Thursday, December 20, 2007

Stelmach in carrot on a stick mode

Ed Stelmach is in carrot on a stick election mode.

Reduce health care premium is the new one.

Fix highways, general use highways before tar sands highway.
(Further involvement 3p arrangements for our systems)

Oil Royalty on tar sands, presently at 19% is to go up 20%.
Our agreement was for 25% and the target was 45%

Conventional oil getting big bucks for using CO2 injection as an environmental perk.
As I understand it, if the oil company uses this they get millions of dollars.

This, apparently without concern for the depth. If the co2 is used at a depth above 2500 feet it just leaks out back to the surface and does nothing for the environment. The only thing that will be lighter is taxpayer pockets.

Not talked about is their plans to fully privatize the water system through the use of pay as your go pipe lines.

All of these things to come to pass if we just elect them after a dozen years of lies cheats and misdirection.

This province is so screwed!

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Alberta field requests for US power line

An exercise in PR in power export is underway. Perhaps, too late.

Trans Alta is publicly asking the Government to consider power export.
Meanwhile applications for power line extension to Montana are already in front of the AES0 (Alberta’s Electrical Systems Operator).

AES0 is a member of NERC the power standards marketing organization for the United States. One of NERC’s stated rules is the participating originations must remain completely open and honest and complete with the information they put forward to the public.

AESO has recently overhauled their computer system with the publicly stated view of allowing better operation.

In doing so, they have eliminated from public view those segments of the information that deal with the import and export of power to other jurisdictions such as BC (the US) and Saskatchewan!

Saskatchewan and BC have power for sale to Alberta. This power is available for viewing on the producer’s boards, not the public as they should be.

This allows producers in Alberta to run up their prices to gouge the public without tapping into the cheaper supplies in BC and Saskatchewan all without public complaint.

We have seen how the local crew pushed the prices from .05 kwh to 10.00 per kwh and how recently they moved the prices from 70.00 per mwh to better than 800.00 per mwh

AESO are clearly not in keeping with their agreement with NERC.

AESO is pushing the Government agenda to force up prices and hide information from the public.

I would love to hear a defense from AESO whom I respected to this point.
The members said “do it” will hardly be a defense.

If my readers can’t follow the reason it is enough to know you are getting ripped off severely and only a change in Government is going to cure that.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Alberta - Conservatives Busted!

Having lived through a dozen years of lies and deceptions like this is it any wonder the Conservatives are on their way out?


December 18, 2007

Government Ignored Evidence Albertans Weren’t Getting Fair Share, FOIP Shows

Edmonton – The Alberta Liberals have obtained some of the internal royalty documents referenced by the Auditor General, which indicate that the Minister of Energy knew the royalty regime wasn’t getting a fair return for Albertans.

One of these documents, Executive Committee Decision Request, identified serious shortcomings in the existing royalty systems. Department officials recommended an increase in the royalty rates but the Minister at the time, Greg Melchin, failed to act.

“This government report clearly indicates that Albertans were not receiving a fair share,” says Alberta Liberal Shadow Energy Minister Hugh MacDonald. “Yet, the Minister hid this information from the resource owners - the public.”

The Executive Committee Decision Request raised serious warnings about the need for changes to the royalty system, including the following points:

“Wood Mackenzie: industry returns in Alberta are among the highest (out of 67 jurisdictions compared, between 1994-2003).” (Page 299)

“Inadequate competition in existing bitumen markets places a greater share of risk with the Crown that was expected when the oil sands fiscal terms were designed.” (Page 300)

“It is recommended that the Department of Energy present to Government for approval a Sustainability Levy with… increased conventional oil and natural gas royalty rates at high prices; and, royalty credits for qualifying strategic value creation investments in Alberta.” (Page 301)

“This report shows that royalty changes were urgently needed, yet the Minister of Energy continued to tell Albertans that everything was fine,” says MacDonald. “Why didn’t the Minister act in the best interest of Albertans and raise royalty rates? Albertans deserve answers.”

The Alberta Liberals received the report last week in response to a freedom of information request. The document is highly censored. MacDonald is writing a letter to the privacy commissioner asking for a review of the department’s use of the FOIP act to hide information.

“If the government has nothing to hide, then why are they censoring this report?” asks MacDonald. “The Minister has yet to provide any evidence that contradicts his department’s own reports.”
- 30 –

For more information, or for a faxed copy of the FOIP documents, please contact:

Hugh MacDonald, Shadow Energy Minister or Yolande Cole, Media Liaison
(780) 914-5270 (780) 446-6868

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Alberta Seniors about to take still another hit!

Stat Can figures are bad news for Alberta Seniors.

Alberta inflation is running close to 20%! Stat can figures of 2.5% will be the numbers used to peg the Canada Pension payments.

The socially psychotic government of Ed Stelmach has no intentions of helping Seniors in Alberta through this remarkably horrible prosperity!

