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Prices are escalating in houses, store front buildings, utilities and the cost of living generally. Pensions and wages are not keeping up and the Conservatives have abandoned the average citizen.
Let the market prevail and those who can’t afford the market should move. That is the conservative way.
The result will be a segment of the population being forced to sell and move from this province leaving it to those people employed in oilfield service or the oil industry.
This government is facilitating the total take over of the province by the oil industry. It is now okay to employ people out of Mexico and abroad and put them up in hovels. Many of these people are abandoning Alberta in favor of their homes.
The fault in this case falls directly on those people who thought it not worthwhile to vote coupled with a crooked voting system. I guess it is a time to fight.
“I’ll say it a dozen times, people have to remember that the Oil Sands are owned by the people, they’re not owned by the oil companies.”- Peter Lougheed, Prime Minister of Alberta 1971-1985
John Clark
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Alberta Royalty Benchmark
Put the crooks to the test:
The last royalty agreement made public was 25% on mature projects; 1% only during construction.
Stelmach in secret reduced the royalty to 19%. The lowest in the world by far! The 1% remains the same.
Then, he promised a 20% increase in royalty allowing oil companies to pay “part in kind” with crude. The latter to be given to the phantom up-graders.
If he is good to his word and I’m sure you will find he is not he will announce the royalty has been increased from 25% to 45%. The 45% is still at the bottom of the world in price.
If he comes out with a straight statement as in "we are going to increase" with no start or end numbers you know full well he is lying through his teeth!
Keep in mind insiders have told me it is their intention to further reduce the 19%
John Clark
The last royalty agreement made public was 25% on mature projects; 1% only during construction.
Stelmach in secret reduced the royalty to 19%. The lowest in the world by far! The 1% remains the same.
Then, he promised a 20% increase in royalty allowing oil companies to pay “part in kind” with crude. The latter to be given to the phantom up-graders.
If he is good to his word and I’m sure you will find he is not he will announce the royalty has been increased from 25% to 45%. The 45% is still at the bottom of the world in price.
If he comes out with a straight statement as in "we are going to increase" with no start or end numbers you know full well he is lying through his teeth!
Keep in mind insiders have told me it is their intention to further reduce the 19%
John Clark
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Conservatives win by steath.
The numbers are coming in. The conservatives ran this election the same way they did the last election.
Make up a bunch of outright lies to go into an election on.
Do not show up for any all candidate forums.
Hide from all people who look like they may have a question.
Have security at the door to week out potential serious questions.
With less than 50% of eligible voters turning out they managed to win a huge majority with about 24% of the eligible vote.
When I hear of seniors being mistreated I will first ask “and who did you vote for?”
When I hear of atrocities in the medical arena; who did you vote for?
When in 2009 the interest rates go through the roof and these sit on your ass and let some one else do it types loose their homes and their savings there will be no tear from me. I’ll make them an offer as is the conservative way.
John Clark
Make up a bunch of outright lies to go into an election on.
Do not show up for any all candidate forums.
Hide from all people who look like they may have a question.
Have security at the door to week out potential serious questions.
With less than 50% of eligible voters turning out they managed to win a huge majority with about 24% of the eligible vote.
When I hear of seniors being mistreated I will first ask “and who did you vote for?”
When I hear of atrocities in the medical arena; who did you vote for?
When in 2009 the interest rates go through the roof and these sit on your ass and let some one else do it types loose their homes and their savings there will be no tear from me. I’ll make them an offer as is the conservative way.
John Clark
Friday, February 29, 2008
Conservative program a complete lie - Proof!
Stelmach’s campaign an outright lie as is his royalty scheme.
Stelmach has been in politics as a Conservative boss for more than a dozen years. He knows the NAFTA agreement, inside and out.
His royalty scheme called for a large percentage of his BS oil program to be paid for “in like tender” as in tar sands oils, being turned over to the proposed up-graders at a discount price ranging from little to nothing.
Even as he was making the public announcements, he knew it would be impossible; would never get by NAFTA!
It was all lies a verbiage to kick off an election on.
As a kicker he reduced Alberta’s royalty from 25% to 19%.
When we were at 19% he made claims of increasing royalty under his new regime.
When the phony up-grader funding was exposed on the net, the oil companies and pipeline companies saw no reason to wait in instituting plans that have been in the making for at least 3 years. Pipelines were announced. Export the crude to the US and off the coast in ships.
There is no up-grader.
There is no increase in Royalty.
There is going to be a huge export of Alberta Crude to foreign soil.
The Conservatives have embarked on an unsustainable lie.
All these anouncements are straight out lies! What's left?
More and more you will be expected to dig deeper and deeper into your income for survival while all the resource coin is given to the oil and water companies, the ever popular conservative “trickle down” theory at work.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Stelmach has been in politics as a Conservative boss for more than a dozen years. He knows the NAFTA agreement, inside and out.
His royalty scheme called for a large percentage of his BS oil program to be paid for “in like tender” as in tar sands oils, being turned over to the proposed up-graders at a discount price ranging from little to nothing.
Even as he was making the public announcements, he knew it would be impossible; would never get by NAFTA!
It was all lies a verbiage to kick off an election on.
As a kicker he reduced Alberta’s royalty from 25% to 19%.
When we were at 19% he made claims of increasing royalty under his new regime.
When the phony up-grader funding was exposed on the net, the oil companies and pipeline companies saw no reason to wait in instituting plans that have been in the making for at least 3 years. Pipelines were announced. Export the crude to the US and off the coast in ships.
There is no up-grader.
There is no increase in Royalty.
There is going to be a huge export of Alberta Crude to foreign soil.
The Conservatives have embarked on an unsustainable lie.
All these anouncements are straight out lies! What's left?
More and more you will be expected to dig deeper and deeper into your income for survival while all the resource coin is given to the oil and water companies, the ever popular conservative “trickle down” theory at work.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Stelmach twisting truths.
It would break a snakes back to follow Stelmach and crew!
Listen close to what he says. He says one thing and implies another.
Example: He says “1.4 billion dollars more in royalty next year” would have you believe he is increasing royalty rates. Not so! 1.4 billion dollars is made up of maturing production and new production all taken at 19% not 25% When he talks increase in revenues he is adding up increases in income tax no oil royalty!
His election is a sham! If you do not get out and vote this time you will be hit by a political bus! By not voting you will have put the most corrupt government in north America back into office.
John Clark
Listen close to what he says. He says one thing and implies another.
Example: He says “1.4 billion dollars more in royalty next year” would have you believe he is increasing royalty rates. Not so! 1.4 billion dollars is made up of maturing production and new production all taken at 19% not 25% When he talks increase in revenues he is adding up increases in income tax no oil royalty!
His election is a sham! If you do not get out and vote this time you will be hit by a political bus! By not voting you will have put the most corrupt government in north America back into office.
John Clark
Alberta Doctors against Conservatives
Doctors give Alberta Liberals top marks
The Canadian Press
February 28, 2008 at 11:46 AM EST
CALGARY — Alberta's doctors have given the Liberals the best grade of the political parties heading into Mondays election.
The Alberta Medical Association posed 10 health-care questions to the parties.
The Liberals garnered a B grade, the New Democrats a C-plus and the Conservatives a C.
The Green Party fared the worst with a D.
The answers were assessed by about 150 physicians.
The Wildrose Alliance was the only party that didn't respond to the survey.
The Canadian Press
February 28, 2008 at 11:46 AM EST
CALGARY — Alberta's doctors have given the Liberals the best grade of the political parties heading into Mondays election.
The Alberta Medical Association posed 10 health-care questions to the parties.
The Liberals garnered a B grade, the New Democrats a C-plus and the Conservatives a C.
The Green Party fared the worst with a D.
The answers were assessed by about 150 physicians.
The Wildrose Alliance was the only party that didn't respond to the survey.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Alberta 2008 Leadership Debate
2008 Leadership Debate
Opponents cream Stelmach
Compiled by Heath McCoy, Renata D'Aliesio and Tony Seskus, Calgary Herald., Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, February 22, 2008
Kevin Taft
Liberal
On Health Care
Taft: "I can't stand on the sidelines . . . . People are dying, Mr. Stelmach. People are stuck in emergency rooms for days on end. This is a life-and-death issue. . . . This government has to be held to account."
On Energy and Environment
Taft: "It feels to so many people like Alberta's economy, particularly the oilsands development, is a runaway train . . . But you don't build a garage without a plan. You can't . . . develop the biggest industrial development on the planet without a plan."
On Social Issues
Taft: "Too many people are getting left behind. . . . Long term, so much of this comes down to great education. The best low-income policy in the long term is to give people great education."
- - -
Brian Mason
NDP
On Health Care
Mason: "Albertans really want to have health care that's there when they need it. They don't want to be waiting in the hallways. We have 10 years of neglect. . . . We are short 1,000 doctors and 1,500 nurses. How did we get into this situation?"
On Energy and Environment
Mason: "The decision of the government to not touch the brake, as Mr. Stelmach said when he first became the Conservative leader, is a terrible mistake. We need to pace development in the tar sands."
On Social Issues
Mason: "This government has done more to create homelessness than any other government since the Second World War in this province. The simple failure to bring in rent controls to protect people has meant many more people are living out on the street."
- - -
Paul Hinman
Wildrose Alliance
On Health Care
Hinman: "We've had 36 years of these guys (the Tories) saying more money, more money. It will never be enough. . . . There's nothing bold about (Stelmach's) plan. There's nothing innovative about it."
On Energy and Environment
Hinman: "He's hurt our reputation by tearing up those contracts and saying, 'You know what, we're not going to listen to industry. We are going to listen to my heart,' and he's failing on the economic decision that he's making for this province."
On Social Issues
Hinman: "We need to reduce the taxes on the people of Alberta -- then they'll be able to have affordable housing because they (will) have money in their pocket to actually pay the rent or buy the house."
On Health Care
Ed Stelmach
Progressive Conservative
Ed Stelmach, Progressive Conservative
Jenelle Schneider, Calgary Herald
Stelmach: "I'm fully committed to supporting the public health-care system. . . . While others are identifying issues in health care, we have acted. We have brought world-class physicians to the province. We've added more nurses."
On Energy and Environment
Stelmach: "The plan we have in place is already showing that we have dealt with a lot of the environmental issues in Fort McMurray and Fort Saskatchewan -- an overall cumulative environmental plan. We've got an excellent plan for water strategy."
On Social Issues
Stelmach: "Rent controls do not build one affordable unit (of housing) in the province of Alberta. It's proven. We've looked at the history of other provinces and we're not going to go (down) that path. We're going to increase the supply."
An Exercise: How a re ordering of the story can change the facts!
Opponents cream Stelmach
Compiled by Heath McCoy, Renata D'Aliesio and Tony Seskus, Calgary Herald., Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, February 22, 2008
Kevin Taft
Liberal
On Health Care
Taft: "I can't stand on the sidelines . . . . People are dying, Mr. Stelmach. People are stuck in emergency rooms for days on end. This is a life-and-death issue. . . . This government has to be held to account."
On Energy and Environment
Taft: "It feels to so many people like Alberta's economy, particularly the oilsands development, is a runaway train . . . But you don't build a garage without a plan. You can't . . . develop the biggest industrial development on the planet without a plan."
On Social Issues
Taft: "Too many people are getting left behind. . . . Long term, so much of this comes down to great education. The best low-income policy in the long term is to give people great education."
- - -
Brian Mason
NDP
On Health Care
Mason: "Albertans really want to have health care that's there when they need it. They don't want to be waiting in the hallways. We have 10 years of neglect. . . . We are short 1,000 doctors and 1,500 nurses. How did we get into this situation?"
On Energy and Environment
Mason: "The decision of the government to not touch the brake, as Mr. Stelmach said when he first became the Conservative leader, is a terrible mistake. We need to pace development in the tar sands."
On Social Issues
Mason: "This government has done more to create homelessness than any other government since the Second World War in this province. The simple failure to bring in rent controls to protect people has meant many more people are living out on the street."
