The Conservative Game plan for survival and you alternatives

We have elections coming up in less than 2 years.  Investors are showing no interest in
Alberta's tar sands as evidenced by the extremely  low bids on the last land leases.

The Conservatives are spinning every little thing into a bigger, more promising picture that simply does not exist.  The new Tar Sands projects (India's will be announced shortly if the new west coast pipeline is a go.

They are hanging their hats on a rash of empty promises; out right lies in many cases.  They need to create 15 thousand jobs by the time the election is called.  And, not just any job but high paying oil jobs.  Most of the new workers finding shallow low paying jobs are foreigners.  Their earnings go home to families abroad it doesn't stay in Alberta!

The Wild Rose Party a twin to the Conservatives except for their more extreme ideas which involves dismantling Canada and isolating Alberta are like the Conservatives spinning stories of glory with no substance at all.

Any new projects started won't be in the construction stage for over 5  to 10 years! Long after they have tried to survive another election.

The Conservatives tried to steal 8 billion dollars in pension money from the largest union in Alberta. They played this close with AIMCo  who happened to declare a 7 billion dollar loss due to bad investments.  And, the Conservatives said it was lost money attributing their 6 billion dollar expenditure on a make work program for the oil patch as coming from taxpayers.

Canada's largest union said "keep your hands off our pensions" and threatened to sue the Government and Aimco.   The result was, the Conservatives did more of their slight of hand book keeping and now say there is a shortfall in pension funds of 8 billion dollars.  Which means taxpayers are on hooks for it which is as it should be!    Caught in a bald face lie and a case of outright thievery they finally relented.

The Conservative plans have not worked out at all.  Both federally and provincially they have proved to be utter and total failures.  Attached you will find some graphs put out by a Doctorate in Economics.  Which shows just how bad their failure is!

This does not include the 700 billion dollars ripped from the Heritage Trust fund and put into general revenues making the ridiculous 10% flat tax possible.

Yes, it is a good time for Harper and Redford to spend time aboard trying to look like they are doing business with countries who have nothing to answer.

On the other hand the Alberta Liberals have met point on point every problem thrown up and have produced realistic policy changes to set this province on a correct course!
Reduce funding to Private schools (now get the majority of funding as Conservatives press to do away with the public school system

Do away with the mega health board  that will curtail greatly the privatization of medicine in this province and secure the ever failing universal coverage.

Protect and properly market the petroleum and gas shipped from this province.

Rail?  Shipping oil by rail cost between 2.00 and 2.50 per barrel!  Shipping the same material by pipeline costs 1/5 of that amount!  Take control of the rate of expansion of the tar sands.

Get involved in tuition for Grads and students in general.

And there is much more.  Take the time to look at the Liberal agenda! http://liberalopposition.com/

While you are at it consider the oil industry paid off the 700 thousand dollar debt accumulated by Mr. Taft.

The Liberals are so blessed by oil; you have nothing to fear there either!

You have nothing to fear as far as your jobs are concerned.  Typically at election time the Conservatives having no policies and a history of failure  will simply rant "jobs, Jobs and Jobs!"  Oil companies  will run adds for various professional and non professional positions but if you apply for those same positions you will be told nothing is going to happen for several years, just collecting names.

The Conservatives got a majority Government and the Wild Rose Nutters http://albertathedetails.blogspot.com/2012/08/alberta-putting-aside-fear-what-do-we.html  because only 21 % of the people who could vote, voted.

There is talk recently about Norway's success.  And, a lot of Conservative BS surrounds that conversation. 

The facts are that Norway has a large segment of their population educated with University degrees.  Not so Alberta.   Because they are educated they turn out to vote. Turn out is over 70%  They keep their Government honest.

If just 1/4 of the protesters (who are living in Alberta) voted you could throw the Conservative trash out!

The NDP is simply a vote splitter now;  they have not put out a policy on anything.  Big move is "to come up the center"   When I asked them their views on shutting down the oil industry such as I have heard their answer  was "We cannot be responsible for what our members say!  Scary!

