USA Today raised the newstand price to $2 a copy this week.

It is a brilliant marketing move. By raising the newstand cost 100 percent they have guaranteed they won’t have to raise prices again before they fold.

Yes, I’m irritated at the stupidity.

When USA Today first begin publishing, they were attacked as “McPaper”, a dumbing down of the daily newspaper. I defended them. They had serious pieces, fun pieces, nice layout and a a real zest. Up until this week I would plunk down $1 most days for a copy.

When the online challenge came, they reacted, as did others, by stupidly cutting back on content, typesize and wasting tons of space on web promotions and connections.

I’ve spent my last money on the paper. I’ll read it free online unless they put up a pay wall, in which case I won’t read it anymore. No doubt the pay wall again stupidly be too expensive instead of trying a nickel and dime approach.

I’ll still read the print edition when I’m in hotels where they flood copies to boost the circulation, in theory.

A sad goodbye.