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Stelmach's Green Plan no plan at all; just gas!

I have been asked by several to weigh in on the Stelmach-Harper CO2 pipelines. Notably any other pipe lines in use now are paid for by the oil companies and industries involved. I can understand why you think neither is to be trusted! Under Ed's new spin there is a massive way to push more tax bucks into the oil companies. As I have said before if you think you are going to see any increase in take home royalities you just havn't done your homework!

Mr. Stelmach is saying the Alberta lines will be built and paid for by the Alberta Government. Under this provinces present agreement with the Oil Companies in the Tar Sands it really makes no difference. The taxpayer will pay by waiting for a “higher” (still nothing) royalty as the oil companies add the price of the pipe line to the start up costs.

Or, the tax payer can pay for it all up front and simplify the book keeping.

There is other slight of hand in this much to show about nothing.

The Government is having you think or ignore “Tar Sands” for use in this pipeline application. (1) They are the ones sucking back all of our water and creating most of the emissions.

The formation holding the oil must be greater than 2500 feet (762 meters) This means the process will be used on older conventional oil fields which will get the free perk from the Conservatives courtesy of the tax payers.

Oil reservoir depth must be greater than 2,500 ft (762 meter) to reach CO2 minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), which is a function of lithostatic pressure, bottom hole temperature, and oil composition.

An oil gravity greater than 27 degrees API with an oil viscosity less than 10 centipoise (cp) at reservoir conditions is ideal.

Formation porosity greater than 12% with an effective permeability to oil of greater than 10 millidarcies (md) is ideal.

The tar sands are very shallow. There is no way to sequester carbon dioxide in this process. The wells must be very deep as are those in Waybern Saskatchewan..

Also when the CO2 scrubs the oil in the deeper strata and becomes sequestered in the oil strata, the oil becomes effervescent somewhat like a can of pop. When the oil is extracted now by much of its own pressure the carbon dioxide is released again into the atmosphere.

The Conservatives are in a panic to get good press on an environment fix they have no interest in.


Description of pipe line

Pipelines need space

The Waybern oil field and Carbon

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Alberta Privatized Education on the move

Cut funding for public schools and raise funding for private schools?

Education next on the block for privatization! Apparently they think no one cares or every one is too dumb to notice. As if they are not in enough trouble already!

This is called the "Trial Baloon" See how the various instituations respond.

Only one cure for it, get rid of these turkeys. After all, Mazenkowsky isn't into schools.

It has come to my attention:
That's interesting. ALBEIT Alberta already has the highest # of Private and Charter schools in Canada (what a joke)... most people might not know that and the Tories will end up screwing themselves over the Public vs. Private debate.

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Alberta's Auditor General to Further audit Royality crooks


Alberta's Auditor General will be adding to his duties those items brought to his attention by Alberta -- The Details.

(Right Click and save for better viewing)
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Edmonton Gravel Pits

Gravel pits are at the edge of or are part of the underground water aquifer! Any time they are opened they allow corruption to enter the water supply.

Take a look at Sundance coal generation where the coal and gravel has been removed from the back of the plant opening the water aquifer. Water south beyond Blueberry AB is now poison.

I think the City of Edmonton should put up some viable studies and proper aquatic maps for the citizens to evaluate the project' harm

Alberta Oil investing out of province is old stuff!

Alberta Oil Companies investing out of province should be focused properly.

With the exception of ENCANA they are not Alberta Oil Companies. ENCANA was an Alberta Crown Corporation before it was privatized by the ruling conservatives now it is international and taxpayers have no say in the direction it takes.

All the oil interests have been dealing in Saskatchewan heavily for the past 6 years. And, have been involved the carbon dioxide oil recovery program in Saskatchewan which is a proven success.

Their moves have little or nothing to do with the royalty regime which in the final draft (after an election) are expected to change nothing. It is all smoke and mirrors!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Alberta Water is Topped Out!

Calgary Harold Editorial December 3, 2007. Quote:

TOPPED OUT
It had money, by the billions. It had successful partners and powerful politicians on side. And the Balzac project definitely had panache, including a grand horse racing track, Vegas-style slot parlor and southern Alberta’s biggest shopping complex. But for three agonizing years, the biggest development outside the oilsands was nearly sunk for lack of one essential ingredient water. In the first of a three-part report, the Herald examines how Alberta’s water supply is under pressure like nowhere else in Canada. Southern rivers are tapped out, while the great oilsands rush is poised to strain the province’s northern supply. A new money-for-water market is rapidly emerging. Former premier Peter Lougheed warns water will be a limiting factor to Alberta’s future growth, while famed water researcher David Schindler predicts, “There will be some water wars coming” But the clashes over Alberta’s water have already begun
End of quote



Alberta water shortage is out of control and very nearly beyond recovery!

Calgary has only surface water rights. That is, the rivers, both of which are glacier fed and those same glaciers are almost finished as are the rivers as far as drinking water is concerned. As flows slow, water becomes un-usable long before the rivers are dry.