- - -
Paul Hinman
Wildrose Alliance
On Health Care
Hinman: "We've had 36 years of these guys (the Tories) saying more money, more money. It will never be enough. . . . There's nothing bold about (Stelmach's) plan. There's nothing innovative about it."
On Energy and Environment
Hinman: "He's hurt our reputation by tearing up those contracts and saying, 'You know what, we're not going to listen to industry. We are going to listen to my heart,' and he's failing on the economic decision that he's making for this province."
On Social Issues
Hinman: "We need to reduce the taxes on the people of Alberta -- then they'll be able to have affordable housing because they (will) have money in their pocket to actually pay the rent or buy the house."
On Health Care
Ed Stelmach
Progressive Conservative
Ed Stelmach, Progressive Conservative
Jenelle Schneider, Calgary Herald
Stelmach: "I'm fully committed to supporting the public health-care system. . . . While others are identifying issues in health care, we have acted. We have brought world-class physicians to the province. We've added more nurses."
On Energy and Environment
Stelmach: "The plan we have in place is already showing that we have dealt with a lot of the environmental issues in Fort McMurray and Fort Saskatchewan -- an overall cumulative environmental plan. We've got an excellent plan for water strategy."
On Social Issues
Stelmach: "Rent controls do not build one affordable unit (of housing) in the province of Alberta. It's proven. We've looked at the history of other provinces and we're not going to go (down) that path. We're going to increase the supply."
An Exercise: How a re ordering of the story can change the facts!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Alberta to further reduce royalties!
The US dollar falling against the Canadian dollar was seen by the Conservative as an opportunity to upset what they had come to see as the status quo of the royalty regime.
Reducing our royality on the tar sands from 25% to 19% (current) is only the start of a long slide down!
It is their intention to further reduce royalties as new production comes on line. They will in effect benchmark what they think Alberta will need with the citizens charged to the brink for goods and services.
Alberta will not enjoy more royalties in the future under a Conservative Government!
Meanwhile, Oil companies in the US are doing budgets in anticipation of paying more money to the Government when the Democrats take office this election.
John Clark.
Reducing our royality on the tar sands from 25% to 19% (current) is only the start of a long slide down!
It is their intention to further reduce royalties as new production comes on line. They will in effect benchmark what they think Alberta will need with the citizens charged to the brink for goods and services.
Alberta will not enjoy more royalties in the future under a Conservative Government!
Meanwhile, Oil companies in the US are doing budgets in anticipation of paying more money to the Government when the Democrats take office this election.
John Clark.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Stelmach tough on crime? I don't think so.
Crime
Is he going to start to publish the results of Government bids and show all the bids along side the insiders he gives the contracts to? In Alberta now, they know who is getting the contract before they put it out! They won’t change.
Is he going to change the Freedom of Information program to allow a full and honest review of Government polices? I think not.
These guys are the biggest crooks! Is he going to take the seals off the court on the West Edmonton Mall fiasco? I think not.
Is he going to divulge the details on the Firestorm rip off? I think not.
Is he going to post the list of people who flipped the power purchase agreements and check for improprieties? I think not.
Perhaps this is the lynch pin for private prisons?
Eddie and the crew were a part of all of these debacles. No one is exempt. After 14 years to lies and deceit, nothing has changed.
John Clark
Is he going to start to publish the results of Government bids and show all the bids along side the insiders he gives the contracts to? In Alberta now, they know who is getting the contract before they put it out! They won’t change.
Is he going to change the Freedom of Information program to allow a full and honest review of Government polices? I think not.
These guys are the biggest crooks! Is he going to take the seals off the court on the West Edmonton Mall fiasco? I think not.
Is he going to divulge the details on the Firestorm rip off? I think not.
Is he going to post the list of people who flipped the power purchase agreements and check for improprieties? I think not.
Perhaps this is the lynch pin for private prisons?
Eddie and the crew were a part of all of these debacles. No one is exempt. After 14 years to lies and deceit, nothing has changed.
John Clark
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Oil Profits up 28 Billions - Alberta Royalities down 21 billion.
Oil companies to record record profits of 28 billions of dollars while Alberta looses 21billion a year proping up these profits!
Reasoning follows:
Alberta Oil Sands important details Oil sands deposits contain approximately 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen.
Approximately 10 % or 174 billion barrels are proven reserves that can be recovered using current technology.
Current economic limit for oil sand surface mining is approximately 80 meters which makes up 20 % of the proven reserves.Current oil sand production is approximately 1 million barrels per day, 1/2 is from surface mining.
1 million barrels per day at $100.00 per bbl US is 100 million dollars per day US.
1% start up rate returns 1 million dollars per day into royalty funds.
25% agreed production returns 25 million dollars per day in royalties.
19% Stelmach adjusted rate brings in 19 million dollars per day royalties.
Stelmach has moved 6 million dollars per day from Alberta Taxpayers into the hands of the Oil Companies while he is telling us he has found the “middle road” turning even more revenue into oil company’s profits.
John Clark
Reasoning follows:
Alberta Oil Sands important details Oil sands deposits contain approximately 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen.
Approximately 10 % or 174 billion barrels are proven reserves that can be recovered using current technology.
Current economic limit for oil sand surface mining is approximately 80 meters which makes up 20 % of the proven reserves.Current oil sand production is approximately 1 million barrels per day, 1/2 is from surface mining.
1 million barrels per day at $100.00 per bbl US is 100 million dollars per day US.
1% start up rate returns 1 million dollars per day into royalty funds.
25% agreed production returns 25 million dollars per day in royalties.
19% Stelmach adjusted rate brings in 19 million dollars per day royalties.
Stelmach has moved 6 million dollars per day from Alberta Taxpayers into the hands of the Oil Companies while he is telling us he has found the “middle road” turning even more revenue into oil company’s profits.
John Clark
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Liberals outline a solid, sustainable plan!
Kevan Taft has outlined a solid, sustainable plan for Alberta's future. This is in direct conflict with the Conservative doom and gloom scenarios that Albertan's must learn to pay more.
John Clark
John Clark
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Conservatives approve endless increases in insurance.
Ed Stelmach in a tit for tat statment gives insurance companies the okay to charge what ever they see fit in the wake of the court decision to get rid of the cap on soft tissue.
The Conservatives have been whoring with Insurance Companies since the onset. There is no one in this Government looking after the citizens of this province!
John Clark
The Conservatives have been whoring with Insurance Companies since the onset. There is no one in this Government looking after the citizens of this province!
John Clark
Friday, February 08, 2008
School Closures are a big thing in Alberta!
Conservative school closures are a deliberate means to push our education system into a privitized industry. There are people in our political arena who despise and resist this plan.
John Clark
John Clark
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Conservative Plan to Fix Health Services
It takes 9 years to put a physician into private practice!
Alberta’s health care problem is short funding as it has always been. The plans have always been the same; destabilize then privatize.
Stelmach opted to secretly cut our revenue from royalties by 84 million dollars a day. (Dropping royality to 19%) This was done to prop up oil companies profits when the US dollar fell; it had nothing to do with their operational securities! That is 84 million a day he doesn’t have to put into other programs. Health Care is only one example.
It is not a far reach to say they have cut money to Capital Health in order to prop up oil profits!
University seats go to foreign students because these students pay multi thousands of dollars more for a lecture hall slot at a university than does an Albert student. Universities need the cash!
These foreign graduates go back to their homes to practice, they seldom stay in Alberta.
Stelmach has put up a smoke and mirrors royalty proposal that returns nothing to the Alberta revenue base! He has found a way to subsidize the oil up grader plants through a fiscal “payment in kind of crude” which can be 90% of the royalty further shorting the revenue into Alberta.
A shallow numbers game! More lies and misconceptions!
These guys have lied their way into the past 3 elections. Hold them accountable now!
Remember they were elected to a Majority Government last time getting only 23% of the Alberta Vote!
John Clark
Alberta’s health care problem is short funding as it has always been. The plans have always been the same; destabilize then privatize.
Stelmach opted to secretly cut our revenue from royalties by 84 million dollars a day. (Dropping royality to 19%) This was done to prop up oil companies profits when the US dollar fell; it had nothing to do with their operational securities! That is 84 million a day he doesn’t have to put into other programs. Health Care is only one example.
It is not a far reach to say they have cut money to Capital Health in order to prop up oil profits!
University seats go to foreign students because these students pay multi thousands of dollars more for a lecture hall slot at a university than does an Albert student. Universities need the cash!
These foreign graduates go back to their homes to practice, they seldom stay in Alberta.
Stelmach has put up a smoke and mirrors royalty proposal that returns nothing to the Alberta revenue base! He has found a way to subsidize the oil up grader plants through a fiscal “payment in kind of crude” which can be 90% of the royalty further shorting the revenue into Alberta.
A shallow numbers game! More lies and misconceptions!
These guys have lied their way into the past 3 elections. Hold them accountable now!
Remember they were elected to a Majority Government last time getting only 23% of the Alberta Vote!
John Clark
The Conservative Plan to Save Alberta-Education
Increase funding to private schools while continuing to short public school funding.
Why?
The mentality of this crew is such that the privatization of schools allows them a place of fame with like minded people.
They feel the public system is too expensive and to walk away from regulation is a good thing because people will pay more to get their kids into better schools there by reducing “public” expenditures.
In all. a “feel good” thing for the Conservatives who claim private is always cheaper than Government but never ever do a follow up to see the huge cost increases.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Why?
The mentality of this crew is such that the privatization of schools allows them a place of fame with like minded people.
They feel the public system is too expensive and to walk away from regulation is a good thing because people will pay more to get their kids into better schools there by reducing “public” expenditures.
In all. a “feel good” thing for the Conservatives who claim private is always cheaper than Government but never ever do a follow up to see the huge cost increases.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Conservative Plan to Save Alberta - Water
Further privatize the water in Alberta.
Why?
The rivers are going dry, quickly as the glaciers recede at record speeds. This leaves the ground water; the aquifer as being our primary source of water. Much of the water rights for this aquifer have been given to Coca Cola, Calgary Malting and others in the Agra Food Industries.
The conservatives were unhappy with the hearings held by the Privy Council of Canada which ruled that bulk water exports were not covered under NAFTA and gave notice to the Privy Council the Conservatives were taking up a legal challenge to make it acceptable to export bulk water to the US.
Placing the water firmly in the hands of private companies makes it very easy to escalate the price of water to the residential consumers. Prices for water service will be levied by the pipeline companies. A bill for the water combined with a bill for the transmission of water if you like. The water analogy for electricity is applicable in more than one discipline.
Bottom line; your costs are going to go up by 10 times almost, overnight.
The kicker here is the oil up graders planned will use more water than all the residential housing but, will get it for nothing.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Why?
The rivers are going dry, quickly as the glaciers recede at record speeds. This leaves the ground water; the aquifer as being our primary source of water. Much of the water rights for this aquifer have been given to Coca Cola, Calgary Malting and others in the Agra Food Industries.
The conservatives were unhappy with the hearings held by the Privy Council of Canada which ruled that bulk water exports were not covered under NAFTA and gave notice to the Privy Council the Conservatives were taking up a legal challenge to make it acceptable to export bulk water to the US.
Placing the water firmly in the hands of private companies makes it very easy to escalate the price of water to the residential consumers. Prices for water service will be levied by the pipeline companies. A bill for the water combined with a bill for the transmission of water if you like. The water analogy for electricity is applicable in more than one discipline.
Bottom line; your costs are going to go up by 10 times almost, overnight.
The kicker here is the oil up graders planned will use more water than all the residential housing but, will get it for nothing.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Conservative Plans to Savel Alberta-Heating
Immediately eliminate the subsidy to home owners on heating costs. When the price of heating goes up there will be no rebates!
Why?
The price of gas is down. Because of this now is a good time to eliminate the program.
The price of coal is moving up on the world markets. It is higher now than it has ever been and it will get much higher they will push for world prices on coal more especially since the Ontario Teachers Pension fund owns most of it.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Why?
