Meanwhile in the European Union...

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Why bother with that rate? You'd have to do the same exercise changing prices, payrolls and everything on that exchange rate again. Same as they did when the EUR was first introduced. Easier to make it 1:1 and just change the currency from EUR back to DEM. The exchange rate to the EUR would be set by the market and - according to the article I read the other day - would be expected to be at 1.5 EUR to 1 DEM within a matter of months. The German economy would be toast right then and there. And again, the US economy would suffer as well since exports into the now smaller EUR zone would collapse while imports from that zone would skyrocket. Not good for US jobs.

Wouldn't bother the west coast. Of course, we have other problems, like the price of Chinese goods going up as the dollar drops. And the remittance market is going crazy for the same reason: The dollars being sent home don't go as far anymore when converted to the local currencies. If someone actually figures it out, it should be a boon to US exports, except they don't have the cash in Asia to buy US goods, no matter how much they really want them. Things will continue to suck on this side of the country until that all sorts itself out. As far as retailers on this side of the Rockies, let's see what happens between now and Christmas.