8A Tuesday, May 18, 2010 Opinion ... Standard-Examiner

Lee Carter, Andy Howell, Ron Thornburg, Doug Gibson, Publisher Executive Editor Editor, News & Circulation Editorial Page Editor

Aluminum coins, anyone? ost Americans have no But this administration is talking as idea that some of that if cheaper-minted coins will happen change we jingle in our sooner instead of later, so perhaps we Mpockets or grab from our need to start a debate over what cheap- purse is a losing proposition for Uncle er ingredients to use in coins. The most Sam. notable shift in coinage was steel pen- Yes, it costs 9 nies used for cents to create a Perhaps it’s time for a cost-ef- a while during 5-cent nickle and World War II, almost 2 cents to fective change to our U.S. coins when other in- create a penny. that does not rob our money of gredients were Perhaps it’s its quality look and feel. in short supply. time for a cost- It seems hard effective change to believe that to our U.S. coins some type of that does not rob our money of its qual- metal-like surface would ever be aban- ity look and feel. doned for U.S. coins. Although plastic According to the Treasury Depart- tokens are used in the U.S. for transit ment, if we minted coins in a more and even for money in some countries, cost-effective manner, it could save we can’t imagine Americans tolerating taxpayers more than $100 million a plastic coins, or coins made of metal year. That’s not chump-change. Presi- that rusts. dent Barack Obama, according to the Most experts believe aluminum al- Wall Street Journal, wants to create loy coins would be an easy coin transi- coins from cheaper substances than tion for most of us. However, the Wall On StandardNET: zinc and copper, used to make a penny, Street Journal also says that industrial and nickle and copper, used to make a porcelain, with an ID chip embedded, Reader offers suggestions to aid school funding MICHAEL SMERCON- nickle. is another possibility. ISH: The Philadelphia Inquirer This is not a new debate; there are Don’t expect the penny to ever go columnist opines that despite Now is the time to subject in the first six religion’s scandals, the closer always ideas from time to time to tin- away. We love that little coin. It serves express a simple solution grades. First graders to home you are, the more ker with U.S. coins, and frankly most as a hedge against inflation as costs to make up the short fall speaking only a foreign positive your feelings about have failed. We Americans have a deep would immediately round off to a in school funding. My language should be fluent your local church. attachment to our money. We love our nickel if the penny disappeared. suggestions follow. in English after the first *** 1) No one in semester! See this column and more coins and bills and are resistant to Also, what would happen to all those at StandardNET’s major design or ingredient changes. convenient, cheap gifts of a penny to administration should be California learned this, allowed a salary and side and we follow this program National Commentary Witness the constant failing efforts to delighted toddlers if we eliminated benefits (health care, etc.) despite the moans of ivory have Americans use a $1 coin. cents? greater than the average tower pin heads. salary and side benefits of The UEA will likely the in-classroom teacher! oppose the above, but this If she always starts with will give us a starting C or D students in the fall, point to make some tough but they are B or better decisions. We must prepare thereafter, she is worth her our students for the global weight in gold. She should economy! I may have get the raise in salary, not been a little dogmatic but the administration. I always tell it as I see it 2) The superintendant after proper thought and Let’s help by giving has a negotiated salary, research. Kleenex to school kids ‘Colossus’ was a ‘prophet’ but his contract should not I am not an ivory tower be renewed unless he is elitist as I never graduated hen I was teenager I saw the modern technology has made that possible. bilingual and has a PhD in from high school, nor was I am a proud mother of science fiction film “Colossus: In the film, when things don’t go the education and an MBA in I Phi Beta Kappa. I was a a Roy Elementary fourth Wthe Forbin Project,” a movie way Colossus desires, the supercomputer business administration. teenager when I started grader and I am giving a about a malevolent supercomputer. Many creates serious mischief. While our We are in the business of medical school after shout out to all of the parents aspects of the movie are dated. After all, computers have not attained self- educating children and we receiving a BA in chemistry who already support their the film predates the awareness, they are should run it efficiently. from the University of children’s teachers in their personal computer, capable of creating a 3) We should begin Utah. endeavors for a quality the Web browser Top of Utah Voices great deal of mischief. bilingual education in grade Evan F. Evans education. and the Internet A recent 8. By law, no English should Ogden A lot of parents don’t search engine. Apple, article titled “The be spoken in these classes Unedited online reader realize that these wonderful Microsoft, Google and Michael Computer Glitch Felt after the first semester of comment to this letter: teachers shell money out Oracle didn’t exist. Round the World” details the first year. Students can’t “Some of your ideas I of their own pockets for Nonetheless, many Vaughan how the Dow Jones learn a second language if agree with, some I don’t, and classroom