ATCO

[cowman]

I saw on the news last night that ATCO is requesting that the Alberta Utilities board allow them to raise prices for natural gas 45%! They cite rising costs as the reason they need this increase.
That got me thinking how nice for ATCO! I think I will write my MLA, Klein, and MacClellan and request a 45% increase in my cow welfare check, citing rising costs as a justification for more money! Now lets see...instead of $180/cow I should get $261/cow? Well that looks a little better, doesn't it? Oh and I'm afraid I might need a further increase in a month or two as my costs keep rising thanks to the likes of ATCO, REA, Telus, Wawanesa, Esso etc.! Maybe it is time we had a Cow Welfare Board to rubber stamp our demands for more money?

[Horse]

I was of the impression that we already have a welfare system for cows its called crown lease land worth about 100 Mill per yr to app 4000 luckey pertisipants.That is here in Ralphs World

[boone]

Horse: well now Don Quixote you've gone and done it, stand back sh__ storm at 12:00 oclock. And I thought all the devils advocates had been exposed here.

[cowman]

I don't think it is quite that high. The last time I heard(a few years ago) it was a net profit of $37 million for the leaseholders to pasture their cows. Which is a nice little subsidy from the Alberta taxpayer!
I don't know what the solution is though as the courts have ruled a lease is real property and therefore the leaseholder is entitled to benifit. Perhaps the government needs to expropriate the leases and pay the leaseholders fair market value for their property? I doubt Klein would ever do this as many of these leases are owned by old cow money or big oil money(example the Rio Alto Ranch or the Turner Valley ranch both near Longview). Now I would just bet those old boys would just be sweating if the NDP ever got in? lol

[Horse]

When you facror in the fact that the lease holders are only paying app 8% of going rates there is another 35-40 mill plus the sismic ,pipelines and the inital entry fee I am guessing of course but I will bett the net to lease holders is in excess of 100 mill.
I realy would like to know what Jack Horner and co told Ralph at drumheller that day . It sure scared the S--t out of him . He was all prepared to implement bill 31 until that meeting . If we got rid of the welfare ranchers and their silk kerchiefs I do believe the rest of alta producers would stand a better chance. Part of R calf was over the subsidied rates recieved by crown lease holders.
There is a producer here that runs 300 cows for 5 mo for $3000 thats pasture and taxes . Fencing and trucking are extra but boo hoo I wish I had that trouble I truck my cows and pay $30 per mo.
What are the rates and conditions in BC or Sask.
Ps I failed to mention that producer also has oil rev on said lease but wont disclose how much.

[cowman]

Perhaps you are right Horse. I suspect Jack Horner told Ralph he was in for a real fight in the courts. And the fact of the matter is the leaseholders would have won.
It was the oil companies who started this whole mess with Bill 31. They wanted cheaper access fees and they didn't like dealing with these reluctant leaseholders. Much easier to deal with a compliant government who they owned anyway. It backfired on them terribly and old greedy Ralph got left holding the bag and looking like a clown after Jack got done with him! I doubt he'll ever touch this one again?