The price of gas is down. Because of this now is a good time to eliminate the program.
The price of coal is moving up on the world markets. It is higher now than it has ever been and it will get much higher they will push for world prices on coal more especially since the Ontario Teachers Pension fund owns most of it.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Alberta electricity an empire built on lies and misdirection
The deregulation of Alberta’s power grid and the subsequent mess was not an accident. It was in fact the plan from the start.
Paying friends hundreds of thousand of dollars to “fix” an electrical system that is going precisely the way they had hoped is nothing but another act of misdirection and still another lie.
They find it more convenient and easier to sell an error in judgment than to admit they embarked on what amounts to a royal rip off.
As a plus it puts more coin into the pocket of friends.
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
Paying friends hundreds of thousand of dollars to “fix” an electrical system that is going precisely the way they had hoped is nothing but another act of misdirection and still another lie.
They find it more convenient and easier to sell an error in judgment than to admit they embarked on what amounts to a royal rip off.
As a plus it puts more coin into the pocket of friends.
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Alberta electricty pressures.
Following my lead-in there is an excellent evaluation of Alberta's electrical power situation. The web link to the journal article has been taken down so I have copied here.
Not covered in the Article by Joseph Doucetis is the Fording Coal dilemma which is huge and should get some air.
1. Fording was purchased by Sherritt (Ontario teachers assn pension)
2. Fording kept title to the Anthracite (tool) coal.
3. Sherritt took the title to all the lower quality heating coal.
4. Fording is presently completing or has completed the environmental studies for the Genesee like generating unit at Brooks AB. (4000 mv, half of the present generation capacity of Alberta)
5. Fording will buy coal from Sherritt for the generation at prices that Sherrit set as a seperate entity.
Depending on the price the Ontario Teachers assn charges Fording for the coal, the prices of electricity should come down!
The Government has allowed the prices to escalate by constricting growth forcing gas generation on line in the meantime.
When Fording comes on they will peg their prices at the "market" which will allow them huge, unprecedented profits.
The environmental studies should be complete. That means an announcement will be made shortly after an election.
Consider: When Fording owned all the coal they tried to build the plant and got shut down by what appears to be government sponsored environmental complaints allowed by a Government who had every interest in killing the project. Fording was prepared to build the power lines to Calgary and South to Southern Alberta. Trans Alta fought this. (who would have guessed?)
On a different line the City of Edmonton fought the Province for permission to build the expansion of Genesse and were like Fording, denied permission until the scalping PPA agreements were in place.
In short the Conservatives again have autored a rip off situation for Albertans.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday » January 16 » 2008
Alberta's power play difficult to assess
Government's electricity restructuring results can't be measured simply by comparing prices
Joseph Doucet
Freelance
Saturday, January 12, 2008 - Edmonton Journal
In a letter to the Journal, "6 years later, deregulation hasn't lived up to the promises" (Jan. 10), a former provincial electricity planner suggested that the restructuring of Alberta's electricity industry and markets has not delivered on its "promises." Of particular interest to consumers is Keith Provost's statement that "Albertans have paid more than $16 billion more for their electricity needs than if the system had not been deregulated."
Despite his contention that "the cost can be easily calculated by anyone with a cursory knowledge of the economics of electricity generation," I would suggest that calculating the costs and benefits of restructuring is anything but an easy exercise.
One of the all-too-common mistakes made in this type of discussion is to simply compare prices today with prices in previous years. Electricity prices in Alberta, as in almost every other jurisdiction, are higher today than they were in 1995, the year in which Alberta's first piece of restructuring legislation, the Electric Utilities Act, was passed.
Why can't we simply compare 2008 with 1995? Well, the makeup of the industry is actually quite different today. For instance, in the mid-1990s about 75 per cent of Alberta electricity was generated with coal. Today the figure is a little under 50 per cent. Natural gas, on the other hand, makes up about 40 per cent of today's generation capacity; in 1995 it accounted for less than 15 per cent. Thus we can't expect underlying costs, and the resulting prices, to be directly comparable.
Informed readers will point out, quite correctly, that coal prices are both lower and less volatile than natural gas prices. Thus, the greater reliance on natural gas is bound to have had an impact on electricity prices. This is certainly true. But is the increased use of natural gas in Alberta attributable to restructuring? I'm not so sure. In the 1990s North American electricity planners believed that natural gas was going to remain cheap for a long time. We were wrong.
But I don't believe that a regulated generation sector in Alberta would have seen things any differently.
The real question to ask in order to begin to understand the price impact of restructuring is this: What would our electricity industry look like today had the Government of Alberta NOT embarked on the restructuring exercise? What fuels and technologies would have been chosen in a regulated system? What types of plants would have been built, and where? What research and development would have been undertaken? Which risks would have been allocated to electricity consumers and which to the regulated firms?
There are no straightforward answers to these questions, despite the best intentions of Monday morning quarterbacks. In truth it is impossible to know exactly what our electricity industry would look like today had the government not introduced restructuring. As a result it is very difficult to say what price we would be paying under the "old" system.
That being said, the retail price is just one measure of the efficiency of the electricity industry. It is certainly an important one and understandably the main focus of attention of residential consumers. But retail prices can be deceiving, such as in Ontario where retail prices have been regulated to artificially low levels well below the wholesale prices. This hides the true costs of electricity and shifts the burden to taxpayers. This doesn't happen here.
To suggest that prices in some non-restructured jurisdictions have risen less than in restructured jurisdictions misses the important point that the underlying costs and technologies differ a great deal between different provinces and states and that, for the most part, low-cost North American jurisdictions did not embark on restructuring.
Many very-low-cost jurisdictions, notably those with large hydroelectric capacity, continue to benefit from their low-cost technologies despite the fact that they have not changed the structure of their industry. Relatively low prices in these areas for the most part reflect the low costs of generation, not the benefits of the regulated system.
On the other hand, many high-cost jurisdictions saw costs rising, principally because of the need to build more generation, and moved to restructuring in part because of the desire to introduce competition in the generation investment and operation decisions.
In the last 10 years close to 4,500 megawatts of new generation capacity has been built in Alberta. This is one reason that there is less danger of the lights going out in Alberta than in Ontario - proportionally more capacity has been built here than in Ontario. Has more capacity been built than would have been the case without restructuring? This again is hard to say, because we simply don't have the crystal ball that answers the "what if" questions about the past.
More significantly than the amount of generation, though, is the fact that the new electricity generation plants in Alberta have been built without any price or profit guarantee from the government or the regulator as was the case in the "good old days." This is a comparison that we can make. Alberta ratepayers no longer carry the risk of construction-cost overruns, plant operation or fuel prices via a regulated system. This is a very real benefit to Albertans. Of course, Alberta electricity consumers do bear some risk with respect to fuel price increases. There is no way around this.
Was the government's plan perfect? Of course it wasn't, as I have often written. There were errors in planning and in implementation. The lessons of history cannot be ignored. But let's move on and make our electricity sector as productive, efficient and environmentally responsible as possible.
Is Alberta's electricity model today a panacea? Of course it isn't. I would like to see more competition in the retail sector, but fear that won't happen because of our small market size, and because electricity prices really are, relatively speaking, low. However, lack of competition on the retail side should not be mistaken for, or confused with, lack of competition in the wholesale and investment market.
It is also true that we have major challenges ahead in co-ordinating the development of regulated transmission in sync with our competitive generation market. This challenge is not unique to Alberta and will take a lot of effort and smart people to solve. It isn't an easy problem.
And clearly the newly created Alberta Utilities Commission has to regain public trust in its regulation of the electricity industry.
This exercise will take time, commitment and leadership.
So are there challenges ahead? Most definitely. But this is not a simple industry and the questions to be asked are complex. Suggesting otherwise does a disservice to the debate.
Joseph Doucet is professor of energy policy and director of the Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment at the U of A's School of Business.
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/ideas/story.html?id=7587c57a-4aa0-419c-b5c8-65244dd6d51f
Not covered in the Article by Joseph Doucetis is the Fording Coal dilemma which is huge and should get some air.
1. Fording was purchased by Sherritt (Ontario teachers assn pension)
2. Fording kept title to the Anthracite (tool) coal.
3. Sherritt took the title to all the lower quality heating coal.
4. Fording is presently completing or has completed the environmental studies for the Genesee like generating unit at Brooks AB. (4000 mv, half of the present generation capacity of Alberta)
5. Fording will buy coal from Sherritt for the generation at prices that Sherrit set as a seperate entity.
Depending on the price the Ontario Teachers assn charges Fording for the coal, the prices of electricity should come down!
The Government has allowed the prices to escalate by constricting growth forcing gas generation on line in the meantime.
When Fording comes on they will peg their prices at the "market" which will allow them huge, unprecedented profits.
The environmental studies should be complete. That means an announcement will be made shortly after an election.
Consider: When Fording owned all the coal they tried to build the plant and got shut down by what appears to be government sponsored environmental complaints allowed by a Government who had every interest in killing the project. Fording was prepared to build the power lines to Calgary and South to Southern Alberta. Trans Alta fought this. (who would have guessed?)
On a different line the City of Edmonton fought the Province for permission to build the expansion of Genesse and were like Fording, denied permission until the scalping PPA agreements were in place.
In short the Conservatives again have autored a rip off situation for Albertans.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday » January 16 » 2008
Alberta's power play difficult to assess
Government's electricity restructuring results can't be measured simply by comparing prices
Joseph Doucet
Freelance
Saturday, January 12, 2008 - Edmonton Journal
In a letter to the Journal, "6 years later, deregulation hasn't lived up to the promises" (Jan. 10), a former provincial electricity planner suggested that the restructuring of Alberta's electricity industry and markets has not delivered on its "promises." Of particular interest to consumers is Keith Provost's statement that "Albertans have paid more than $16 billion more for their electricity needs than if the system had not been deregulated."
Despite his contention that "the cost can be easily calculated by anyone with a cursory knowledge of the economics of electricity generation," I would suggest that calculating the costs and benefits of restructuring is anything but an easy exercise.
One of the all-too-common mistakes made in this type of discussion is to simply compare prices today with prices in previous years. Electricity prices in Alberta, as in almost every other jurisdiction, are higher today than they were in 1995, the year in which Alberta's first piece of restructuring legislation, the Electric Utilities Act, was passed.
Why can't we simply compare 2008 with 1995? Well, the makeup of the industry is actually quite different today. For instance, in the mid-1990s about 75 per cent of Alberta electricity was generated with coal. Today the figure is a little under 50 per cent. Natural gas, on the other hand, makes up about 40 per cent of today's generation capacity; in 1995 it accounted for less than 15 per cent. Thus we can't expect underlying costs, and the resulting prices, to be directly comparable.
Informed readers will point out, quite correctly, that coal prices are both lower and less volatile than natural gas prices. Thus, the greater reliance on natural gas is bound to have had an impact on electricity prices. This is certainly true. But is the increased use of natural gas in Alberta attributable to restructuring? I'm not so sure. In the 1990s North American electricity planners believed that natural gas was going to remain cheap for a long time. We were wrong.
But I don't believe that a regulated generation sector in Alberta would have seen things any differently.
The real question to ask in order to begin to understand the price impact of restructuring is this: What would our electricity industry look like today had the Government of Alberta NOT embarked on the restructuring exercise? What fuels and technologies would have been chosen in a regulated system? What types of plants would have been built, and where? What research and development would have been undertaken? Which risks would have been allocated to electricity consumers and which to the regulated firms?
There are no straightforward answers to these questions, despite the best intentions of Monday morning quarterbacks. In truth it is impossible to know exactly what our electricity industry would look like today had the government not introduced restructuring. As a result it is very difficult to say what price we would be paying under the "old" system.
That being said, the retail price is just one measure of the efficiency of the electricity industry. It is certainly an important one and understandably the main focus of attention of residential consumers. But retail prices can be deceiving, such as in Ontario where retail prices have been regulated to artificially low levels well below the wholesale prices. This hides the true costs of electricity and shifts the burden to taxpayers. This doesn't happen here.
