Another senator grills her:
http://videosift.com/video/Rep-Steve-Cohen-D-TN-Grills-Michele-Leonhart-About-Pot

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That's right there is a lobby. They spend about $200,000 per year but typically less than that. They sure get their money's worth! It's not the mint but a factory in Greeneville, TN that makes the penny blanks. This factory generates pure profits of $1,000,000 per month but typically more. It is owned by a shadowy NY financial institution and protected by the steel worker's union for good measure. Fact: the penny is here to stay. Forever.

>> ^TheFreak:

There's no mention in this video of why the penny hasn't been abolished. There must be some lobby or special interest that benefits from this and prevents the mint from doing anything about it. It can't be as simple as merely doing away with the coin.
So what can we personally do to encourage the removal of the penny? I would seriously be willing to make a reasonable ammount of effort to see this done with. Honestly though, the very thought of doing anything makes me immediately aware that I have no ability to influence this situation. And that realization is maddeningly disempowering. Knowing I can't affect something as simple and obvious as this makes me sickeningly aware of the fact that I have no power to influence the important problems in my society. Anyway, that's what I thought about while watching this video. Fuck the penny, but fuck me for having no input into the laws and decisions that affect my life.

That's right there is a lobby. They spend about $200,000 per year but typically less than that. They sure get their money's worth! It's not the mint but a factory in Greeneville, TN that makes the penny blanks. This factory generates pure profits of $1,000,000 per month but typically more. It is owned by a shadowy NY financial institution and protected by the steel worker's union for good measure. Fact: the penny is here to stay. Forever.

In reply to this comment by Ariane:
>> ^TheFreak:

There's no mention in this video of why the penny hasn't been abolished. There must be some lobby or special interest that benefits from this and prevents the mint from doing anything about it. It can't be as simple as merely doing away with the coin.

Actually there is a mention, when he said that pennies today are produced with 95% Zinc.

You guessed it. The Zinc producers of America are the principle force lobbying congress to continue to produce pennies. They even have a website: http://www.pennies.org/

The cover (which al-jazeera so 'elegantly' omits to show) pictures Mohamed, "guest editor", saying the following (rough translation): "100 whiplashes if you don't die of laughter!" It plays on the expression "mort de rire", literally "dead from laughter" (and roughly the equivalent to lmao or lol).

*length=3:51
*fear

Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Christopher Coons (D-DE)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)
John McCain (R-AZ)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

This is a list of the clueless idiots and corporate shills who are bringing us this abomination.

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