'RCMP should have been contacted earlier,' CATSA admits after airport pipe bomb discovery | CTV News

'RCMP should have been contacted earlier,' CATSA admits after airport pipe bomb discovery | CTV News

This is a lot to do about nothing.  The kid had a pipe for all intent and purpose an empty pipe that he adequately explained.

People watch too many American Movies!  There is a great difference between the US explosives laws and the Canadian Laws!  It's not like the movies!

In Canada if you were to mix baking soda and water in a jar the purpose being to blow up your house, you can be charged under the explosives act!   It is the intent that makes it an explosive in Canada; not the success or the lack of it!   This I think, is a good thing.

Don't forget that it is the intent, admitted, that at some point he and his friends were meddling with a pipe bomb like any normal kid in today's society.  Making rocket fuel or doubling up rocket motors to make a bang same thing; you can be charged under the explosives act.

No one was negligent at this airport; they used common sense.  This is a piece of pipe, nothing more, nothing less and you can't take it on the plane so, you get rid of it; it is not up to us to clean your garbage from your bag.

Lighten up people and take the time to know what you are doing and saying before you start.  That, is called responsibility.

Highway 19 Enough of the Political Lies and Engineering incompetence!

There is a plan for highway 19 alright!  It is not to be worked on until 2 other highways are fully  completed one being highway 53 into Fort McMurray which will take at least 10 years and cost twice as many lives in traffic on highway 19.  There is no budget for highway 19 in the Governments figures, that’s how far away things are.   All communities involved are aware of this. Between them they keep the ball in the air.

But, rather than mitigate some of the traffic disasters they chooses to turn a blind eye.  Considering these disasters were caused by stop lights that were slammed into place for a visual political plus and no thought put into how they were going to operate.  They have never been synchronized.

George Rogers the one time MLA for Devon did absolutely nothing for this town in regards to that highway when the opportunity was there.  I'm sure he's still treading water he is very low on the Conservative totem! 

The big screw up is the lights at the intersection of Airport Road, the 711 store and West jet parking.   2 sets of lights not synchronized at all. No thought given to traffic only thought being having a visual traffic post show they did something.

The results are horrendous if you have to drive it. 

The West Light starts red with a sold line of traffic waiting to go through it.

This string of traffic reaches back to the East set of lights.

At the East set of Lights there are people coming from Leduc, Nisku and Highway number two trying to get into a precious slot of any kind!  They have pulled across the oncoming traffic lane solidly blocking it waiting for a light change where, just maybe traffic that comes in on the light change will allow them to finish making the turn.  Traffic shut down 3 ways for hours at times.

If the vehicle happens to be a large truck it will take 5 changes of lights before it gets lined up behind a light to go straight ahead.   Traffic both ways are block solid for 5 changes and catch-up is a game of nerves.

If you happen to work at the Airport as many in Devon and Leduc do, it is a case of driving in the ditch to get into the Airport and looking for a 2 count break in traffic to crash through to get home. 

Because of this Governments absolute lack of commitment  for this area it is a death trap waiting to happen (still again).

The article would not be complete without talking maintenance on that extremely high traffic road.   The service roads (36 St Provincial jurisdiction) are not sanded.   The whole highway 19 is a sheet of ice at the best of times with only a the very minimum  of effort and material put in to make the drive anything other than a death wish.   Fresh snow make a windblown skating rink and no sanders are ever seen on that road!

Industry from Nisku  traffic from Calmar and Devon use this highway and, it is the route given to permitted truckloads by the Department of Highways compounding the risks!   This invites the use of the large high powered pickup trucks with one person singing along, owning the road at 30 km faster than the general 80 km/hr the road allows.   On the gas and on the brakes.  Ignorant bastards inconsiderate of any one else on the road and on a daily basis leap-frogging traffic; cutting off a dozen vehicles every trip to Nisku with every impunity.