supplies that are elements of the film dropped almost 1,000 we translate. Four years of there are other ideas that I needed, but not covered by foretold events that points in a matter of a second language should think we could add to this to funding sources. are playing out before Commentary minutes on May 6. It is be required for admission make it a great presentation These are supplies such our eyes. still unknown whether to a state university. This to the utah Legislature... as Kleenex, paper towels, In the film, the trouble started when will help our students “First step would be to hand sanitizers, and supplies Michael Vaughan is Weber State University’s Dr. Charles provost. He accepts e-mail from readers at a human typed in too to compete in a global 10th amendment “no child for parties, or classroom Forbin designs a [email protected] many zeros at the end economy! They could learn left behind” into the past, and experiments. supercomputer called of a trading order, or a third language at the to plan for a future free of These are necessary Colossus to bolster whether it started with university. such insane laws. items but can be costly for the country’s national defense. Shortly some unknown software problem. 4) English grammar “Thanks for the great classrooms containing 24 after the computer is activated, Colossus However, it is certain that the meltdown should be the only language ideas!” — efialtis students or more. begins to develop consciousness, and was exacerbated by complex computer In the beginning of the devises a scheme to communicate with algorithms. The kind of high-frequency year, I received a list of a similar computer in the Soviet Union. trading that sent the stock market into Budget needs across-the-board cuts items that parents can The plan works. The scientists network free fall would not be possible without voluntarily purchase for the the two computers together to exchange supercomputers. It is deeply troubling that I guess I have never had longer talks in terms of classroom. information. The two computers use the no one can pinpoint the exact source of the enough smarts to know how adding billions to the deficit, I assume many parents network link to become more powerful and problem. people can continually live but instead, trillions. The helped out initially. But ultimately gain control the world. We can be thankful that the “The beyond their income and new health care program we need to remember to Colossus monitors all electronic Computer Glitch Felt Round the World” not eventually reach a crash will add on catastrophic debt. keep supplying them. My communication between humans and uses occurred in the financial markets rather situation. Apparently only He also is not satisfied with suggestion is to get to know video cameras to watch humans interact. than in ’s power grid or nuclear our elected officials are our free enterprise system, your student’s teacher and By doing so, Colossus is able to prevent defense system. At the same time, one has smart enough to think that that has made America the his/her e-mail address. humans from conspiring to disable the to wonder where the next computer glitch we can borrow and spend greatest nation in the history Write them an e-mail once a supercomputer. As a teenager I remember will be felt. and not end up destroying of the world. He instead month asking them if there thinking how unnerving it would be to lose At one point in the film the our money system. wants to turn our nation into is anything they need for the all your privacy to constant surveillance. supercomputer Colossus tells humans that, Both political parties have a socialist, welfare state. coming month. Last week, I read that “We can coexist, but only on my terms.” I the same deficit spending I have a question for Most teachers feel Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited London have been thinking about that comment. mentality. This kind of politicians. How long will it ackward about asking for to see how the British have erected a I composed this article on a computer. thinking has been going on be before our nation ends up help, but they should not network of one million electronic cameras I read the Newsweek article I mentioned for 60 years and it gets worse like Greece, a nation with have to. They are teaching to track every block of the city. It is above on a computer. Once written, I sent with each new president. a destroyed money system our children. It is our estimated that the average Londoner is the article to the Standard Examiner via President Bush thought and a people in riot mode? responsibility to step up and photographed 300 times a day. e-mail. our nation could fight two Wouldn’t it be better to take help as much as we can. Over a 24 hour day, that means that a I am certain that the newspaper set wars and at the same time, across the board cuts now I am proud of the job Londoner is on video once every 4 minutes the type for today’s paper using computer add prescription drug and balance our budget those teachers are doing. and 48 seconds. Bloomberg is obviously software. Many of the Standard Examiner’s benefits for seniors, adding rather than go the way of They deserve our help, and interested in constructing a similar camera readers will read this article online. unknown amounts to the Greece? support. system in New York. The film envisioned The supercomputer Colossus was not deficit. Ken Baldwin Laurel Stubbs constant surveillance of the public, and only sentient but also prophetic. The new president no West Haven Roy

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