Mr. Reagan on the dollar bill? Has anyone even seen George Washington in the past couple centuries?

And while we're at it, isn't it time for a little Mount Rushmore face-lift?

Let's take a hammer and chisel and go to work, hang the extra billions it might cost.

Instead of George Washington, father of our country, we ought to have George Bush, father of our dynasty.

Toss in a little George W. Bush and, maybe, eventually, Jeb Bush.

Neil Bush? Please, let's not talk about him.

Reagan's Hollywood-handsome features were made for granite, so chiseling him over Thomas Jefferson is a no-brainer.

And never mind the conservative voice of caution from the aforementioned George Will.

Writing in the Dec. 8 Newsweek, Will reviewed some of the recent hubris from conservatives and wrote:

"House and Senate Republicans must assume they will never again be in the minority and vulnerable to payback. They are mistaken."

In other words, Mr. Will thinks we might want to leave some room on Mount Rushmore for Bill and Hillary - just in case the Democrats return to power.

Yeah, right, like that'll happen.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact BOB BESTLER at 626-0364 or bbestler@thesunnews.com.

[Rebeleye]

Let's change the five dollar bill and put Reagan's face on it! It sure would look alot better!

[BenLurkin]

There is no reason for any politician's face to be on any American fiat coin. Lady Liberty was on our obverse for years, and still is on the only remaining real American money (bullion coins).

[ShadowDancer]

The whole fact that this is even a topic is ludicrous.

[Hollywoodghost]

Lets put Reagan on the Half Dollar or maybe the two cent coin or the five dollar gold piece? He needs to be honored but maybe in some other way--a new statue maybe. 100 foot tall statue in the hills above Simi Valley, California, would be nice.

[Texas Federalist]

The Reagan monument? Right next to the Phil Gramm botanical gardens?

[steplock]

To risk the ire of the FR - What the H*** is the US doing naming carriers - airports - buildings - etc after someone that is still alive?

There was a reason that this was NOT done in the past and that is to deter IDOLIZING a living leader and to prevent them from becoming Hitlers, Mussolinis, Maos, etc!

There have been many people worthy of the honor of having their name/picture on money, ships, etc - they have ALL had to wait until a "decent" (?) waiting period AFTER their deaths.

Now we have the "conservative" - "patriotic" party punching the IDOLATRY ticket!

Something is beginning to STINK in the republican party....

Remember when we were FREE?

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."
Ronald Reagan

[steplock]

We must always ask: is government working to liberate and empower the individual?

Is it creating incentives for people to produce, save, invest and profit from legitimate risks and honest toil?

Or does it seek to compel, command and coerce people into submission and dependence?

---Ronald Reagan

[Glenn]

The price they are demanding for besmirching the Reagans will be exactly one dime

For those of you who are not coin collectors: This is just one more way for the government to make some money (PUN intended!). There will be two new Jefferson nickels out there next year. You have the state quarters. The fancy new bills. Do you have any idea how much money that puts in government coffers?

Let it go.

[ShadowDancer]

How about we leave well enough alone? Is it so important to have someone else's face on a coin that it costs us even more in tax money?

[JoeSchem]

a "liberal" Democrat who actually put a dime back in folks' pockets during the Depression,

Roosevelt still holds the record, at nine years, for the longest that a President has taken to resolve a depression.

[JoeSchem]

There have been many people worthy of the honor of having their name/picture on money, ships, etc - they have ALL had to wait until a "decent" (?) waiting period AFTER their deaths.

Carl Vinson was still alive when the aircraft carrier USS Vinson was named after him. In fact, he attended the christening ceremony.

[mercy]

There is the seed of a great idea here. I just returned from over-seas and I found coins worth a buck or two to be the handiest things. Used em all the time and it's much easier and quicker to reach into your front pocket for a bell-hop tip or to buy a paper or yada yada yada.

We NEED a dollar coin. The previous one only failed because the idiots in the fed made it look like a quarter. RWR would look GREAT on a one dollar coin.

[Monty22]

"We NEED a dollar coin. The previous one only failed because the idiots in the fed made it look like a quarter. RWR would look GREAT on a one dollar coin"

What about the recent indian woman one?

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I'd agree with you, except that Reagan's Alzheimers note gave a whole new meaning to the term, "political suicide."

There is no danger of idolatry in honoring the Reagan legacy; the living person is no longer with us in practical terms. The man doesn't even remember being president; my own mother doesn't remember teaching school for 25 years. In no practical sense is either one of the responsible for anything from now on . . .

[Cobra64]

Working on your "shift" key a wee little bit?

SHEESH!

[Cobra64]

This is just one more way for the government to make some money (PUN intended!).

The Federal Government does not make money... Well then again they do with the printing presses running 24/7.

I'd say that 98% of what the Feds do should be privatized; other than the military. DC folks should work for $1.00 per hour; letting the cockroaches go home and work for a living or start a business.

[raccoonradio]

>>We NEED a dollar coin.

One reason the previous dollar coins failed is because the dollar bill was also kept in circulation. People used
the dollar bill, and the dollar coin wound up in the hands
of coin collectors to save. We maybe should do what Canada did: decide on the coin and phase out the dollar bill,
thus forcing people to use the coin. (Supposedly the
coin lasts longer and would be more cost effective!)
Canada has both a $1 coin ("loonie") and $2 ("toonie").

One reason I've wished we could have settled on a $1 coin was vending machines...though then again many vending machines do have bill acceptors.

I work for the postal service (at a sorting facility) and we have a stamp machine, similar to the stamp vending
machines in some post offices. (Our facility is sorting
only, no "counter service" etc.) If you put in a $5, $10,
etc for a purchase you may wind up getting a $1 coin back
as part of your change.

[July 4th]

A thread about money, and the word "fiat" was used in the third post. Is that a record?

[Tacos]

I am a huge supporter of Ronald Reagan, but I also don't believe in taking honors *away* from someone whose image is already on a currency, no matter what party they were from...just my opinion...