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Monthly Archives: September 2008

Gallatin…

President Jefferson’s Treasury Secretary was Albert Gallatin… imagine serving as one of the nation’s first keepers of the treasure… From Wikipedia    ~~ “… In 1812, the U.S. was financially unprepared for war. For example, the Democratic Republicans allowed the First Bank of the United States to expire in 1811, over Gallatin’s objections. He had to ship [...]

Turmoil in US Credit Markets…

Title: Turmoil in US Credit Markets: Recent Actions Regarding Government Sponsored Entities, Investment Banks and Other Financial Institutions Date: 9/23/08 Time: 9:30 AM Place: SD-G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Orisons…

    To grunt and sweat under a weary life,     But that the dread of something after death,     The undiscover’d country from whose bourn     No traveller returns, puzzles the will     And makes us rather bear those ills we have     Than fly to others that we know not of?     Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; [...]

Ensuring Transparency and Accountability for the Nations Patrimony

 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.”    Luke 11:33 The actions of the US Treasury to create a $ 700 billion fund to purchase the [...]

What is Past is Prologue

“What is Past is Prologue“  — from “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare From Flickr… “This statue is of a young woman who lifts her eyes from an open book and gazes into the future. The William Shakespeare quote is carved at her base. One of four statues that John Russell Pope the architect placed around [...]

No one lights a lamp…

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.”   Luke 11:33  I’m writing some thoughts to share with Members of Congress related to the proposed US Treasury [...]

Young investors…

  At times like the current crisis its natural to be a little downcast about “free market” principles… So I was happy to meet the woman from the SIFMA Foundation for Investor Education who recruits for the young investor essay contest… she was probably the only vendor at the SIFMA e-Tech show this week who did any business… She [...]

Stabilization…

Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman are leading an effort to roll the poor assets of banks off onto a government financed entity… Their view is that this will create “stabilization” for the financial system… from BBG… ~~ “The U.S. government moved to cleanse banks of troubled assets and halt an exodus of investors [...]

Politics…

As the global financial system falls apart it seems that our representatives in government are having a difficult time grasping the problem and are paralyzed about doing anything about… Although the Federal Reserve and Treasury are very active… Enormous sums of taxpayer dollars are being committed to bail out or prop up AIG, Bear Stearns, [...]

Novation denied…

Serious… it is all very serious… from BBG… ~~ ” Deutsche Bank AG is taking steps to slow credit-default swap trades that expose it to the risk of failure among Wall Street firms, according to three investors told of the policy. Germany’s largest bank is requiring risk managers to approve trades where the company takes [...]