“A penny for your thoughts" is an idiom used to ask someone indirectly what they are thinking. It is believed the concept originated in 1552, by the famous English Author Sir Thomas Moore.
Incidentally, the US Treasury will stop minting new pennies in early 2026. This decision comes after the Treasury placed its final order for penny blanks. While production will cease, pennies currently in circulation will remain legal tender.
The obvious rhetorical and literal question is how much WILL a ”thought” cost now that the penny is being phased out? I’d say the answer depends on where you live. Wherever you live in the U.S. prices will be rounded out to 5-cent increments, but in Kingman, the cost of a ”thought” is going up exponentially due to irresponsible, uncontrolled urban growth and density being allowed on Kingman’s antiquated and highly questionable infrastructure. You might ask why and how this is being allowed. The answer to the “Million Dollar “question is that our city leaders are operating recklessly under an “Economic Development” illusion and the authority of an illegitimate and possibly illegal General Plan.
It has become readily apparent that the city of Kingman has many problems that need to be addressed. The city’s freshwater distribution system has over 2000 leaks, and the Hilltop Wastewater Treatment Plant is estimated to be dumping 22 million gallons of reclaimed effluent water on the desert floor. When asked, no city official admits that the multimillion-dollar well system drilled to transfer that treated water back into the aquifer is not operational. No one knows for sure how much water Kingman has, but we know the uncontrolled growth is an obvious threat to our water supply.
For every new home built the cost to your budget goes up. You will see it in rising taxes, electric rates, trash, sewer, water, and in other ways not so obvious.
I will give you a “penny for your thoughts” about the road conditions. How about the traffic and congestion, a penny for your thoughts, please? As the average person in Kingman, what do you think about the way the city pretends to be interested in your concerns, but has no sense (CENTS) in putting YOUR money where THEIR mouth is? Instead, they put out expensive and manipulative surveys to pretend they care.
They remain silent except in the controlled arena of the council room and newsprint, so silent you can hear a penny drop.
What do you think about the city having a Golf Commission and approving an expenditure of almost 700 thousand dollars to improve the Golf Course, YET not one penny invested in bringing new doctors and medical services providers to Kingman? No Medical Care Commission? A penny for your thoughts on that also.
What do you think about the fact that the Kingman leaders can hear the voice of “tourism” a thousand times louder than they hear your concerns as tax-paying citizens and residents? Once again, a penny for your thoughts?
As an active citizen of Kingman, I think I know how you feel, and I am more prepared now than ever to up the ante and add my “Two Cents”
Kingman has an election coming up in 2026, and it is time to make some “name changes,” and I do not mean to our historic street names and street signs. It is time to change the names of the City Council members. I believe it has become abundantly clear that the City Council intends to only give you a “penny for your thoughts,” while at the same time, they have, with shifty, irresponsible manipulation, raised the cost of your thoughts to many of your budget dollars. It is agreed, Kingman is Open Range Cattle Country; however, we, the humble people, are not “cash cows”, but we do have a beef.
As a result, I am announcing my candidacy for one of the open council seats in 2026. I may be asking a penny for your thoughts because when it comes to your money, I am a “penny pincher.” Please check out my community group, CAUSE (Citizens Against Uncontrolled Social Environment). CAUSE is all about Responsible Balanced Growth. The group is growing, as is the ire of Kingman’s people over the direction our City Council is taking us. The people of Kingman are not looking for pennies from heaven but simply want to trust and turn an honest penny.
Being penny-wise is much safer than our “pound-foolish” penny dreadful city leaders. Let’s make sure all our pennies are face up and penny-wise because the people of Kingman are worth every penny. chalew@gmail.com