Where do you go in this Government to find accountability of the maintenance contractors or the sloppy planning of engineers capable of better?  Or of the acknowledgement that is is the Government that is killing people on that horrible stretch of road, not the drivers.

Map:

One light problem is at the 635-19 marker (above highway 2 North).  This access loop from 2 rushes in to close this light and will stay immobile for 7 or more light changes if a large truck is in play. (This is the preferred route for Alberta highways to permit large loads by)  Because of no synchronization all lights are compromised!

To the left; Range Rd 251B intersects with 36 St E across highway 19

Morning traffic  from Calmar Devon etc are trying for 2 destinations.  The main batch being Nisku; now blocked  by the light above.  Traffic at this point may stretch 15 km west along highway 19.   Vehicles at this point, (usually larger pickups bought for that reason) travel on the shoulder, partially in the ditch in a crush to get to the 36st turnoff into the Airport.

 In the evenings people trying to get home risk their lives;  yes! Really! To get onto highway 19 westbound.  Beyond the split second timing there is the problem of very poor maintenance on this road so there is no grit on the road either 19 or 36 st to provide traction for a quick and controlled crossing.

Devon AB Trails

Before walking we enjoy some wild life in our front yard.

:Loki in his winter coat investigates.

Town Trails even in this extreme snowfall are cleared.  That adds Quality of Life.

Snowshoeing has become popular in and around Devon!  Snowshoe enthusiasts keep trails open for family walks and adventure in the outdoors.

Devon Town trails are all designated "Dogs on Leash"  or "Lead" as some of us say. This is one of the many poop boxes for recovered efforts.  The other side of these containers has a small attachment for dog poop pickup bags.   Now, that is really quality of life!

There must be 30 km of walking trails around Devon.  I don't know the figure but have never run out of somewhere new to go!  And, kept beautifully! Thanks Town of Devon.

Think family outings as you view these pictures.  This is the start of the "Creek Trail" and is designated Dogs on Leash.  The pictures following are a progression down this trail.(one of several trails)

The ever active snowshoe people have broken trail in places that is hard to imagine!

Here, Loki is curious about a beaver slide trail going towards the creek.

This snowshoe trail is leading into the den area of the coyotes!  This person should have had some protests from the little guys.

 Loki is a breed called  "Giant Decker"  He loves the snow but hasn't got the hair for it.

Redford goes to India-Theater!

Redford's trip to India is all political theater; part of an even larger venue.

India was obliged to shut down much of its nuclear electrical generation under pressure from the US. This left them with buckets of money which they loaded onto their power people telling them to get some petroleum generation going.

This crew came to Alberta begging to invest multi billions of dollars into the oil sands. 1 Condition; must have pipeline access guaranteed to west coast shipping.

Harper rigged the rules for the hearings. Consequently all environmentalists were knocked out of the conversation. They are doing the same thing on Kinder Morgan in the BC hearings.

Now we have Premier Redford in India on an extended stay under the pretense she is shopping when in reality she is telling them the fix is in the pipeline is a go! 

Her stay is extended; she is nowhere in sight for the shake down of the horrible record of kids who died while in Government care. She's nowhere in sight although the time covers her political tenure.  As Attorney General for many of these years involving deaths, Redford would have immediate and imminent knowledge and had every opportunity to change the system but chose to control the flow of information to its maximum.

Redford took office as Minister of Justice and Attorney General on March 12, 2008 to the end of Stelmach Government for those of  you who want to keep score.

This is part of the reason for her extended stay in India! 

This Government like no other is about self gratification, theater and their own personal rewards! 

The cost of shipping by rail is 10 to 15 dollar per barrel and the cost of shipping pipeline is 1/5th of that.
One doesn't have to be an accountant to follow the dots!

Christie is pushing it all onto the fed when in reality she is part of the original conception. 

Appropriate links can be found here The cost of shipping by rail is 10 to15 dollar per barrel and the cost of shipping pipeline is 1/5th of that.  Rail is a temporary shipping method until such time as the Pipeline is moving oil.

Conservatives are so deep in trouble Ruters News Service will not put up Critical posts.

