Big problem

[StrawBoss]

We need to stop large stock driven corporations from destroying just about every industry in the world. Banks making profits in the billions say they have to amalgamate to be competitive in the world market--- garbage, why go into the world market if you make that kind of money at home.
The government has to stop this stock market madness and maybe put more of these corrupt CEO’s in jail.

[Horse]

Strawboss did you say the govmt has to do something tc tc dont sound like you what happened to you haVE TO DO FOR YOURSELF

[cowman]

Strawboss: I am sure you realize the people who own and run those large corporations are the same people who own and buy the politicians? Or in a lot of cases are the same person? It's called the power elite?
Consider Paul Martin? Or Belinda? Or in fact Jean Chretien...his daughter is married to the heir apparent of Power Corp.?
I am sure you are well enough informed that you realize this country is really not a democracy at all but is run for a select few...the power elite?

[cakadu]

If the governments would tax these big businesses at even 10%, think of the revenues that would be generated by them. Having the governments spend the money in what we feel are important ways would likely be another matter, but what about collecting them in the first place instead of these corporations getting all these tax breaks and concessions to have them stay here.

A case in point is your bank example. The last quarter, one of the banks made in excess of $700 million in PROFIT. That's right in one quarter. If that were taxed at 10% - that works out to $70 million if my math is right.

What allows them to continue to get away with this madness?

One solution that I see is to work outside of the systems that these big companies work in. If you have products to sell, don't go the normal traditional channels as that just puts the money right where you don't want to see it.

It is astonishing how big the gap between rich and poor is actually getting.

[carebear300]

Finally the rest of you have caught on. The banks in this country are the biggest bunch of bandits. They talk about cracking down on organized crime and motorcycle gangs lets start on the biggest culprits, big business(banking, oil and gas, and the packing industry). Not likely to happen to big of political contributions!!!

[PureCountry]

Well said cakadu and carebear, but there is something else to keep in mind. If big corporations like Cargill, Tyson Foods, Epcor, Anadarko, and so many others, ever come to a screaming halt, Ralph Kleins' face is gonna go halfway up their @$$. I truly believe our government is at the beck and call of these powerhouses, because if they have to pay tax, they'll go elsewhere. They don't give a damn about location, local economies, local employment, blah, blah, blah. If you go to Cargills' website, you'll see that they have 98,000 employees in plants and factories all over the world. If memory serves me correctly, they have a plant in Turkey for processing Hazelnuts! These are corporations driven on one goal - profit. Money is the root of all evil, and Greed springs from it like Leafy Spurge from sand dunes. They will go wherever production is the most cost-effective, and frankly, that may not be Alberta or Canada.

[StrawBoss]

Alberta’s deregulation of the power and gas was done with good intention to eventually lower the price to the consumer, but there was one important factor that was grossly over looked—these corporations become public companies that are stock driven to make money for the investor. Companies need investor’s money to develop the infrastructure to provide the product and services and at the same token no one is going to invest money without a profitable return.

There is more than one way at looking at what was a political decision (Alberta Government) the utilities were subsidized by the tax dollar and I can also see the government’s logic, why not the user pay the full shot, because in reality you are still paying it from your other pocket the tax dollar.

Using hindsight I think the utilities companies should have a cap on their profits and have more checks on the company directors, CEO and top management and eliminate stock options and bonuses for these people.

There are also more ways we can look at oil and gas royalties and tax dollars, subsidize utilities or use this money in other areas like health care, education and infrastructures (do I dare say farm subsidies).
It doesn’t matter how the government slices the pie there will always be people that will end up with the wrong piece.

[PureCountry]

I have to agree with you Strawboss. No matter what good is done, someone always feels 'wronged'. A government body has to walk atop a pretty thin wall, with several big, ugly dogs snarling on both sides. Although I would enjoy seeing some of them get a new strip torn once in a while.

[cowman]

I wonder Strawboss if the government ever really researched "deregulation" or just went ahead with it out of ideology? I mean in reality Transalta was a private regulated company and traditionally utilities have a built in guarateed profit under regulation?
This Tory government has done some strange things, or so I believe!
Consider AGT? A crown corporation that was fairly efficient and profitable? Worth quite a few dollars, and what happened? The province literally gave it away to Telus! Then up went the rates...up a lot!
The Alberta governments excuse for the electricity fiasco was that competition would lower the price, but unfortunately there was no competition! So today we seem to be paying more for electricity than most of our other provinces? Is this the Alberta Advantage...advantage for who? You, me or ATCO and EPCOR?

[cakadu]

From what I understand the evidence was in front of them that deregulation would not work, but they went ahead and did it anyway.

What they didn't count on was that companies would not bid the way they had anticipated that they would, which left huge chunks of it availabe for far less than what they expected.

Look at what has happened since - I don't know about where some of the rest of you are in Alberta, but I just got done paying for 2 years worth of electricity that they couldn't charge me for when the rates had a ceiling put on them.

Wouldn't that be great if we could do that in agriculture - tack on what we aren't making now at a later date.

[Horse]

You are right cowman TAU had a gurantee of 12.3/4 % whitch wasnt bad .Steve WEst was bound to have dereg at any cost but dont know who was pushing but Ralph wasnt putting up any stop signs for him. Its just amazing that they give prepared statements to back benchers and say read and they do without knowing anything about it and to be so nieve to think people are going to rush in to sink a very expensive ship with cheap compitition of a natural monoply is at best gross incopetence
Epcr generates power then buys it back to sell to you . you know kind of like the local cattle dealer bids his stock up to where he has a profit he isnt going to sell at a loss.
But I think the bigger tradagy is the REA.s all lobbyed to try and stop it but epcor has much more pull and there was so many torys on the boards of directors that they didnt want to make to many waves for their tory friends.

[cowman]

And here is the problem when any government rules by ideology instead of common sense? How is this any different than the Communists in Russia? Do stupid things because that is the "gospel" of their ideology, whether Tory or Communist? To top it off we seem to have elected a bunch of people who are fairly inept?
If Ralph Klein and gang were running Manitoba or Saskatchewan both those provinces would have been bankrupt a long time ago! However even an idiot can run a province where the money flows in like milk and honey! not very well though, I'm afraid?