To suggest that prices in some non-restructured jurisdictions have risen less than in restructured jurisdictions misses the important point that the underlying costs and technologies differ a great deal between different provinces and states and that, for the most part, low-cost North American jurisdictions did not embark on restructuring.
Many very-low-cost jurisdictions, notably those with large hydroelectric capacity, continue to benefit from their low-cost technologies despite the fact that they have not changed the structure of their industry. Relatively low prices in these areas for the most part reflect the low costs of generation, not the benefits of the regulated system.
On the other hand, many high-cost jurisdictions saw costs rising, principally because of the need to build more generation, and moved to restructuring in part because of the desire to introduce competition in the generation investment and operation decisions.
In the last 10 years close to 4,500 megawatts of new generation capacity has been built in Alberta. This is one reason that there is less danger of the lights going out in Alberta than in Ontario - proportionally more capacity has been built here than in Ontario. Has more capacity been built than would have been the case without restructuring? This again is hard to say, because we simply don't have the crystal ball that answers the "what if" questions about the past.
More significantly than the amount of generation, though, is the fact that the new electricity generation plants in Alberta have been built without any price or profit guarantee from the government or the regulator as was the case in the "good old days." This is a comparison that we can make. Alberta ratepayers no longer carry the risk of construction-cost overruns, plant operation or fuel prices via a regulated system. This is a very real benefit to Albertans. Of course, Alberta electricity consumers do bear some risk with respect to fuel price increases. There is no way around this.
Was the government's plan perfect? Of course it wasn't, as I have often written. There were errors in planning and in implementation. The lessons of history cannot be ignored. But let's move on and make our electricity sector as productive, efficient and environmentally responsible as possible.
Is Alberta's electricity model today a panacea? Of course it isn't. I would like to see more competition in the retail sector, but fear that won't happen because of our small market size, and because electricity prices really are, relatively speaking, low. However, lack of competition on the retail side should not be mistaken for, or confused with, lack of competition in the wholesale and investment market.
It is also true that we have major challenges ahead in co-ordinating the development of regulated transmission in sync with our competitive generation market. This challenge is not unique to Alberta and will take a lot of effort and smart people to solve. It isn't an easy problem.
And clearly the newly created Alberta Utilities Commission has to regain public trust in its regulation of the electricity industry.
This exercise will take time, commitment and leadership.
So are there challenges ahead? Most definitely. But this is not a simple industry and the questions to be asked are complex. Suggesting otherwise does a disservice to the debate.
Joseph Doucet is professor of energy policy and director of the Centre for Applied Business Research in Energy and the Environment at the U of A's School of Business.
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/ideas/story.html?id=7587c57a-4aa0-419c-b5c8-65244dd6d51f
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Alberta Heritage Trust Funding is a farce!
The Conservatives have raped the Heritage Trust fund as with every other resource we have!
The Conservatives claim they are being more open but in doing so they have to change history and misrepresent figures and the truth.
The short truth being that the Heritage Trust Fund should have been 40 billions of dollars by this time is only sitting at a very small 1.6 billion.
The balance whisked away unaccounted for by this Government. It would still be going on if the Liberals had not busted them.
After finally admitting they were fleecing the Heritage Trust fund they come up with a one liner they hope to cover their pillage as in “The net income earned from the Fund’s investments, less the amount retained for inflation-proofing, is transferred to the Province’s main operating fund, the General Revenue Fund (the GRF), to help pay for government programs.” This was written by spin doctors!
Outright lies, and misdirection are the hallmark of this Government! They are trying very hard to spin this misappropriation of funds off with the repeated lines “Of the total realized net income during the past six months, $662 million is transferred to the GRF and $248 million is retained in the Fund for inflation-proofing.”
In this bit of chicanery they have invented a term that never existed prior to their web page “inflation-proofing the Heritage Trust” Such crap!
When the Heritage Trust Fund was set up the moneys made by the Heritage trust fund were to be reinvested in that Fund. This Government robbed the Heritage Trust fund of all its dividend earnings preventing the compounding of investment. The purpose of this was to debilitate the Heritage Trust Fund in order to privatize it. And that is a very bad move.
As to adding to community projects from the billions they have taken from the Heritage Trust Fund is simply another aspect of a large and thinly veiled misrepresentation by spin doctors!
When the money goes into the General Operating Revenues it is more than likely spent on paying for Government Aircraft, paying the Elected Members expense accounts and quick flights to the Orient or Washington and possibly the cafeteria bills. It is after all, General Revenue.
The citizens of this province have suffered through 14 years of outright lies and misdirection watching the money and resources go to a very short list of Tory friends. This line of Heritage Trust stuff is no exception.
PS:
It was a year ago now when they first announced the privatization of the Heritage
Trust Fund saying it had to be privatized because "it was preforming very poorly"
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
The Conservatives claim they are being more open but in doing so they have to change history and misrepresent figures and the truth.
The short truth being that the Heritage Trust Fund should have been 40 billions of dollars by this time is only sitting at a very small 1.6 billion.
The balance whisked away unaccounted for by this Government. It would still be going on if the Liberals had not busted them.
After finally admitting they were fleecing the Heritage Trust fund they come up with a one liner they hope to cover their pillage as in “The net income earned from the Fund’s investments, less the amount retained for inflation-proofing, is transferred to the Province’s main operating fund, the General Revenue Fund (the GRF), to help pay for government programs.” This was written by spin doctors!
Outright lies, and misdirection are the hallmark of this Government! They are trying very hard to spin this misappropriation of funds off with the repeated lines “Of the total realized net income during the past six months, $662 million is transferred to the GRF and $248 million is retained in the Fund for inflation-proofing.”
In this bit of chicanery they have invented a term that never existed prior to their web page “inflation-proofing the Heritage Trust” Such crap!
When the Heritage Trust Fund was set up the moneys made by the Heritage trust fund were to be reinvested in that Fund. This Government robbed the Heritage Trust fund of all its dividend earnings preventing the compounding of investment. The purpose of this was to debilitate the Heritage Trust Fund in order to privatize it. And that is a very bad move.
As to adding to community projects from the billions they have taken from the Heritage Trust Fund is simply another aspect of a large and thinly veiled misrepresentation by spin doctors!
When the money goes into the General Operating Revenues it is more than likely spent on paying for Government Aircraft, paying the Elected Members expense accounts and quick flights to the Orient or Washington and possibly the cafeteria bills. It is after all, General Revenue.
The citizens of this province have suffered through 14 years of outright lies and misdirection watching the money and resources go to a very short list of Tory friends. This line of Heritage Trust stuff is no exception.
PS:
It was a year ago now when they first announced the privatization of the Heritage
Trust Fund saying it had to be privatized because "it was preforming very poorly"
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Scale of Alberta Power
Alberta’s power runs close to 9000 megawatts
If there is an increase of 1 cent anywhere in the system, it means a 90,000 dollars exchange in every hour that .01 is in effect.
That is 2.16 million dollars a day that some one gains and some one looses.
1 cent increase in the power rate means 10 dollars increase in your power based on a 1000 kwh consumption. This makes it easy for power companies to increase their rates. Ater all, who reads their light bill?
One cent increases are impossibly high and there is no protection from this Government.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
If there is an increase of 1 cent anywhere in the system, it means a 90,000 dollars exchange in every hour that .01 is in effect.
That is 2.16 million dollars a day that some one gains and some one looses.
1 cent increase in the power rate means 10 dollars increase in your power based on a 1000 kwh consumption. This makes it easy for power companies to increase their rates. Ater all, who reads their light bill?
One cent increases are impossibly high and there is no protection from this Government.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Daycare crippled to fund Oil Stock profits
No, the lead in is not a large leap of imagination!
The Edmonton Sun is clearly the best "News" Newspaper in town!
Daycare owners, Grits slam funding methods
Shortage of quality, qualified caregivers continues
By JEREMY LOOME, LEGISLATURE BUREAUJanuary 10, 2008
A decision to fund 81 separate Alberta daycare centres through grants last year proves the province made a big mistake when it eliminated operating grants a decade ago, say operators.
And according to the Opposition, the nature of those grants - which are ostensibly to ensure centres can achieve accreditation under the province's new quality standards program - is such that much of what they'll be spent on would have been covered under the old grant system.
"In many cases, when I'm talking to owners or operators, they're telling me they don't have the time or resources to wade through these grant applications again and again," said Liberal critic Weslyn Mather. "Where we're at right now is that this does not solve the ongoing operating cost issue, which is leading to such a shortage of qualified staff that some daycare centres are closing."
Operating grants were eliminated when Alberta privatized the industry in the early 1990s. Soon after, a glut of private daycares that tried to compete using bottom-line staff costs sprung up, leading to a scarcity of qualified workers.
That's led to parents complaining of shortages for years now in quality, qualified daycares, even as 60% of Alberta daycares have vacancies.
One prominent operator, who requested anonymity due to an ongoing working relationship with government, said the government's carrot-and-stick approach to quality control is unnecessary.
"This problem only exists because they allowed so many under-qualified operations in the first place," she said. "None of these operators, in my experience, have poor intentions. They're trying hard to provide good service to children. They simply can't afford to hire qualified staff on what parents can afford to pay each month."
The operator said the government seems to be "genuinely trying" to fix the industry but doesn't have the humility to simply admit deregulation was a failure and reinstate the grants.
But a spokesman for Alberta Children's Services said the grant structure - which unlike operating grants does not allow the operator to use public money for staff wages (although top-ups are part of it) or rent, among other items - is what the public has indicated it wants.
"The public has consistently told us that we should be focusing funding on increased wages for staff and for supporting middle-income families," said Cathy Ducharme "And we know that this grant structure is working, because it is opening up new spaces."
Space isn't the problem, said Mather. Quality is.
"Alberta has regulated child care for only 10% of our children and that's terrible," she said, noting more than 70% of two-parent homes feature both parents working.
"Only Newfoundland and Saskatchewan are worse. What a record for us. What a record of failure for a province as wealthy as Alberta."
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2008/01/10/4765202-sun.html
The Edmonton Sun is clearly the best "News" Newspaper in town!
Daycare owners, Grits slam funding methods
Shortage of quality, qualified caregivers continues
By JEREMY LOOME, LEGISLATURE BUREAUJanuary 10, 2008
A decision to fund 81 separate Alberta daycare centres through grants last year proves the province made a big mistake when it eliminated operating grants a decade ago, say operators.
And according to the Opposition, the nature of those grants - which are ostensibly to ensure centres can achieve accreditation under the province's new quality standards program - is such that much of what they'll be spent on would have been covered under the old grant system.
"In many cases, when I'm talking to owners or operators, they're telling me they don't have the time or resources to wade through these grant applications again and again," said Liberal critic Weslyn Mather. "Where we're at right now is that this does not solve the ongoing operating cost issue, which is leading to such a shortage of qualified staff that some daycare centres are closing."
Operating grants were eliminated when Alberta privatized the industry in the early 1990s. Soon after, a glut of private daycares that tried to compete using bottom-line staff costs sprung up, leading to a scarcity of qualified workers.
That's led to parents complaining of shortages for years now in quality, qualified daycares, even as 60% of Alberta daycares have vacancies.
One prominent operator, who requested anonymity due to an ongoing working relationship with government, said the government's carrot-and-stick approach to quality control is unnecessary.
"This problem only exists because they allowed so many under-qualified operations in the first place," she said. "None of these operators, in my experience, have poor intentions. They're trying hard to provide good service to children. They simply can't afford to hire qualified staff on what parents can afford to pay each month."
The operator said the government seems to be "genuinely trying" to fix the industry but doesn't have the humility to simply admit deregulation was a failure and reinstate the grants.
But a spokesman for Alberta Children's Services said the grant structure - which unlike operating grants does not allow the operator to use public money for staff wages (although top-ups are part of it) or rent, among other items - is what the public has indicated it wants.
