As it costs more than one cent to manufacture each penny, the argument that it is wasteful, even in prosperous times, to keep them in circulation is a sound one (“New Pennies To Honor Abe,” Feb. 19).

To create four new Lincoln pennies in a deep recession is completely irresponsible.

If this is a microcosm of our government’s economic sense, then I don’t have much hope for change, regardless of who’s in office.

Peter Kuehbauch, Ridgewood