Why are all these Hawaiians digging up utility lines or chopping down telephone poles to steal copper wiring?

A 47-year-old man accused chopping down a utility pole to steal its copper wiring was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass. He also faces several felony charges. .. There have been several copper thefts on Oahu in past few months, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In September, thieves made off with more than 2 1/2 miles of copper wire they dug up along the H-1 Freeway in West Oahu. The wire connected 16 lights along the freeway from Makakilo to Kunia, which was already dark after being hit by thieves this summer.

Is there some huge black market demand for copper wiring that i didn't know about? If they want copper, i think typer195's got tons of pennies he hates to carry around. We could just steal them.

Except that since 1982, pennies are mostly zinc.

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!