"The public has consistently told us that we should be focusing funding on increased wages for staff and for supporting middle-income families," said Cathy Ducharme "And we know that this grant structure is working, because it is opening up new spaces."
Space isn't the problem, said Mather. Quality is.
"Alberta has regulated child care for only 10% of our children and that's terrible," she said, noting more than 70% of two-parent homes feature both parents working.
"Only Newfoundland and Saskatchewan are worse. What a record for us. What a record of failure for a province as wealthy as Alberta."
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2008/01/10/4765202-sun.html
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Alberta Conservatives give lists of favors bought.
The release of the document “Alberta Blue Book of expenditures shows just how this Government pays and pays their friends as in dropping cash into their pockets with no other reason than they are perceived as being a “voting block”
$24.5 billion of the $35 billion dollar budget was handed out with no explanation.
I have said before and will continue to say “It is difficult to tell the difference between the Alberta Conservative Government and Organized Crime”
Meanwhile seniors and thoes less privilaged live in degredation and hard ship and ordinary citizens cannot keep up to their electricity and fuel bills.
Scott Hennig, of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was reacting to the release of the government 2007 Blue Books on Monday, a 1,000 page line-by-line account of all capital spending and operating grants. The list, although online for the first time, is virtually useless to the pubic, said Hennig. Unlike its federal counterpart, the government doesn’t link the list to explanations of why spending was necessary.
Further details in the Edmonton Sun which, is putting out some really good news now-days.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
$24.5 billion of the $35 billion dollar budget was handed out with no explanation.
I have said before and will continue to say “It is difficult to tell the difference between the Alberta Conservative Government and Organized Crime”
Meanwhile seniors and thoes less privilaged live in degredation and hard ship and ordinary citizens cannot keep up to their electricity and fuel bills.
Scott Hennig, of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was reacting to the release of the government 2007 Blue Books on Monday, a 1,000 page line-by-line account of all capital spending and operating grants. The list, although online for the first time, is virtually useless to the pubic, said Hennig. Unlike its federal counterpart, the government doesn’t link the list to explanations of why spending was necessary.
Further details in the Edmonton Sun which, is putting out some really good news now-days.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Alberta Liberals on top of Electrical Sham
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:07 PM
Alberta Liberals Raise Questions about Department of Energy’s Million Dollar Man
Edmonton – Hugh MacDonald, Alberta Liberal Shadow Minister of Energy, says government documents show one of the architects of Bill 46 received almost $1.4 million from the provincial government over the last four years.
The provincial Blue Book, or list of provincial grants and payments, shows a numbered company owned by Kellan Fluckiger received $354,807 in the last year. Combined with the previous three years, the contracts add up to $1,358,645.
“The government isn’t sending Albertans a very good message about accountability and priorities,” says MacDonald. “Just recently, they attempted to reduce the Auditor General’s budget by $20,000. In the same fiscal year, they handed out a six figure contract to the architect of a democratically damaging piece of legislation.”
Fluckiger was one of those responsible for the government’s flawed Bill 46, which split the Energy and Utilities Board into two separate entities while failing to offer adequate protections for landowners. The bill was forced through the Legislature last fall. The government evoked closure on all three stages of the bill.
MacDonald notes that Fluckiger was originally hired by the Department of Energy to fix electricity deregulation, yet the system has reached a crisis since his hiring.
“Electricity deregulation has been one of the most expensive failures in Alberta’s history,” says MacDonald. “Alberta consumers continue to struggle to pay their monthly power bills, while the government is very generous to Mr. Fluckiger, paying him almost $1.4 million.”
Fluckiger is currently under a conflict of interest investigation by the Auditor General of Alberta. Fluckiger resigned from his position at Alberta Energy in October of 2007.
“Mr. Fluckiger has been collecting a very generous paycheque for years, for what results?” asks MacDonald. “The Minister of Energy owes it to Alberta taxpayers to immediately release the details of his role, his recent resignation, and whether he was paid a severance package on top of these expensive annual contracts.”
-30-
For more information contact:
Hugh MacDonald or Yolande Cole
Shadow Energy Minister Media Liaison
(780) 914-5270 (780) 446-6868
Alberta Liberals Raise Questions about Department of Energy’s Million Dollar Man
Edmonton – Hugh MacDonald, Alberta Liberal Shadow Minister of Energy, says government documents show one of the architects of Bill 46 received almost $1.4 million from the provincial government over the last four years.
The provincial Blue Book, or list of provincial grants and payments, shows a numbered company owned by Kellan Fluckiger received $354,807 in the last year. Combined with the previous three years, the contracts add up to $1,358,645.
“The government isn’t sending Albertans a very good message about accountability and priorities,” says MacDonald. “Just recently, they attempted to reduce the Auditor General’s budget by $20,000. In the same fiscal year, they handed out a six figure contract to the architect of a democratically damaging piece of legislation.”
Fluckiger was one of those responsible for the government’s flawed Bill 46, which split the Energy and Utilities Board into two separate entities while failing to offer adequate protections for landowners. The bill was forced through the Legislature last fall. The government evoked closure on all three stages of the bill.
MacDonald notes that Fluckiger was originally hired by the Department of Energy to fix electricity deregulation, yet the system has reached a crisis since his hiring.
“Electricity deregulation has been one of the most expensive failures in Alberta’s history,” says MacDonald. “Alberta consumers continue to struggle to pay their monthly power bills, while the government is very generous to Mr. Fluckiger, paying him almost $1.4 million.”
Fluckiger is currently under a conflict of interest investigation by the Auditor General of Alberta. Fluckiger resigned from his position at Alberta Energy in October of 2007.
“Mr. Fluckiger has been collecting a very generous paycheque for years, for what results?” asks MacDonald. “The Minister of Energy owes it to Alberta taxpayers to immediately release the details of his role, his recent resignation, and whether he was paid a severance package on top of these expensive annual contracts.”
-30-
For more information contact:
Hugh MacDonald or Yolande Cole
Shadow Energy Minister Media Liaison
(780) 914-5270 (780) 446-6868
Alberta rejects carbon tax
.
Carbon Tax a no Starter in Alberta reads the headline.
A carbon tax would be returned to the provincial coffer. That is totally against the Conservative mantra!
Instead, The Alberta Conservatives have been on a path of allowing huge increase in electricity and gas charges to heat our homes. These windfall profits go to ENMAX and EPCOR. We presently pay the highest prices in the Americas!
Following the trickle down policy of Conservatives in General, some of these funds will go to the cities of Edmonton (EPCOR) and Calgary (ENMAX) and the very limited return will be added to the city surplus quietly and without fan fair.
More reasons to get this government out of office come Election Day.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Carbon Tax a no Starter in Alberta reads the headline.
A carbon tax would be returned to the provincial coffer. That is totally against the Conservative mantra!
Instead, The Alberta Conservatives have been on a path of allowing huge increase in electricity and gas charges to heat our homes. These windfall profits go to ENMAX and EPCOR. We presently pay the highest prices in the Americas!
Following the trickle down policy of Conservatives in General, some of these funds will go to the cities of Edmonton (EPCOR) and Calgary (ENMAX) and the very limited return will be added to the city surplus quietly and without fan fair.
More reasons to get this government out of office come Election Day.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Alberta Royalty losses or something else?
Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal report multi billions of dollars lost to Albertans from Royalties.
Alberta’s Auditor General has yet to report on Conservative Members padding their own pockets through royalty “losses”
The Auditor General will not report until March. The Conservatives want an Election in February. I think this is blatant!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Alberta’s Auditor General has yet to report on Conservative Members padding their own pockets through royalty “losses”
The Auditor General will not report until March. The Conservatives want an Election in February. I think this is blatant!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Alberta Budget Feb 14-08
Consider first, in the past 14 years the Conservatives have never followed a budget! The Budget has been a piece of useless paper as far as the general public is concerned. It simply meets a legal requirement.
This will take some effort but, in the near future I will map out the lay of the financial land and leave you with a guide by which you can view the Budget when it comes.
Most of the budget by its nature will deal with "projected revenues" based on "projected figures" which in this case will be absolutely nothing.
The production is flat. The royalties are down. The Lease purchase is down. The expenses are up.
Will make an effort to organize for you.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
This will take some effort but, in the near future I will map out the lay of the financial land and leave you with a guide by which you can view the Budget when it comes.
Most of the budget by its nature will deal with "projected revenues" based on "projected figures" which in this case will be absolutely nothing.
The production is flat. The royalties are down. The Lease purchase is down. The expenses are up.
Will make an effort to organize for you.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Alberta oil hits 100.00
And, Alberta is broke so, no budget before election.
The Conservatives figure Alberta is making too much so they have reduced Alberta Royalties to 19%. Conventional oil is now priced in Canadian dollars and not at the US equivalent. Still more losses. Their philosophy is “How much does Alberta need?” as opposed to “What is Alberta’s entitlement?”
Meanwhile they are blowing money like there is no tomorrow and for them, this may be the case.
Word has it that Stelmach will go into an election before he presents a budget to Alberta. This is because the lease money is down; the energy royalties are down at every level and he is still spending to get elected.
If elected again you can be sure that Albertans will be asked to dig into their pockets to pay off the big deficit these guys are creating. There is no way he will dig into the resources for the money he has already short changed us.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
The Conservatives figure Alberta is making too much so they have reduced Alberta Royalties to 19%. Conventional oil is now priced in Canadian dollars and not at the US equivalent. Still more losses. Their philosophy is “How much does Alberta need?” as opposed to “What is Alberta’s entitlement?”
Meanwhile they are blowing money like there is no tomorrow and for them, this may be the case.
Word has it that Stelmach will go into an election before he presents a budget to Alberta. This is because the lease money is down; the energy royalties are down at every level and he is still spending to get elected.
If elected again you can be sure that Albertans will be asked to dig into their pockets to pay off the big deficit these guys are creating. There is no way he will dig into the resources for the money he has already short changed us.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Alberta uses clubs to silence protests.
Closure in this case equates to a physical beating of land owners!
Stelmach Government Uses Closure on Bill 46
Edmonton – The Stelmach government is using closure to choke off debate on its contentious
Bill 46, which takes away rights of landowners.
“This government has resorted to the most undemocratic means to ram through this
undemocratic piece of legislation,” says Alberta Liberal Opposition House Leader Laurie
Blakeman.
“This is just another example of this government trampling on the rights of ordinary Albertans,”
says Blakeman. “When Ed Stelmach was chosen as Premier, he promised to be open and
accountable. This makes a mockery of his promise.”
Government House Leader David Hancock served notice in the Legislature that when Bill 46
returns to the House next Monday, debate will be limited to just one hour before the secondreading vote will be called.
The government is also expected to use House rules to limit debate during clause-by-clause
study in committee and on third and final reading.
Blakeman says the Alberta Liberal Opposition has had only four hours to debate the bill so far.
She says the government’s tactics could limit debate to only another five hours.
The government is proposing 22 amendments to the Bill. The Official Opposition has proposed
more than 40 amendments.
Per notes from Liberal Caucus
The protests were not about building power lines. The protests are about giving their land up to people to build power lines on to export electricity without fair renumeration to thoes people who own the land.
Even while this is going on, the Government is doubling the power capacity of the lines south of Calgary to the US border.
Conservatives lie when they say these lines are not for export of electricity!
Get out and vote this time and get rid of these crooks!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Stelmach Government Uses Closure on Bill 46
Edmonton – The Stelmach government is using closure to choke off debate on its contentious
Bill 46, which takes away rights of landowners.
“This government has resorted to the most undemocratic means to ram through this
undemocratic piece of legislation,” says Alberta Liberal Opposition House Leader Laurie
Blakeman.
“This is just another example of this government trampling on the rights of ordinary Albertans,”
says Blakeman. “When Ed Stelmach was chosen as Premier, he promised to be open and
accountable. This makes a mockery of his promise.”
