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US Treasury The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue. The Department is administered by the Secretary of the Treasury, who is a member of the Cabinet.
The first Secretary of the Treasury was Alexander Hamilton, who was sworn into office on September 11, 1789. Hamilton was asked by President George Washington to serve after first having asked Robert Morris (who declined, recommending Hamilton instead). Hamilton almost single-handedly worked out the nation’s early financial system, and for several years was a major presence in Washington’s administration as well. His portrait is on the obverse of the U.S. ten-dollar bill and the Treasury Department building is shown on the reverse.
Besides the Secretary, one of the best-known Treasury officials is the Treasurer of the United States, who receives and keeps the money of the U.S. Facsimile signatures of the Secretary and the Treasurer appear on all modern U.S. currency.
The Treasury prints and mints all paper currency and coins in circulation through the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the United States Mint. The Department also collects all federal taxes through the Internal Revenue Service, and manages U.S. government debt instruments. (Wikipedia Feb 2010)
Euros versus the dollar
By John Schroy, on July 2nd, 2010 | 
The multiplicity of independent central banks is the Achilles heel of the eurosystem. A bank, controlled by the government, in a fiat money environment, that acts as the paying agent for that government, has — in effect — the capability to print money (although not necessarily banknotes).
Imagine, tomorrow the headlines in the Wall Street Journal read “$100 billion is inflationary euros issued without the knowledge of the European Central Bank”. What would be the effect of the news on the value of the euro as a reserve currency?
Stagflation watch
By John Schroy, on March 20th, 2010 | 
The lack of fiscal restraint of President Obama on the healthcare issue, the ’stimulus bill’, and other ‘progressive’ legislation in the pipeline, combined with the jobs-firsts-inflation-last attitude of Fed Chairman Bernanke — leave little room to doubt that sooner or later the United States is likely to enter the realm of double-digit inflation.
Inflation is likely be the final and deadliest blow to the retirement dreams of many Baby Boomers. When the stock market crashes, one can hope for a recovery some day. With inflation, the losses are permanent and final.
The nuclear option
By John Schroy, on May 15th, 2009 | 
The Obama administration is passing deficit spending programs of such magnitude that inflation is inevitable unless steps are taken to remove money that will be pumped into the economy as the government pays its bills.
The classical solutions are to sell government bonds, increase taxes, or increase bank reserve requirements. The last tactic can be extremely effective if carried to the extreme. This is what I call ‘The Nuclear Option’.
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