The prices of oil are no less than great!  They can sell every drop they can produce.  We have pipelines to handle everything we are producing.  What we don't have is sufficient west coast connection to keep India happy thereby attracting their investment.  Redford isn't over there for the fishing!

China is in the same boat but have committed to a great extent.

The point is, Alberta collects zero for royalty.  The next lowest royalty is Montana stuck at 17% by the Republicans as they were leaving office.
Post not allowed by Ruters:
Ruters Story :
Zacks stock news reports that it costs 5 times more to ship rail than  it does pipeline. Let's follow that.
Zacks tell us Alberta is paying between 2.50 and 2.00 per bbl of oil to ship rail That means Alberta is paying .40 or .50 cents a barrel to ship by pipeline. They allowed Kinder Morgan to rip off the industry with higher pipeline charges on their new line.

The point is Alberta's revenue is looking hundreds of billions of dollars a year simply because Albertans are stuck on a Conservative vote which has done nothing but rob them blind  (Over 700 billion ripped from the heritage Trust fund and plopped into General Revenue to be spent in place of tax money; hence the 10% flat tax of which the general public pay 40% of the total!   There are some real eye openers here.  Get rid of the oil companies personal politics that is  Wild Rose and Conservatives.   Oil put up the cash to pull the Liberals out of debt.  That means they are oil friendly.   Take a look at Sherman's ideas as they roll out.

Alberta Electricity highest priced in North America!

The new power lines are DC whereas the existing ones are AC. AC causes the electromagnetic disturbance people complain about. NIMBYs use it as an excuse to keep "unsightly" power lines out of their neighborhood and the DC has none; they will have to find new complaints.

The DC power lines are larger in diameter than the AC. This is because AC travels in the line and DC travels on the outside of the line. DC does not have the reactance problems (resistance) that AC has so power companies can more exactly meet the actual demand rather than over guess it to prevent outages.
Power companies are looking at a 20% savings in costs adding the same to their profit lines. This 20% would pay for the new power lines 3 times over! But the Conservatives are telling you your power bills are going to go up to pay for the lines.
This is compounded where the cities use the higher chargers either for the electricity or single line charges as a tax bases; this is indirect taxation! 

So long as this province is stuck on PC or WRP who are arguably worse, the middle class will continue to take a beating!

The Calgary Herald who authored the story will not allow posts that are contrary to both the Conservatives and the Wild Rose Party!.  Yeltsin's story sources are subject of another post.

AutoStart

A holiday break away from politics.  Protect the consumers.
I  had the need to replace a tried and proven remote starter and by a series of defaults I ended up at "Visions".

I told the man what I needed; and he recommended the AUTOSTART  Model as-23TW-FM-V

This unit is said to have 3500 feet of effective communication.

NOT SO!

From the center of a store to the Handicap area- No Response.

From the Doorway of the same store to the rear (not back) of their parking lot.  NO RESPONSE.
There was a dozed snowbank in the area.

What is it good for by default.  From your living room to your street side!

VISIONs who guarantee the world said they should have recommended the unit that was good for 1 mile.  Good for a mile when 3500 feet wont cover a block?? And it would cost me another 700 dollars to fix this oversight!

Fast and loose with number I would say.

My recommendations:  Stay away from Visions for remote car starters.
                                 : Stay clear of AUTOSTART!

Alberta Conservatives turn health care back still another notch!

Using industry figures 75% of people over 60 will develop cataracts!.  Up until very recently there was only one type of lens which could be used for optimal success.

Unfortunately if one has Astigmatism (35% of the population) that part of the treatment had to remain an eyeglass prescription.

Now, a new development is the ACR Sof  IQ  TORIC lens.

This sweetheart will also fix the Astigmatism encountered by 35 percent of the population.  However the patient has to pay 1000 dollars per lens to cover extra time and costs (procedure said to take 15 mins) Patient will still need reading glasses.