Government House Leader David Hancock served notice in the Legislature that when Bill 46
returns to the House next Monday, debate will be limited to just one hour before the secondreading vote will be called.
The government is also expected to use House rules to limit debate during clause-by-clause
study in committee and on third and final reading.
Blakeman says the Alberta Liberal Opposition has had only four hours to debate the bill so far.
She says the government’s tactics could limit debate to only another five hours.
The government is proposing 22 amendments to the Bill. The Official Opposition has proposed
more than 40 amendments.
Per notes from Liberal Caucus
The protests were not about building power lines. The protests are about giving their land up to people to build power lines on to export electricity without fair renumeration to thoes people who own the land.
Even while this is going on, the Government is doubling the power capacity of the lines south of Calgary to the US border.
Conservatives lie when they say these lines are not for export of electricity!
Get out and vote this time and get rid of these crooks!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Harper and his crew admit their pending defeat.
Harper is in real trouble so he is beating the war drums on crime and punishment. This is an old political trick and, it usually works! The conservatives know we live in fear for our personal well being at every level under his Government so he turns loose the hawks.
Sad but true, there are very few doves in the sky when the media hungry hawks are flying.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Sad but true, there are very few doves in the sky when the media hungry hawks are flying.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Alberta ready to give away still more royalty cash.
Stelmach ready to “tweak” away still more royalty.
His last bit of tweaking was reducing our 25% down to 19%!
His numbers are all over the place. Time lines mixed with color charts and dream schemes.
I really don’t believe Albertans will see one red cent of the propaganda dollars if this batch of Oil Yes Men is voted in again!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
His last bit of tweaking was reducing our 25% down to 19%!
His numbers are all over the place. Time lines mixed with color charts and dream schemes.
I really don’t believe Albertans will see one red cent of the propaganda dollars if this batch of Oil Yes Men is voted in again!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Monday, November 26, 2007
Alberta Electricity a rip off - 4 cents to 12 cents!
Rural Electricity goes from 4 cents to 12 cents
Rural Alberta agrees with urban Alberta that electricity in Alberta is a rip off for no reason other than profit taking.
The Bruderheim-REA has taken the time to document just how bad the Conservatives rip off is and shows in detail what our future will look like under the Conservatives and, it is not good!
ATCO prices in their service areas are much higher than this!
These people are in the Electricity supply business. A very good read of right wing discontent.
The Bruderheim REA amalgamated with Battle River REA as of January 1, 2007. The Bruderheim REA is therefore no longer a legal entity.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Rural Alberta agrees with urban Alberta that electricity in Alberta is a rip off for no reason other than profit taking.
The Bruderheim-REA has taken the time to document just how bad the Conservatives rip off is and shows in detail what our future will look like under the Conservatives and, it is not good!
ATCO prices in their service areas are much higher than this!
These people are in the Electricity supply business. A very good read of right wing discontent.
The Bruderheim REA amalgamated with Battle River REA as of January 1, 2007. The Bruderheim REA is therefore no longer a legal entity.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Friday, November 23, 2007
Pipeline Planned from High Level to McMurray Tar Sands
TransCanada pipelines are planning a pipeline from High Level Alberta into Fort McMurray tar sands.
Although the pipelines have not had the press and exercise the power lines have it is a safe bet Albertan’s will be asked to pay for the line on their utility bill!
I wonder why Trans Canada Pipeline never tell you who is paying for the line when they make their announcements?
John Clarkcyberclark@shaw.ca
Although the pipelines have not had the press and exercise the power lines have it is a safe bet Albertan’s will be asked to pay for the line on their utility bill!
I wonder why Trans Canada Pipeline never tell you who is paying for the line when they make their announcements?
John Clarkcyberclark@shaw.ca
Flaherty takes his lead from Stelmach
Taking his lead from Stelmach’s subsidy to oilfield profits, Flaherty is considering tax breaks to the Manufacturing sector.
The breaks he can give through taxes are miniscule compared to the outright program to replace profits.
Unremarkable, there is no word from either Conservative group that they will cover the high heating or fuel bills brought about by the same problems. Let market forces prevail has no meaning to them when the market is working against their tight group of friends.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
The breaks he can give through taxes are miniscule compared to the outright program to replace profits.
Unremarkable, there is no word from either Conservative group that they will cover the high heating or fuel bills brought about by the same problems. Let market forces prevail has no meaning to them when the market is working against their tight group of friends.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Alberta Oil Sands important details
Oil sands deposits contain approximately 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen.
Approximately 10 % or 174 billion barrels are proven reserves that can be recovered using current technology.
Current economic limit for oil sand surface mining is approximately 80 m. which makes up 20 % of the proven reserves.
Current oil sand production is approximately 1 million barrels per day, 1/2 is from surface mining.
1 million barrels per day at 100.00 per bbl us is 100 million dollars per day US.
1% start up rate returns 1 million dollars per day into royalty funds.
25% agreed production returns 25 million dollars per day in royalties.
19% Stelmach adjusted rate brings in 19 million dollars per day royalties.
Stelmach has moved 6 million dollars per day from Alberta Taxpayers into the hands of the Oil Companies while he is telling us he has found the “middle road” turning even more revenue into oil company’s profits.
For this kind of change, is it any wonder the Conservatives won't go to the polls until after the Canadian dollar hits 85 cents, where it belongs?
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Approximately 10 % or 174 billion barrels are proven reserves that can be recovered using current technology.
Current economic limit for oil sand surface mining is approximately 80 m. which makes up 20 % of the proven reserves.
Current oil sand production is approximately 1 million barrels per day, 1/2 is from surface mining.
1 million barrels per day at 100.00 per bbl us is 100 million dollars per day US.
1% start up rate returns 1 million dollars per day into royalty funds.
25% agreed production returns 25 million dollars per day in royalties.
19% Stelmach adjusted rate brings in 19 million dollars per day royalties.
Stelmach has moved 6 million dollars per day from Alberta Taxpayers into the hands of the Oil Companies while he is telling us he has found the “middle road” turning even more revenue into oil company’s profits.
For this kind of change, is it any wonder the Conservatives won't go to the polls until after the Canadian dollar hits 85 cents, where it belongs?
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Re think the old NEP!
Where is the hurt? It is in the pack of lies handed down by Conservatives and financed by the US dominated oil companies!
The royalty on the tar sands is taken in US dollars. This has been the case since the conception as it was agreed oil would be priced at New York prices, the lowest of the price boards and, is in US$
When the Canadian dollar went up the royalty paid into Alberta was reduced by more than 20% because, our dollar was worth 20% more. The difference between our production costs (royalty) and our market costs shrunk, a straight loss to us.
This Government not being concerned about our losses of revenue instead lowered the royalty rate taken to 19% US$. The extra percentage was taken by the oil companies. This is one reason why the oil stocks were not affected by the high dollar syndrome that has bothered other stocks and dividends.
Syncrude upgraded their plant to include the Firestorm technology which increased output. They argued they should be able to get the 1% start up rates on this and have it listed as a “new” project. The rules as they stood showed this was not a new project but, was an enhanced operating cost of a fully producing project. Hence the 25% (Now 19%) was the rate that should be in place.
Klein went fishing with Syncrude and the “Firestorm” dropped off the media maps. What went down on that fishing trip we will never know for sure. Other projects are incorporating this production into their systems. At who’s expense?
The Conservatives true to their operating plans of destabilizing before privatizing (who would go along with privatizing something if it is working well?) have been deliberately curtailing growth of the Heritage Trust fund by pulling the profits made from investment out of the fund. What trust fund can exist if it is not allowed to reinvest the profits?
What we do know for sure is this Government continues to deal in secrecy and not for the benefit of Albertans. Following their mantra of “minimum taxation” they deliberately confuse royalty revenue with taxes. They have cost this province more money than the old and dated federal National Energy Program. Our enemies are not in Ottawa!
I have said before and I will say again it would be hard to distinguish this Governments actions from that of organized crime.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
The royalty on the tar sands is taken in US dollars. This has been the case since the conception as it was agreed oil would be priced at New York prices, the lowest of the price boards and, is in US$
When the Canadian dollar went up the royalty paid into Alberta was reduced by more than 20% because, our dollar was worth 20% more. The difference between our production costs (royalty) and our market costs shrunk, a straight loss to us.
This Government not being concerned about our losses of revenue instead lowered the royalty rate taken to 19% US$. The extra percentage was taken by the oil companies. This is one reason why the oil stocks were not affected by the high dollar syndrome that has bothered other stocks and dividends.
Syncrude upgraded their plant to include the Firestorm technology which increased output. They argued they should be able to get the 1% start up rates on this and have it listed as a “new” project. The rules as they stood showed this was not a new project but, was an enhanced operating cost of a fully producing project. Hence the 25% (Now 19%) was the rate that should be in place.
Klein went fishing with Syncrude and the “Firestorm” dropped off the media maps. What went down on that fishing trip we will never know for sure. Other projects are incorporating this production into their systems. At who’s expense?
The Conservatives true to their operating plans of destabilizing before privatizing (who would go along with privatizing something if it is working well?) have been deliberately curtailing growth of the Heritage Trust fund by pulling the profits made from investment out of the fund. What trust fund can exist if it is not allowed to reinvest the profits?
What we do know for sure is this Government continues to deal in secrecy and not for the benefit of Albertans. Following their mantra of “minimum taxation” they deliberately confuse royalty revenue with taxes. They have cost this province more money than the old and dated federal National Energy Program. Our enemies are not in Ottawa!
I have said before and I will say again it would be hard to distinguish this Governments actions from that of organized crime.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Monday, November 19, 2007
To answer some questions
To answer some of the questions:
With the dollar at par with the US for the short term, any number of slight of hand graphs and ideas are available to the Government.
The Conventional Oil graph is in Canadian Funds. This is a first. You will recall conventional oil groups asking for “the same deal the tar sands are getting”. Stelmach has responded by putting their royalty into Canadian Dollars away from the traditional US which the contracts were originated on.
This means the money we will receive after the election is 25 – 30% less than the current when the Canadian Dollar moves back to where it should be, at about 85 cents US.
Stelmach will be able to say I published the figures etc.
The charts produced by the Government are chewing gum for the mind, totally out of contest from the reality such as it is. Not meant to be reconciled, only to cause speculation. . Straight line what if projections based on nothing.
Combined with the 19% they are presently charging because it is part of the giant concessions he has made to the oil companies.
The bottom line is you and I have absolutely no idea what the final figures are going to be. Look to the history. We will come up short again, very short.
Time to get an honest Government.
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
With the dollar at par with the US for the short term, any number of slight of hand graphs and ideas are available to the Government.
The Conventional Oil graph is in Canadian Funds. This is a first. You will recall conventional oil groups asking for “the same deal the tar sands are getting”. Stelmach has responded by putting their royalty into Canadian Dollars away from the traditional US which the contracts were originated on.
This means the money we will receive after the election is 25 – 30% less than the current when the Canadian Dollar moves back to where it should be, at about 85 cents US.
Stelmach will be able to say I published the figures etc.
The charts produced by the Government are chewing gum for the mind, totally out of contest from the reality such as it is. Not meant to be reconciled, only to cause speculation. . Straight line what if projections based on nothing.
Combined with the 19% they are presently charging because it is part of the giant concessions he has made to the oil companies.
The bottom line is you and I have absolutely no idea what the final figures are going to be. Look to the history. We will come up short again, very short.
Time to get an honest Government.
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Alberta Auditor General invited to investigate royalty
John Clark
14815 – 123 Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5L 2Y7
November 17, 2007
Fred J. Dunn, FCA, ICD.D. - Auditor General
Office of the Auditor General
8th floor, 9925 - 109 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J8
Canada
Dear Sir:
As was reported extensively by the media (Edmonton Journal) this Government has reduced the contacted 25% royalty on mature tar sands projects down to 19%. This happened at a time when the Canadian Dollar was rising in value.
As with many companies dealing across the border, manufacturing, lumber, agriculture and newsprint, oil producers a crisis of sorts was created more so for some, than others.