The Viking Aquifer is the underground river that supplies most of Alberta with water. The conservatives in their march for privatizing everything and making sure the resources end up in the hands of their friends have long ago gave the water rights in Calgary to private concerns those being Calgary Malting, the old aquarium site and Dasani the old brewery site ( Now owned by Coca Cola courtesy of Klein when he was Calgary Mayor).

The Calgary Malting water rights are all from the Viking Aquifer and are greater in total than is the City of Calgary's surface rights! Dasani on the other hand at the "old Brewery site" has a greater allotment by double of that of the Calgary Malting Company!

If Calgary is not buying their water from these private companies now, they soon will be as the potable water life of those rivers is, as I have come to understand it, below 10 years! This is why the big rush for water meters in Calgary is on.

The Viking Aquifer originates on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains forming under the once famous open grazing lands.

Recently, Mike Cardinal as Minister sold off all the public grazing lands to the Agra Food industry for an undisclosed amount of money. As usual bids were asked on the properties and were opened in secret. We have no idea who bid, who received the property or who was pushed aside because they were not on the inner list of friends list.

I find it very troubling I cannot get answers as to whether the water rights were given with the property title or not. Water rules of “First in Line, First in Time” frankly scares me and Alberta’s future looks very bleak if this Government is allowed to continue. I can see no reason other than water rights for the sale of the long standing crown grazing lands at this time!

strong>But the clashes over Alberta's water have already begun.

Clashes continue Part II

Tapped out Oil

Big pay day for Conservative insiders (all four of them)

Very hard to distinguish this Government from Organzied Crime!

December 7-07 further stonewall by Mike Cardinal.

"Mr. Clark, we have no record of what lands wer sold in the eastern slope, unless you give us a specific legal description. If you want copies of the land titles you can go to land titles and request them if you have the specific land locations. Sorry I couldn't be of further assistance to you. Eveline Zuk


From: Lynda Ferguson Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 11:11 AMTo: Eveline ZukSubject: Crown Lands sold on eastern slope of rockies by Mr. Cardinal.
for follow up

Lynda Ferguson
Sustainable Resource Development Lands Division, Land Disposition Branch 5th floor, 9915-108 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8
Ph. 780, 427-3570, Fax 780, 427-1029 Direct line 780, 415-4658, Web-site: www.srd.gov.ab.ca/land "

John Clark

cyberclark@shaw.ca

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Prominent Conservative describes this Government's foolish ways.

Prominent Conservative: Does very well at assessing the foolish path the Alberta Conservatives have taken on both electrical deregulation (didn't work in California;won't work here)and the mess of the Bituman upgrade chances.

john Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Alberta-Let the market prevail!

Let the market prevail is the conservative mantra. I say, Okay, lets do that!

Immediately put into play the recommendations put down by the Royalty committee. All of them, now!

Those oil companies that want to work petroleum in Alberta under these conditions can stay. Others hit the door.

Unfortunately there will be no exodus so, put in my recommendation of 40% and let the pieces fall where they may.

Not are we giving up our natural resources too cheaply we are squandering our drinking water down hole and into cisterns from which there will be no recovery.

If allowed to complete their programs the Alberta Conservatives will have driven this province into a pit from which there may probably be no recovery!

John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Alberta excesses are hurting!

Industry in Alberta is paying 22.00 plus packages for forklift and warehouses personnel. Interviews with some put forward a common thread “we don’t get much at 22.00!”

Office jobs are now at 18.50 per hour for the entry position with many options about working hours with a view to “do the job” as opposed to “watch the clock”

Other interesting comment is “A few years ago, people may fudge their resume in order to get a job at a company and, now it is the companies who are fudging their profiles and job descriptions to get people into their organization”

Alberta Consumer cost index is sitting solid at near 20% increase.

Isn’t Government mismanagement fun?

Copy from the Alberta Gazette.

The following data was used in the calculation:
Month
Alberta Consumer
Price Index
Month
Alberta
Consumer
Price Index
October-05 109.7 October-06 113.0
November-05 109.6 November-06 113.7
December-05 109.0 December-06 114.2
January-06 110.4 January-07 114.7
February-06 109.7 February-07 115.0
March-06 110.3 March-07 116.4
April-06 111.4 April-07 117.5
May-06 112.2 May-07 117.8
June-06 111.8 June-07 118.8
July-06 113.4 July-07 119.1
August-06 113.9 August-07 119.3
September-06 114.1 September-07 119.4
Summation (B) 1335.5 Summation (A) 1398.9
2005 basket, monthly (2002=100)

Note: Starting in May 2007 the monthly amount used by Statistics Canada
was rebased to reflect 2002=100 rather than the previous measure of
1992=100.

This rebasing did not change the overall percentage of 3.6%
used to calculate the 2007 amount, but some of the table values did change
and that change is reflected above.

John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
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