3.7 cents for your thoughts!

A penny saved is a penny earned ... penny-wise and pound-foolish ... a penny for your thoughts ... a penny-pincher ... a penny whistle ... in for a penny, in for a pound?

Alas, you can forget all that. The other day, the Secretary of the Treasury visited the US Mint in Philadelphia to oversee the stamping of our last one-cent coins. They're now a losing proposition, each one costing 3.7 cents to produce. The president, meanwhile, keeps assuring us that inflation has been quelled and that we're enjoying the greatest economy in history. Obviously he hasn't paid cash for a cup of coffee lately.