Higher Canadian dollars meant higher costs in manufacture or production being paid for by a reduced value based on the lowered value of the agreed tender, the US dollar.
It appears this Government, ever sensitive to the wishes of the Petroleum consortium decided to reduce the royalty to allow more revenue to stay on the corporate side of the books at the sacrifice of taxpayer revenues.
Because the costs of start up are born by the taxpayer by agreement and the costs of production are by large paid for by the taxpayer this move in royalty adjustment could only improve the stock position of these corporations. I have never before heard of a Government cutting taxpayer’s revenue income to enhance the stock market of specific companies. This must surly be illegal!
Considering most if not all of the Government members have shares in the various petroleum companies either held directly or known to exist in their “blind” trusts it must also be a conflict in interest.
I beg you to use the power and influence of your office to investigate further this crass situation.
Yours very truly
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
14815 – 123 Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5L 2Y7
November 17, 2007
Fred J. Dunn, FCA, ICD.D. - Auditor General
Office of the Auditor General
8th floor, 9925 - 109 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J8
Canada
Dear Sir:
As was reported extensively by the media (Edmonton Journal) this Government has reduced the contacted 25% royalty on mature tar sands projects down to 19%. This happened at a time when the Canadian Dollar was rising in value.
As with many companies dealing across the border, manufacturing, lumber, agriculture and newsprint, oil producers a crisis of sorts was created more so for some, than others.
Higher Canadian dollars meant higher costs in manufacture or production being paid for by a reduced value based on the lowered value of the agreed tender, the US dollar.
It appears this Government, ever sensitive to the wishes of the Petroleum consortium decided to reduce the royalty to allow more revenue to stay on the corporate side of the books at the sacrifice of taxpayer revenues.
Because the costs of start up are born by the taxpayer by agreement and the costs of production are by large paid for by the taxpayer this move in royalty adjustment could only improve the stock position of these corporations. I have never before heard of a Government cutting taxpayer’s revenue income to enhance the stock market of specific companies. This must surly be illegal!
Considering most if not all of the Government members have shares in the various petroleum companies either held directly or known to exist in their “blind” trusts it must also be a conflict in interest.
I beg you to use the power and influence of your office to investigate further this crass situation.
Yours very truly
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Friday, November 16, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Conservative Malaise
I have been asked why I am so hard on Conservatives and would I treat other Governments the same.
I respond:
Conservatives have some reasonable ideas, some I like very much. The problem comes in the execution of these plans.
Contracts are more times than not opened behind closed doors and the details of the winning contracts are not made public. In short, they channel all the construction and companies to their private group of friends. Internally these are called “friends”
None of their schemes allow for a fair return to the tax payer or the provincial treasury. This is prevalent in 3P0 projects. The “lowest” bidder gets the project and if they fall short in building the project in any way the taxpayer picks it up. There is no performance guarantees put in place. In the duration profits are taken and because the length of time is so great, many extending over 25 years, who keeps track? Why are all the bids not made public?
Conservatives are long on “Let the market prevail” but very short on this idea when it comes to the provincial resource being sold. The market in these cases is bent beyond recognition. Who can’t make money when they buy the store for 5 cents on the dollar of value and assume 60 years of infrastructure in a few seconds?
In brief, Conservatives have a big problem in keeping their fingers out of the till.
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
I respond:
Conservatives have some reasonable ideas, some I like very much. The problem comes in the execution of these plans.
Contracts are more times than not opened behind closed doors and the details of the winning contracts are not made public. In short, they channel all the construction and companies to their private group of friends. Internally these are called “friends”
None of their schemes allow for a fair return to the tax payer or the provincial treasury. This is prevalent in 3P0 projects. The “lowest” bidder gets the project and if they fall short in building the project in any way the taxpayer picks it up. There is no performance guarantees put in place. In the duration profits are taken and because the length of time is so great, many extending over 25 years, who keeps track? Why are all the bids not made public?
Conservatives are long on “Let the market prevail” but very short on this idea when it comes to the provincial resource being sold. The market in these cases is bent beyond recognition. Who can’t make money when they buy the store for 5 cents on the dollar of value and assume 60 years of infrastructure in a few seconds?
In brief, Conservatives have a big problem in keeping their fingers out of the till.
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Conservatives caught in lies?
Taft hard on the job! A chance for Alberta.
(right click and save to computer to read)
A good review and project on the oil sands
A good amount of research has been put into this article and it covers a broad range of implications from a different angle than I view it. Worth while reading!
john Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
john Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Alberta royality review is a phony.
Alberta oil review charts need a careful read! This document is written so it can be represented as almost anything at a later date.
Oil Royality Rates comparison are taken in Canadian Dollars at a premium with the US dollar. When the Canadian dollar drops to .85 cents as it should be, these numbers will all drop 20% from where. They are.
For a realistic view of the numbers drop the projections down 2 lines!
If in his dealings with the oil companies he reverts to Canadian Dollars away from the USD as has been our standard we stand to loose billions, even on the short term.
When has this Government ever done anything for the population of this province? What they have done is enriched corporation without regard to the cost to individuals then, tell individuals they are getting a good deal not because of any reason but because they say so.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Oil Royality Rates comparison are taken in Canadian Dollars at a premium with the US dollar. When the Canadian dollar drops to .85 cents as it should be, these numbers will all drop 20% from where. They are.
For a realistic view of the numbers drop the projections down 2 lines!
If in his dealings with the oil companies he reverts to Canadian Dollars away from the USD as has been our standard we stand to loose billions, even on the short term.
When has this Government ever done anything for the population of this province? What they have done is enriched corporation without regard to the cost to individuals then, tell individuals they are getting a good deal not because of any reason but because they say so.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Vehicle years taken differently in Canada and US
What are you buying when you buy a US vehicle?
Canadian VIN numbers and year make is taken from the body of the vehicle.
US VIN numbers and body year is taken from the frame or under carriage.
Undercarriage and frames are built usually 1 year before the bodies.
A vehicle sold in the US as a 2007 model is actually a 2006 model when registered under a Canadian system.
This is more a paper/insurance thing than it is a mechanical issue thing.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Canadian VIN numbers and year make is taken from the body of the vehicle.
US VIN numbers and body year is taken from the frame or under carriage.
Undercarriage and frames are built usually 1 year before the bodies.
A vehicle sold in the US as a 2007 model is actually a 2006 model when registered under a Canadian system.
This is more a paper/insurance thing than it is a mechanical issue thing.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Alberta Electricty manipulated - again.
The Conservatives are up to their old games again. Destabilize by what ever means to give them the foundation for what ever change they propose.
Case in point:
It has been reported to the Calgary MLAs are talking about a series of on going brownouts in Alberta in the near future.
Appreciate brownouts don’t happen, they are caused. By accident, two generation stations may close at the same time for upgrade throwing the grid into a brownout condition.
The Conservatives know there is going to be brownouts they then know what to do to avoid them!
Why would these be deliberately triggered?
Their power line construction on the south corridor has been defeated by the public. They need this power line to export power.
By creating brownouts they will be in a position to make the case claiming it is because of the lack of power lines.
Fording Coal is nearly complete their environmental assessment for the building of a power generation plant near Brooks. This plant will be twice the size of Wabamum. The power it will generate will go to Calgary. It may well be complete by the time the power line is built.
AESO claim to have plans of reporting in place that will avoid any brownouts because of plant upgrades or maintenance. If this is true and the brownouts appear as predicted by the MLAs, I would say there is room for legal challenge for any costs accumulated because of a contrived power shortage.
If you have not watched the CBC production “Wise Guys in the Room” I would suggest you find a copy.
Brownouts will make a case for the power supply companies to raise your electrical rates even though their costs remain the same or are lower. They have no accountability unless you hold the city councils responsible and start lighting up their phones.
By the time this Government is trough, there will only be three or four industries in this province that are not servicing the oil patch. In addition to this the health care structure is organized for immediate sale or hand off.
If these guys don’t get out of office in a hurry the province will be owned outright by no more than a half dozen of their selected friends.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Case in point:
It has been reported to the Calgary MLAs are talking about a series of on going brownouts in Alberta in the near future.
Appreciate brownouts don’t happen, they are caused. By accident, two generation stations may close at the same time for upgrade throwing the grid into a brownout condition.
The Conservatives know there is going to be brownouts they then know what to do to avoid them!
Why would these be deliberately triggered?
Their power line construction on the south corridor has been defeated by the public. They need this power line to export power.
By creating brownouts they will be in a position to make the case claiming it is because of the lack of power lines.
Fording Coal is nearly complete their environmental assessment for the building of a power generation plant near Brooks. This plant will be twice the size of Wabamum. The power it will generate will go to Calgary. It may well be complete by the time the power line is built.
AESO claim to have plans of reporting in place that will avoid any brownouts because of plant upgrades or maintenance. If this is true and the brownouts appear as predicted by the MLAs, I would say there is room for legal challenge for any costs accumulated because of a contrived power shortage.
If you have not watched the CBC production “Wise Guys in the Room” I would suggest you find a copy.
Brownouts will make a case for the power supply companies to raise your electrical rates even though their costs remain the same or are lower. They have no accountability unless you hold the city councils responsible and start lighting up their phones.
By the time this Government is trough, there will only be three or four industries in this province that are not servicing the oil patch. In addition to this the health care structure is organized for immediate sale or hand off.
If these guys don’t get out of office in a hurry the province will be owned outright by no more than a half dozen of their selected friends.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Friday, November 09, 2007
More power line rip off coming for Alberta Rate Payers
Does any one really think Alberta is going to come out 20% ahead? Not with this Government!
New plans filed with AESO for a 22 million dollar transmission line from McMurray for the use of North American Oilsands Leismer Facility near McMurray. Project to be built by ATCO. ATCO, headed by Mr. Laugheed who said recently Albertan's should not be expected to pay for all of the highway to McMurray.
This project is strictly to serve the oil companies.
Alberta taxpayers will be expected to pay 100% of this line under the Conservative Governments power line rules.
Beyond this, Stelmach's payment "in kind" trade for crude which is to be sold short or given free to the up graders will mean Albertan's are further in the hole after this deal than they were before it!
If this does not take all the change, it is worth while to note on thier propaganda charts the all the energy revenues with the exception of tar sands is posted in US dollars.
(The government has taken down their site with the .pdf forms showing their projections. This happened directly after I first pointed up the Canadian dollar figure in Tar Sands computations)
The tar sands has changed to Canadian dollars in this exercise of lies. By mid summer at the latest the Canadian Dollar is expected to be back at .85 cents, where it should be!
Couple this change in the exchange rate which will take place after the election with the rest of this circus and you will see there is nothing to be happy about; no win for the people of Alberta but a major loss. A giant Scam!
It would break a snakes back to follow this crew!
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
New plans filed with AESO for a 22 million dollar transmission line from McMurray for the use of North American Oilsands Leismer Facility near McMurray. Project to be built by ATCO. ATCO, headed by Mr. Laugheed who said recently Albertan's should not be expected to pay for all of the highway to McMurray.
This project is strictly to serve the oil companies.
Alberta taxpayers will be expected to pay 100% of this line under the Conservative Governments power line rules.
Beyond this, Stelmach's payment "in kind" trade for crude which is to be sold short or given free to the up graders will mean Albertan's are further in the hole after this deal than they were before it!
If this does not take all the change, it is worth while to note on thier propaganda charts the all the energy revenues with the exception of tar sands is posted in US dollars.
(The government has taken down their site with the .pdf forms showing their projections. This happened directly after I first pointed up the Canadian dollar figure in Tar Sands computations)
The tar sands has changed to Canadian dollars in this exercise of lies. By mid summer at the latest the Canadian Dollar is expected to be back at .85 cents, where it should be!
Couple this change in the exchange rate which will take place after the election with the rest of this circus and you will see there is nothing to be happy about; no win for the people of Alberta but a major loss. A giant Scam!
It would break a snakes back to follow this crew!
