Hold those projects!

[cowman]

Ralph Klein says the government should put off major projects right now because it just costs too much? Wait until the prices come down he figures?
I'm not sure just what he's talking about here? Is he talking about just the roads or is it schools, hospitals, othe government buildings?
Well I haven't seen a lot of work on the roads but they are busy as bees in Red Deer adding on to the hospital, the college and outfitting the old Alberta hospital for more office space!
I guess we can forget about any upgrades to the local airport, work on highway II, or a road to Fort Mac?
Ever driven on Highway II lately? Sort of like driving in the Daytona 500!
Guess we need some more dead bodies before they do the work on it that is needed?

[wilagro]

Why should we listen to what Ralph says?

They deliberatly held back expenditures on infrastucture repairs for years. Proves what Ralph said..."we had NO plan".

Anyway, we got our $400 each which would have been more wisely applied to filling some of those holes in Highway 2 or as I believe it is called Queen Elizabeth something or other way.

Maybe the new Premier will be smarter...here's hoping.

[cowman]

Well Dinning says about ten years to get the backload cleaned up, while Oberg is saying a lot less.
I think I like Mortons answer on this one the best? He says we need to stop sending so much to Ottawa and spend more of it here?
Consider his point of view: He says 60,000 people come to Alberta from other parts of Canada every year. They all bring with them needs for roads, sewage/water systems, education needs and medical needs? It only makes sense to target the money we send east to follow the people as they move here? Why continue to send more money east for infrastructure when the people are in fact moving here?

[coppertop]

The only problem with Morton's thinking is that we have no choice at this point in time but to send money to Ottawa.

[cowman]

Of course that is true, but does it always have to stay that way?
He's the only one saying it?
Of course he doesn't stand a snowballs chance in hell of winning, but maybe somewhere a light will come on in a few peoples heads?
I suspect Jim Dinning pretty well has this thing sewed up, with maybe Oberg as the only real contender?
Either one, doesn't work for me... but whatever...I've been voting as far right as possible as long as I can remember!

[cropduster]

Heard Dinning had a crowd of 22 recently in Drumheller.....sounds like another Tory runaway........maybe `the slickster` doesn`t have it the way some think.......

[coppertop]

Kelly Sutherland always says
' Anything can happen in a wagon race', and I think the same holds true for a leadership race !!!

[cowman]

I saw a quote that Dinning had 33% of the "decided vote" while Oberg had around 20%? Morton was third at 4% and they rest of the also rans were 3% or less?
Now if I was a betting man I think I'd be laying my money on old Jim...but hey whatever!

[coppertop]

The polls that show Dinning in the lead and Oberg second were done by the Calgary Herald, which of course, is going to show Dinning way ahead because his core support is in the headquarters of the oil patch.

Regarding projects forging ahead, many of the projects are municipal, with provincial grant money making up a portion. In some cases municipalities just cannot go ahead due to the cost over runs. Municipalities have a tight budget to begin with and many street and road construction projects have gone over budget this year which certainly eats up any cushion they may have had.
The only recourse municipalities have to fund these projects is to raise the mill rate, which is a double whammy to their tax paying public. Assessments in most areas are already way up, which in turn, will result in higher property taxes, so raising mill rates to forge ahead with projects will mean a real hit for the tax payer.

I have a theory that many of the rising costs aren't justified, with drilling rigs idle and much of the gas well drilling slowing down, there should be some pretty good workers available for other projects if they want to work.

[cowman]

Also coppertop consider this: When the rigs sit idle the municipality isn't getting on the gravy train? Oil and gas exploration put a lot of bucks in their pockets? A lot of bucks...
I guess one might ask why and where they squaundered all the revenue? Remember the old bumper sticker "Please God send us another oil boom. I promise not to piss it all away this time!"
I would suggest the municipalities(in many cases) have done just that...Red Deer County being one of the worst!

[coppertop]

I would hesitate to say that less drilling for gas will make much difference to municipal tax bases with the exception of a few municipalities. Most of the gas exploration that is on hold is in south eastern AB and northern BC.

The resource assessment does bring money into municipal coffers, but the maintenance of roads to keep the industry on the move is a huge cost. Not just grading and gravelling but rebuilding and shoulder pulling roads that get pounded out is an ongoing cost. Municipalities such as Red Deer have been faced with huge growth, so much of their cost is likely in services, new roads, etc.