A handful of nickels gives you clout …

Which is why ucan is mailing out 25,000 of them.

When we call for change we mean it.

We just mailed 25,000 nickels out in our latest Watchdog newsletter to show that we have something vital in common with UCAN members like you: common sense. Nickels signify common "cents" and (pardon the pun) change.

We went to great effort to mail those nickels as an important reminder to our members, who are being "nickeled to death" by high utility and energy costs, gas price gouging, phone company rip-offs and other consumer scams.

Calls to the UCAN Fraud Squad (619-881-UCAN) reveal a legion of scams out there designed to nickel-and-dime consumers. Some of these big corporate pickpockets are expert at separating consumers from their nickels - and dollars.

UCAN's mission for 25 years has been to put those nickels, dimes and heard-earned dollars back in consumers' pockets.

A UCAN membership costs just a few nickels a year, but the investment pays off for our members as we go to bat for them against big utilities, phone companies, cable companies, the Water Dept. and others. A UCAN membership gives you clout.

So, if you're already a UCAN member, we appreciate your support and you already know what we can do. If you're not, try us for $15 bucks -- that's just 300 nickels -- and we promise you we'll save you at least that much. You can join online at www.ucan.org or send a check to: UCAN, 3100 Fifth Ave., Suite B, San Diego, CA 92103. By the way, please don't send 300 nickels!