What the Conservative have done is eliminate 35% of the population from health care coverage for lens replacements for cataracts!.   This even though it is the only common sense solution to the problems.  This is not an "upgrade" of the service..It is now a common necessity.  Seniors take another beating again relegated to 2nd class citizenship; again.

Alberta Update and; its really bad!

There is a Provincial Election just around the corner; even quicker if the Conservatives are successful in bringing up their sagging fortunes.

They have robbed the Heritage Savings and Trust fund of more than 700 billion dollars!  This was done by restricting growth at 5% and taking everything else out of the fund and putting it into General Revenues to be spent along with the other taxes and miscellaneous revenues.

Plus they have abandoned Alberta's royalty which was contracted, leaving it on the profit side of the oil majors.  Alberta producers have been robbed on going with the Brent oil pricing which was no where to be seen 10 years ago.  It is a pricing invention of the Conservatives and the Oil Industry; a tool to further reduce Alberta's fortunes.  Now, their press releases are reduced to "Alberta Looses Millions because of price drops etc. They are talking a projected number of taxes not collected or not available.

Like the Wild Rose Party who's election was run and funded by the oil companies they fully  believe the resources of this province belong to the oil industry, not the people of Alberta.  This is simply Conservative philosophy!

Add to this massive loss to the province the 10% flat tax which is designed entirely for the oil companies saving them more billions while robbing the province.

Now, with a leadership convention around the corner Redford is buying newspaper space to promote how busy and effective she is.

When Christie Clark was in trouble in the BC election she came to Alberta with a public posture that Alberta would pay a great deal before a pipeline would be allowed.  I said at the time the deal was already in place for the northern pipeline; it was all theater!  Now, Redford in the same boat heads for BC and bring back news of a pipeline which has been agreed upon since its conception.

The deals made on pipelines, health care, power lines and generation are all made at the VERY PRIVATE MEETINGS OF PNWER of which Saskatchewan has hosted meetings on more than one occasion.  It is at these meetings it is decided who will announce a "new" program and what press releases to make both sides of the border so that it looks like a large group of individual companies are on side when in reality it is a closed room leaving the party to pull favors from friends.

Total Summary of PNWER This is a club that is very private an attracts people from the Fraser Institute and represents the US Republican agenda far more than any Canadian agenda. 

PNWER is a US Republican Canadian Conservative private club!  Alberta his hosting this years get together   The party (venue) is set to run November 13th to 16th inclusive at Banff.

The papers are awash with news of pipelines and tar sands projects coupled with big money names from abroad and Foreign countries waiting on our doorstop to get a good deal. Its hard to open any paper without seeing something of that nature.

More often you are hearing of the high cost of real estate for schools and the high cost of maintenance for these often neglected schools.  This means  a longer travel for your kids.  It also leaves the opportunity for a private school to be built  closer.  Private schools get the lions share of provincial funding!   This creeping malaise "Conservationism" is forcing public education to the back shelf while pushing the private school concepts forward  as being better and cheaper if only because the public system is too expensive for them.

You are on the verge of loosing your public school system- it is the Republican way!

University funding cuts have been met with a Hummm. from the public.  So Sad.  They are frozen at 1986 levels much less than that now. Your kids are being forced into trade schools; when you sort out the costs and availability you will find you really don't have choice.  

Your high school curriculum is being further reduced to meet the demands of trade school entrance.  This while any number of secondary educators are calling themselves Universities and offering degrees based on this lower entry.  They say they are the same and if you want to go to a real university just pick up your books and walk over there.   

Nothing could be further from the truth!   To move from one of these store front universities to the U of A as an example, your kid will have to upgrade his courses.  That could take him/her 6 months or a year more in school!  And, it costs!  Thousands more!.   Take the time to find out who will employ your kid after they get one of these new degrees.  You will be very surprised when their prospective employers says "Who?" when they are given the name of the local  retail university.  Followed by "Sorry but---!"

I'm calling Bullshit!

Most of the parties mentioned have no exploration leases.  The ones who do have, have not made a step into the field for survey.   Most have not even seen the properties.  This means absolutely nothing is going to happen until long after the next Provincial Election! 

