I feel that discussing the failure of the Sacagawea dollar coin on this listserv is relevant to our cause, since it represents the unwillingness of Americans to enact an important change, especially if that change that will run counter to their conventional ignorance. Has anybody on this list, in the US, and not in a Wal-Mart or an IHOP (they are, or were, running promotions on this),received one or more Sacagawea dollar coins in change? Since the coin was launched in January of 2000, I have never received this coin in change or from an individual. Believing that the people have been ripped off by expenditure of tax dollars to develop and launch the coin, immediately followed the total failure of this coin to circulate, I wrote to the US Treasury Inspector General's office asking them if they think there is some kind of loss or inequity at the US Mint. They did write back to say that this question is Mint business and forwarded my letter to the Mint (yeah, what the heck good is an Inspector General? He's supposed to INSPECT!). That was in February. On Saturday, not having yet heard squat, or even diddly-squat, I wrote four letters: one snail-mail certified letter, return receipt requested, to Jay Johnson, Director of the Mint, with a copy of my note from the Treasury IG; one letter to my US Representative, Larry Combest, and one letter each to Senator Gramm and Senator Hutchison. I'll share the results, if any, with the list. In the US, The International System of Units is like the Sacagawea dollar coin in the sense that it is the "preferred system of measurement for trade and commerce" in our country (I would think that this new coin should be the preferred form of a $1 cash transaction since the coin is durable and convenient), an established medium of trade on which we can not yet capitalize due to the tendency of many of the American people to view some changes as foreign even when they are quite domestic. For those reading this list from outside the United States, please go to http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/golden_dollar_coin/index.cfm?action=golden_dollar_specs to view this magnificent coin. The portrait is that of a Shoshone Indian woman named Sacagawea, who served as a Shoshone translator for the US Army explorers Meriweather Lewis and William Clark in their 1803-1806 fact-finding expedition of the territory west of the established states. Paul Trusten, R.Ph. 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apt. 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 USA (915)-694-6208 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
