The Penny Is A Giant Waste Of Money And It Must Be Stopped

Sorry penny lovers, this isn't for you.

John Oliver came on Last Week Tonight with a message: America, wake up! We are losing 55 million dollars a year making pennies.

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The penny actually costs 1.7 cents to manufacture.

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Many stores don't even accept pennies. So what are they good for? Sure, you could throw a penny into a wishing well, but that will really only grant you one wish:

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And before you ask, no, there is no cheaper combination of metals to make a penny than what we already use.

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So why do we have still have pennies? The simple answer: lobbyists.

Oliver explains that lobbyists Americans for Common Cents is actually backed by Jarden Inc., the Tennessee company that sells the discs to the Mint that turn into pennies. They need pennies to exist.

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So how can we finally kill the penny? How can we make our voices heard?

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Join the movement: #killthepenny

Twitter: @ghostyray

And put those Lincolns where they belong: IN THE TRASH*!

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*Well, maybe don't do that. But if you do, you're not alone. Two percent of Americans do throw their pennies away, according to a 2002 Gallup poll.

Nickels, be warned, once the pennies are annihilated, we're coming for you next.

Twitter: @mr_sievey