Welfare for oil apparently needed in AB too.

[ajl]

Abandoned wells are big problem in AB as well as SK. In AB the government pays the SLR on abandoned but not reclaimed wells so the taxpayer is on the hook here either way now that the royalty income is long gone. We are facing a depression in Canada that will not be ending any time soon. Eventually the landowner will be on the hook for the cleanup. I used to like SLR but now don't think I want a well on my land. Notely has not gone begging to the FEDs yet because it was Wall's idea. We are poorer than we think.

[nicolaas]

I know that emplyees of oil companies still getting bonuses, though the wages have been cut. It is very important that employee bonuses continue, how else do the CEO's justify their millions? Don't worry, taxpayers will pick up the tab.

[wmoebis]

I have some old abandoned yard sites and rock piles on my farm. I wonder if tax payers would help pay to clean them up too?

[Hamloc]

My understanding is that Brad Wall proposed the abandoned well clean up as a way to put unemployed oil workers back to work but it has been received by some as welfare to oil companies, very unfortunate.

Also interesting to note that all Trudeau came up with for Alberta was 700 million already allocated by Harper. He is now ready to give another billion to Bombardier. Let see now 1 billion to one company in Quebec, 700 million to 4 million people in Alberta, Canada is certainly governed equally isn't it!

[Hamloc]

Interesting view of pollution taken from NASA here's the link:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=77283

Cities have a larger pollution footprint than the oil sands.

[Hopalong]

Some landowners have come to expect windfall profit from oil companies.
Heard recently of one who agreed to clean up lease and it cost him the full amount agreed to.

[mcfarms]

excuse me? "Some landowners have come to expect windfall profit from oil companies. "
Are you serious? due to split titles and the tilted playing field gov't has giving these companies in order to get the tax revenues from the production of minerals farmers have had these weed spreading, fast driving, rock throwing, land owner dismissive darlings thrust upon our lands whether we wanted them or not. Are you really suggesting now after the mess is left the landowner should be responsible? I don't believe the taxpayer not the Landowner should be on the hook pretty sure we could sell some of the big houses in Palm Springs and clean up quite a few sites.

[Horse]

This oil fiasco is like the civil service, Some where they got all this money handed to them and now they think it is there right to collect Now our problem is to figure out how to return to a more realistic rate of pay in comparison to current economic times. Once you give it is realy hard to get it back.
Rember king Ralph , he took 5% from cicil service and they are still crying today even after they have got it all back.
Hey Klayse get on here and defend your $1500/day salery now.!!

[nicolaas]

the oil companies were obviously not putting enough into the reclamation Kitty. Maybe we need less yes men in politics, and make the companies pay up when times are good? These low prices will last for years, the world is producing 1 million barrels/day excess even without Iran selling. We allowed ourselves to get screwed by our ideologically blind politicians once again; putting corporate interests before public. The taxpayer will continue to subsidize these guys.
Maybe the Petro Canada from 30 years ago was the way to go?...If taxpayers are liable anyways?

[Hopalong]

Just as with farmer- grain company deals and relationships some land owner-oil company deals leave one side thinking they should have got more.
One of more difficult aspects is when owner sells land and reserves surface lease payments.
New owner may get stuck with extra costs and no offsetting revenue.
One solution might be envirionmental assessment before buying any questionable land,especially in cases where payments go to somebody else.

[Oliver88]

The idea to reclaim oil well sites was proposed by a business owner in Weyburn. The idea was to utilize people who were already on employment insurance and get them to do constructive work since the government is already paying them.
From what I understand, Wall liked the idea and passed the proposal on to the federal government.

I actually like the idea brought up to clean up rock piles as well. People on employment insurance could be utilized to complete a long list of tasks for farms, oil companies, parks, etc.

[ajl]

EI is an insurance program just like your home or car insurance. You pay for it out of your paycheck so when certain things happen you get benefits. Your employer also pays premium which is fair as the layoff is his call. I think the guy who originally floated the idea was concerned about his company which likely owes finance companies on equipment purchases made recently.