Finding points of unity in this political climate is similar to panning for gold, yet our brethren on the eastern side of the state have done it.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed into law a bill introduced by City Councilman William Greenlee banning the phenomenon of cashless stores. While the law does include several carve-outs, it generally stands to defend consumers’ use of cash to complete transactions for basic food, goods and services.
Modernization and technological trends are encouraging cashless transactions, which do offer certain benefits — comparatively greater efficiency of time and precision and avoidance of physical burdens of counting and securing hard currency. However, both Democrats and Republicans can agree on the benefits of retaining cash as a medium of exchange.
Some Americans living below the poverty line do not maintain bank accounts nor do they own credit cards. Some consumers select cash to self-regulate spending and to insure privacy. Other Americans are interested in maintaining the freedom to choose from an array of options for completing fiscal transactions. And cash is unparalleled in reliability. Any hiccup in the grid doesn’t stop the exchange of goods and services when cash is available.
As a Pennsylvanian, I’m proud to stand with Philadelphia as the first official city in the United States to defend use of hard currency. Pittsburgh should join Philadelphia and unite the state on this policy. Defending cash defends freedom and choice for all consumers always.
Stacey West
Sewickley