John Clark
Cyberclark@shaw.ca
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Saskatchewan turns out 74% of eligible voters!
The Saskatchewan Party wave that began a decade ago in rural Saskatchewan swept into the cities in Wednesday’s provincial election and pushed the New Democratic Party out of power after 16 years.
74 percent of the eligible voters turned out to vote is the real big news. This can happen in Alberta too.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
74 percent of the eligible voters turned out to vote is the real big news. This can happen in Alberta too.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Northern shipping caught by early cold snap??
All is not what it seems in the northern marine world. Fort Good Hope did not get delivered. The reasons are a bit more complex but it could have been avoided.
The short story is that some one made a decision to keep one boat out of the water this year. This one boat did not have to be in the water all year, only for the last 10 days or so. In the past boats have been frozen in, in the north, the crews sent south to Hay River to man still another boat to finish the south end. Or, the boat could have been put on earlier in the year to accommodate the same thing.
The logistics are more complex than I have outlined but the process is the same. Management made a decision not to put the power in the water. That would be a profit and loss decision. The Government will pick up the entire tab and then some for the extra cost of flying and the extended crews to do this.
The weather makes an easy cop out.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=d738b89f-3f66-4db5-bf07-c07973069888
The short story is that some one made a decision to keep one boat out of the water this year. This one boat did not have to be in the water all year, only for the last 10 days or so. In the past boats have been frozen in, in the north, the crews sent south to Hay River to man still another boat to finish the south end. Or, the boat could have been put on earlier in the year to accommodate the same thing.
The logistics are more complex than I have outlined but the process is the same. Management made a decision not to put the power in the water. That would be a profit and loss decision. The Government will pick up the entire tab and then some for the extra cost of flying and the extended crews to do this.
The weather makes an easy cop out.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=d738b89f-3f66-4db5-bf07-c07973069888
Monday, November 05, 2007
Alberta Carbon Credits?
Carbon Credits – A money maker?
When you get BC and Alberta both looking at a form of carbon credit or carbon exchange you have to know it is a scam.
Under the Kyoto protocol every obvious thing is not a carbon credit. It takes some very serious study to see if you are in or out of favor.
For instance if you cut a stand of trees you loose carbon credit. If you replant a forest in its place you do not get a carbon credit because you lost it by cutting it. It is a loss.
If a company in the US cuts the emissions on a Coal Generation unit or enters into a carbon dioxide sump program they may have an excess of carbon credits that they can sell to a company in Canada.
Money changes hands in this case moving from Canada south. It is one way a company has of moving funds around regulators. A transfer of cash is now an investment, not a transfer of profits.
On the other extreme is China which has one of the most advanced electrical generation and transmission systems in the world. China works under a heavy burden of pollution of the coal generation which it is about the change, going to hydro generation with the biggest hydro dam in the world. This should replace some coal generation.
The result is that China will very shortly have multi billions of dollars of carbon credits for sale. Companies in Alberta who change nothing will be able to produce a good picture on paper by buying credits from China.
Environment is on every ones mind. Some on how to protect it others on how to exploit it. Case in point Alberta’s electrical system.
A group of like minded Conservatives met in Lethbridge and decided the best way to curtail the use of power was to increase the price so people could not afford to use it. No consideration was given to distinguish between needed use and frivalent use.
With climate change pushing up our summer heat extremes, air conditioning I think is a necessity but, under the Alberta scheme you will cook rather than turn it on. On the other hand our mean temperatures in the winter are much lower than our competitors in the south. It costs us much more electricity to heat our homes. Competative or not, suck it up is the view.
You can look forward to both Epcor and Enmax pushing their rates ever higher with a view to curtailing your use while targeting the surplus power saved for export at still higher premiums.
Epcor is owned by the City of Edmonton and Enmax is owned by the City of Calgary. All profits are in effect indirect taxation.
Because they are separate companies the councilors can throw their aprons over their faces and say it is out of their control which is a lie.
When you get BC and Alberta both looking at a form of carbon credit or carbon exchange you have to know it is a scam.
Under the Kyoto protocol every obvious thing is not a carbon credit. It takes some very serious study to see if you are in or out of favor.
For instance if you cut a stand of trees you loose carbon credit. If you replant a forest in its place you do not get a carbon credit because you lost it by cutting it. It is a loss.
If a company in the US cuts the emissions on a Coal Generation unit or enters into a carbon dioxide sump program they may have an excess of carbon credits that they can sell to a company in Canada.
Money changes hands in this case moving from Canada south. It is one way a company has of moving funds around regulators. A transfer of cash is now an investment, not a transfer of profits.
On the other extreme is China which has one of the most advanced electrical generation and transmission systems in the world. China works under a heavy burden of pollution of the coal generation which it is about the change, going to hydro generation with the biggest hydro dam in the world. This should replace some coal generation.
The result is that China will very shortly have multi billions of dollars of carbon credits for sale. Companies in Alberta who change nothing will be able to produce a good picture on paper by buying credits from China.
Environment is on every ones mind. Some on how to protect it others on how to exploit it. Case in point Alberta’s electrical system.
A group of like minded Conservatives met in Lethbridge and decided the best way to curtail the use of power was to increase the price so people could not afford to use it. No consideration was given to distinguish between needed use and frivalent use.
With climate change pushing up our summer heat extremes, air conditioning I think is a necessity but, under the Alberta scheme you will cook rather than turn it on. On the other hand our mean temperatures in the winter are much lower than our competitors in the south. It costs us much more electricity to heat our homes. Competative or not, suck it up is the view.
You can look forward to both Epcor and Enmax pushing their rates ever higher with a view to curtailing your use while targeting the surplus power saved for export at still higher premiums.
Epcor is owned by the City of Edmonton and Enmax is owned by the City of Calgary. All profits are in effect indirect taxation.
Because they are separate companies the councilors can throw their aprons over their faces and say it is out of their control which is a lie.
Private Health Care in Alberta alive and well.
In answer to enquiries regarding health care privatization:
Yes, the health regions are private companies and run like private companies. You will find the Minister of Health will avoid entering into any conversation regarding a complaint about the system. He refers all to Capital Health or the appropriate division.
The so called prototypical hospitals that dot Alberta’s landscape from elections past are run by a hospital board. The way these arrangements are structured the hospital boards own the hospital. The Government keeps an eye on the funding totals.
The structure is set up so any hospital, any part of a hospital, any health region can be sold all or in part to who ever the Government decides on selling it to. The Health region is responsible for building new hospitals. That is not to say they cannot sell the same new multi billion hospital to still another private company for a dollar.
The rules in this kind of transaction ring familiar. The Health Region must get a “fair value” for Alberta.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Yes, the health regions are private companies and run like private companies. You will find the Minister of Health will avoid entering into any conversation regarding a complaint about the system. He refers all to Capital Health or the appropriate division.
The so called prototypical hospitals that dot Alberta’s landscape from elections past are run by a hospital board. The way these arrangements are structured the hospital boards own the hospital. The Government keeps an eye on the funding totals.
The structure is set up so any hospital, any part of a hospital, any health region can be sold all or in part to who ever the Government decides on selling it to. The Health region is responsible for building new hospitals. That is not to say they cannot sell the same new multi billion hospital to still another private company for a dollar.
The rules in this kind of transaction ring familiar. The Health Region must get a “fair value” for Alberta.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Alberta - Half of available water going to Oil
Really superb article by Hanneke Brooymans, The Edmonton Journal
Quote in part:
"We have no idea what the effects of all these allocations might be," said Bill Donahue, an independent water research scientist who has worked with renowned ecologist David Schindler.
"What I think is most alarming is that the province has never had any plan for development in Alberta, and they continue to approve and promote very water-intensive industries, and again they have minimal understanding of their water supply.
They have no understanding of the effects of climate change and what they're going to be on the water supplies of Alberta."
Another factor is the consumptive use of the up graders. They will use the water to produce steam, some of which will evaporate from cooling towers. And about 20 to 25 per cent will be used to make hydrogen, said Peter Symons, a Petro-Canada spokesman.
If this figure is applied to the water licenses for all the up graders, up to 25 billion liters of river water a year could be used to produce hydrogen. That would be water that doesn't return to the river.
Petro-Canada has opted to use treated waste water from a regional treatment plant to lessen its overall environmental impact.
This offers an explanation to a lot of things. For instance, the amount of electrical power it will take to turn this amount of water into Hydrogen and Oxygen or Hydrogen. In some of the popular programs there is a large amount of Carbon Dioxide made. This is usually pumped down hole into underground or under water storage.
This of course leaves the door open for the Conservatives to offer further tax breaks to the Oil Companies as the “Carbon Credit Made In Alberta Plan” where apparently no money is to be paid out for buying carbon credits.
Under Kyoto, this type of carbon saving would not be allowed. The carbon is being taken from a “bound” source. That is the carbon is not loose in the atmosphere. In effect this process as far as carbon dioxide is concerned does nothing for the environment.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Quote in part:
"We have no idea what the effects of all these allocations might be," said Bill Donahue, an independent water research scientist who has worked with renowned ecologist David Schindler.
"What I think is most alarming is that the province has never had any plan for development in Alberta, and they continue to approve and promote very water-intensive industries, and again they have minimal understanding of their water supply.
They have no understanding of the effects of climate change and what they're going to be on the water supplies of Alberta."
Another factor is the consumptive use of the up graders. They will use the water to produce steam, some of which will evaporate from cooling towers. And about 20 to 25 per cent will be used to make hydrogen, said Peter Symons, a Petro-Canada spokesman.
If this figure is applied to the water licenses for all the up graders, up to 25 billion liters of river water a year could be used to produce hydrogen. That would be water that doesn't return to the river.
Petro-Canada has opted to use treated waste water from a regional treatment plant to lessen its overall environmental impact.
This offers an explanation to a lot of things. For instance, the amount of electrical power it will take to turn this amount of water into Hydrogen and Oxygen or Hydrogen. In some of the popular programs there is a large amount of Carbon Dioxide made. This is usually pumped down hole into underground or under water storage.
This of course leaves the door open for the Conservatives to offer further tax breaks to the Oil Companies as the “Carbon Credit Made In Alberta Plan” where apparently no money is to be paid out for buying carbon credits.
Under Kyoto, this type of carbon saving would not be allowed. The carbon is being taken from a “bound” source. That is the carbon is not loose in the atmosphere. In effect this process as far as carbon dioxide is concerned does nothing for the environment.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Alberta right wing parties appear to split the votes.
We have two new right wing parties showing up to win over the goose stepping hearts of Alberta.
The Alberta Alliance is further right wing than the present Blue Conservatives. They support all the Fraser Institute ideals of a fence around Alberta. These people in my mind represent the very worst kind of extreme there is. Private police forces, walk away from the Canada Pension Plan. A separate country if need be.
In brief they are a bunch of fundamentalists who want the power for themselves and, what ever harp they play or what ever drum they beat they will, to get that power.
The Wild Rose Party is another right wing goose stepping outfit. There is no such thing as social conservatives any more.
Both parties enjoy the support of the Stelmach Government. Anything that will split the vote is a good thing for them.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca.
The Alberta Alliance is further right wing than the present Blue Conservatives. They support all the Fraser Institute ideals of a fence around Alberta. These people in my mind represent the very worst kind of extreme there is. Private police forces, walk away from the Canada Pension Plan. A separate country if need be.
In brief they are a bunch of fundamentalists who want the power for themselves and, what ever harp they play or what ever drum they beat they will, to get that power.
The Wild Rose Party is another right wing goose stepping outfit. There is no such thing as social conservatives any more.
Both parties enjoy the support of the Stelmach Government. Anything that will split the vote is a good thing for them.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca.
Alberta muzzels protests!
Bill 46 which comes up for final reading this sitting and will be pushed through by Stelmach and his energy companies will eliminate the right to protest in regards to the power schemes and, will also impact by way of precedence the right to protest the privatization of water and the associated pipelines.
cyberclark@shaw.ca
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
John Clark
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