The Life Section of the February 29th, 2004 Buffalo News carried an interesting article entitled 'The Lowest of the Low'.  This literary work reviews the great lengths that some folks have gone just to save a few bucks... or pennies.  Our own Budd Bailey is quoted in the story, and it got me wondering.  Who is it that Budd was referring to in the article?  Read it for yourself and tell me what you think:

... Then there's this story from Budd Bailey of The News' sports department:  "A couple of friends and I were in Wendy's when one of the guys received a Canadian penny in his change.  He said to the cashier, 'Can I have an American penny for this, please?'"

"I believe that's the level of cheapness that's hard to top," wrote Bailey.

For those who are keeping score, a Canadian penny is worth about three-quarters of an American penny but is accepted at par almost everywhere.

Earlier this afternoon Julie, Cheryl Suess Hallman and I were discussing the merits of various articles in the Buffalo News.  (Primarily their content and the differing literary styles, as we often do on Sunday afternoons)  Anyway, we soon found ourselves debating the identity of the 'penny pincher'.

Back and forth we went.  And back and forth again.  Scott Roth... Bob Schoenthal...  Bob Schoenthal... Scott Roth.

In the end we settled on Scott.  I guess that only Budd knows for sure.