Water rights

[cowman]

Ralph Klein has made a lot of noise lately about water. About charging people for water. Not the transmission costs(Which is what city people now pay)but an actual cost or tax on every liter you use. He spouts off about conservation, environment etc. when in fact it is probably about the money.
Now this whole concept is alarming to the Agricultural industry! I mean how can we afford any more costs when we aren't really making it as it is? And if it comes down to the high bidder gets the water who do you think will win?
Unfortunately for Klein he may have screwed up when he had us register our water rights. I suspect there will be some pretty good court battles in the next few years over water rights? But like our American models(who Klein puts such store in) I do believe we will prevail. Water rights are real property just like mineral rights. In the late seventies Lougheed tried his best to steal our mineral rights but he lost big time in the courts.
So if you have lots of water be ready to defend it. It might be worth a lot more than oil or gold someday!

[raymondb]

Cowman-perhaps Mr. Klein did nor screw up. Perhaps Mr. Klein had enough forsight to allow us to register our water sources and requirements to protect us. I like to think more positive as it is very easy to become negative and really down with all the crazy things happening to us now.

[cowman]

Well Raymond, perhaps you are right! And I certainly hope so! However it has been my experience that big government is always looking for more money to blow on their various schemes. Lets face it the Alberta Tories are not exactly "tight" money managers? Klein started out looking pretty tough but has since failed pretty badly at running a tight ship, despite all the rhetoric.
I am sure we'll get the same old story we got with private freehold mineral rights...We all own the natural resources of Alberta...why shouldn't we ALL benifit from this natural resource. Plays well to the peasants for sure! The fact of the matter is the majority of the benifits go to the elite, if you will. If there was a true distribution of the natural resources then everyone would get a check in the mail(as is done in Alaska...which incidently was about $4,000 US/person last year)and the Alberta government would have to act in a fiscally responsible manner.