Alberta surplus

[Horse]

horse, unfortunately money or the smell of it sometimes does bring out the worst in some people. I wouldn't tar the entire industry with the same brush. I have known many people involved in the oil and gas industry and they are hard working, honest people just trying to get by...mind you, I have known my share of scoundrels as well !!

[Horse]

You coment on lawyers and municipal consultants getting $250/hr and you may be right but does 2 wrongs make a right and if I see my county consul paying those fees you can bet I am going to scream long and loud and that is more than I can do about my cost of gas.

[Horse]

horse, municipalities require the services of consultants in land use planning, environmental issues such as solid waste disposal ( landfills etc.) on a regular basis. I would be willing to bet that your county uses the services of a law firm that whose expertise if rural municipal law, when the need arises and I can guarantee you their rates are higher than consultants.
These charges are a cost of doing business these days when there are so many hoops municipalities need to go through in order to operate.

Before you holler at them perhaps you need to ask to see the annual budget and find out exactly how much the municipality sets aside for consulting fees .

[cowman]

Horse: I will definitely agree with you that there is a lot of under the table stuff that goes on. That is just the cost of doing business. I buy a fair amount of whisky over the year and don't drink!
The funniest one I ever had to do was buy a guy a pair of lizard skin cowboy boots! But it was well worth it. "one hand washes the other"?

[Horse]

Do you realy think the oil patch could stand the smell test if the public at large had the facts as to why gas is .84 cents and natural gas at 8$ I think it would make one hell of a debate and dont give me the world market BS.

[cowman]

Well Horse, whether you like it or not the world price(or at least the North American price) is what determines gasoline prices and NG prices in Alberta?
The fact is most of our production does go somewhere else and I would think you would want the companies to get as much as possible as a good portion of it comes back to your government? You know the same government that provides you with quality healthcare, farm subsidies, good roads, bridges, airports etc., the best education system in Canada....that government?
Where did you think that $10 billion dollar surplus came from? Maybe you should listen to Dave Rutherford once in awhile? Yesterday he said we should all be grateful, in Alberta, for the way our Alberta government has managed the resources of our province to give us the most vibrant economy in North America, if not the world!...I am sure you would agree with him? LOL

[cowman]

cowman, Dave Rutherford isn't necessarly the most unbiased commentator on the planet !!!!!!!!!

[wilagro]

I can't listen to Dave Rutherford for more than five minutes without getting angry...hence I tune the brainwashed suck right out.
The PCs must consider him to be a valuable propaganda asset.

Screw him.

[Horse]

I realize that Dave And Ralph put the oil where it is and I think they can probably hide thier own easter eggs and of course they set the world price but in the real world if the yanks waht Alta crude they will probably have to come to Alta to get it and if all the torys in alta were to disapeer I dont think any of that would change , but we may get more money from our resources I dont know but I am prety dam sure we wouldnt get any less.

[cowman]

Well believe it or not I am not a Tory fan! Actually the only time I ever voted for Ralph was on his second election! Last time I voted Alberta Alliance.
In federal politics I voted Conservative for the first time...before that I always voted Alliance and Reform.
But without a doubt I lean far to the right and the Alberta Conservatives are sure a lot closer to what I see as a good government than either the Liberals or NDP(shudder)!
I too believe Ralph is a little too cozy with big business, usually at the expense of the little guy? I also believe the Klein government has been too generous with our taxes and spends too much! I mean for a so called Conservative...he spends the cash like a drunken sailor! That is why when he comes up with some idea to spend less he should be supported, not criticized?
As far as Rutherford goes, I enjoy his show and I have a similar mindset. I think he has pretty well got it right on most things?
The fact is most Albertans have an entreprenure type of spirit? That is what distinguishes us from the rest of Canada? The belief that yes we CAN do it, not the attitude that we need the government to hold our hand? I guess that is why we continually elect leaders that have the attitude of individualism and free market philosophy?
This province was built by individuals who got out and hustled, not by unions and beurocrats and public servants.