The citizens of this province are being duped. The only money moving is pension funds and without full disclosure that can only be a bad thing.

There will be no new tax income for this province for about 6 or 8 years; beyond still another election.

This document would not be complete without mention of the new power lines; Direct Current.  The new power lines towers and so on are all being paid for by the Alberta Consumers and most are being built by foreign labour forces.  There is no win win on this project for Alberta.  The contrary; its another bleed bleed bleed!

Why the push for DC power above our existing AC system?  Not so straight forward which makes it very easy to manipulate the truth in the news media and feed the public their endless appetite for lies.  They count on the population's greed to propel them into accept BS unquestionably.  They count on electorate ignorance in thinking their personal lot is the same as every ones and it is mystic, distant fortunes who has all but collapsed their incomes.

The DC power lines allow more of the produced power to reach the market place!  Up to 20% more power which means producers are on the cusp of a 20% increase in profits with very little proportionate overhead investment on their part.  No supplier has said they will pass this 20% on in rate reductions!  No!  They have said your power costs will double in the next several years.  

Your crash course in Electricity.

DC travels on the outside of the wire.  AC travels on the inside of the wire. The wire diameters in DC power lines are greater than in the present AC lines.  They weigh more!

Much of the power put on to AC power lines is lost though "reactance" AKA  micro "resistance".  OHM's law does not work on high power.  The electricity cannot be stored.  What is not used is brought to ground and dissipated.  This is also part of the loss.

DC power on the line does not have a resistance to contend with so how much to put on the line to get to the final destination so to speak is nearly finite.  Because the allotments are more accurate little is wasted though the bleed off.  More cash in the pockets of the producers.

DC does not produce and electrostatic field around the power line!  This puts the NIMBY arguments of irradiating their kids and other horror, nonsense stories out the window so to speak.  The DC power towers carry more weight in wire so are built lower and carry more strands.  Now it will be okay to park school buses under the DC lines where not so much under AC lines.

A point not to be overlooked; the power lines were there long before the houses were built.  Who should move?  And, real problems arrive at the door step or, are they playing us like a harp?  I think half a dozen of one and 6 of the other.

The Globe and Mail allowed until yesterday posts and open conversation in their comment section.  Not so any more.  Conservatives are really circling the wagons.  The dissent reports coming from the Calgary Convention are not about what you may think. They are about knowing they will not be elected again why won't Harper bang through the rest of his hate full policies.  On the Globe; one can speculate this is who Harper is going to hand off the CBC to!  Insiders advise me Harper is going to resign before the next election in hopes it will raise that party's image. 

Gulf Coast crude prices plunge

The article starts out:

Saturday, November 02, 2013

OIL U.S. Gulf Coast crude prices are plunging to an all-time low against foreign oil as a flood of domestic production offers refiners a less-expensive alternative to cargoes from overseas.

Light Louisiana Sweet crude averaged $6.54 a barrel less than dated Brent in October, the lowest level on record, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Refinery maintenance reduced demand while new pipelines and rail terminals increased supply from the inland U.S. and Canada. The Gulf Coast received the least amount of light, or low-density, foreign oil in September since the government began publishing data in 1986.

There has been trillions of dollars in total ripped out of this province; ripped out of your family and your kids futures.   If you don't get out and vote, nothing will change.  If you vote the same way each time you can expect to get the same result.

I said earlier I would be backing the NDP this election but their complete lack of positions on anything has made me re asses that idea.

The Alberta Liberals on the other hand have come forward with some really good policies. Do away with funding private schools!  That would fix 1000 problems!.   Move away from the 10% flat tax to normal progressive tax program.  Now, that is progressive and means billions more in the provincial coffers.  It effects oil a lot more than the automotive dealer or the store down the street!  In fact both of those stores will profit greatly by these policies.  

There is no doubt Sherman is Conservative but he is displaying a truly progressive line of thinking and is available to defend it.  Gotta like that!