Arizona lawmakers pass bill making silver, gold legal tender

Two down, 48 to go. 

http://news.yahoo.com/arizona-lawmakers-pass-bill-making-silver-gold-legal-011925729.html

House backs privately minted coins as legal tender

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/house-backs-privately-minted-coins-as-legal-tender/article_bc980ec8-3d13-57eb-8da0-18df2768e86f.html

Missouri lawmakers debate U.S. gold, silver coins use as legal tender

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page34?oid=151735&sn=Detail&pid=504

States to Financially Break Away from Federal Government

http://news.goldseek.com/GoldSeek/1317392425.php

China Prepares To Launch Gold ETFs As Utah Becomes First State To Make Gold And Silver Legal Tender

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/china-prepares-launch-gold-etfs-utah-becomes-first-state-make-gold-and-silver-legal-tender

Gold, silver coins now officially legal tender in Utah

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page72068?oid=124156&sn=Detail&pid=92730

Utah House Passes Bill Recognizing Gold, Silver as Legal Tender

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/04/utah-house-passes-recognizing-gold-silver-legal-tender/?cmpid=cmty_email_Gigya_Utah_House_Passes_Bill_Recognizing_Gold%2C_Silver_as_Legal_Tender

Under the bill, the coins would not replace the current paper currency but would be used and accepted voluntarily as an alternative.

If the bill passes, Utah would become the first of 13 states that have proposed similar measures. The others states are Colorado, Georgia, Montana, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.

What is money?

According to Dr. Steve Sjuggerud, this is the guarantee on a $20 bill from the 1920s:

"This certifies that there have been deposited in the Treasury Twenty Dollars in gold coin payable to the bearer on demand."

Today, our $20 bill says:

"This note is legal tender for all debts public and private."

What exactly does that mean? According to the Treasury Department's explanation:

"Federal Reserve notes are not redeemable in gold, silver or any other commodity, and receive no backing by anything... The notes have no value for themselves, but for what they will buy. In another sense, because they are legal tender, Federal Reserve notes are "backed" by all the goods and services in the economy."

Steve goes on to quote Burt Blumert:

"In plain English, dollar bills have no value," Burt explained. "Yet most Americans hold most of their wealth in them... Think about that."