Pennies and nickels cost more to make than they're worth (PROPAGANDA ALERT)

``It's still costing the U.S. government a pretty penny to make chump change. Thanks to rising metal prices, since 2006 the U.S. Mint has had to spend more money to produce and distribute nickels and pennies than the coins are actually worth. How much more? About 1.7 cents to make a penny and 8 cents to make a nickel, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.'' -- But wait, base metals prices are down sharply since 2011 (like, to a half or third of what they were), and in most cases, down since 2006. So why is the Mint still losing money? Because it's general inflation -- mostly showing up in personnel costs -- that are driving losses. Awkward, then, that the Mint can't say this, because official government policy is to deny inflation (otherwise, a hell of a lot of entitlement payments would have to be re-indexed up...)