The end is nigh!

[cowman]

Coppertop: I agree with you on this one! Eds the man and I think he will manage the show as good as anyone could. In reality if you are the boss you have to be the BOSS and make the tough decisions?
He made his picks, he has to live with them, so I would think he knows what he is doing?
I will tell you I have never been much of a supporter of the PC party of Alberta, although I did vote for Ralph second time around...partly because I thought he should be rewarded for keeping his promise to cut government...and partly because I was worried the Decore Liberals just might get in! And I think if the Liberals look like they stand a chance next time...I would definitely vote PC!
The other thing is this: Whoever is premier of this province...he is MY premier and deserves our support? I always supported Ralph on this site...no matter what stupid things he did...because I believe he was a true Albertan and had the best interests of the people at heart! I believe Ed Stelmach has the best interests of the Alberta at heart, too! He is ours...and yes the election is over!

[blackjack]

...here here cowman...but someone should remind ty lund ...he seems to be a little bitter with his cut in salary...hey ty ...now you can feel like us ranchers with the cut in pay we have endured the last 5 years...lol

[coppertop]

Ty Lund seems to feel that by virtue of the fact he has been an MLA forever he is ENTITLED to a cabinet post !! Personally, I respect Ty for his contribution not only as an MLA but a municipal councillor and Reeve, however, there comes a time when new blood is necessary, and Ed has obviously chosen that route.

cowman, over the years I too, supported Ralph, although his lacklustre performance the last few years certainly put his tried and true supporters to the test. Our new premier needs to know that Albertans are willing to give him the chance to govern. From what I am hearing, there seems to be overwhelming support for his cabinet other than in the major cities who also have a feeling of ENTITLEMENT regarding influence in cabinet.

Dinning has made it clear that he is NOT going to run whenever there is a by-election to fill the seat vacated by Ralphs retirement. No surprise there, he wanted the whole enchalada or nothing.

[ivbinconned]

Elections are never over! What have you guys been smoking.

At what point will you all decide closer scrutiny ... of the new premier...elected only by party members...many of them instant...is....ok??

[cowman]

ivbinconned: In Alberta, basically the PC nomination process...is the election? And unless a really dark horse comes on the scene in the next two years Alberta will have another PC government two years from now? Just a fact?
The Alberta Alliance is not going anywhere with Paul Hinman as the leader. Frankly he just doesn't have it!
I beieve we have to give Ed Stelmach his chance to prove what he can do? He has a tough job right now pulling all the boys together and cleaning up a lot of Ralphs screwups? Now is not the time to shoot him in the back, but to hope he rises to the occasion? He is not a very flamboyant guy but I think he will do his best for the Alberta people and I think he will stand up to Ottawa...or I sure hope so!
And on a local note...although I'm not very fond of my own MLA/cabinet minister(Luke Oulette) he came out and said in the local paper, some good things for our area...as well as some needed things around the province! I think we can pretty well count on finally getting the airport upgraded and a couple of really bad highways fixed locally! He mentioned those specifically.
His comments about the Fort Mac road also looks promising.

[coppertop]

cowman, you may not personally care for your MLA, but he is a mover and shaker and the Transportation portfolio suits him. I think he is going to to what he can with the budget dollars his ministry is allocated. Remember, every constituency has a huge infrastructure deficit due to the pressure on highways by industry traffic, etc., so your area is only one with their hand out for projects.

[cakadu]

Despite what I see on this site regarding drilling, that sure isn't stopping companies from trying to get things relaxed so that when they can profitably make a move, they can and WILL.

We have spent the better part of the last year getting notices on a company wanting a relaxation in a huge area to get to drill 4 gas wells per section versus the current 1 per section. Talk about getting options limited. So far the EUB hasn't given them much - instead of a 200 metre setback from boundaries, the EUB has kept it at 300 meters, but that still puts it in a very bad spot for us anyway.

The thing that I am most appalled over is how little the company (through their agent) has to do in terms of notification and informing landowners. It actually is quite a joke and with the way some of these things are worded, it is no wonder that the unsuspecting get taken in.

[coppertop]

Linda, just keep in the EUB's face with respect to lack of notification etc. The company will not be in the EUB's good books if they do not consult with landowners in good faith.

[cowman]

Well 300 meters is pretty far? Do you want them to move a mile away or what?
Come on we have to have some realism here?
I had, this fall...a CBM well drilled within 150 meters from my springs? They did all the tests, they drilled the well, they fracced it, they flared it and NO PROBLEM! I know you "enviros" don't like to hear that but I was quite satisfied with the precautions the company took?
But then again I don't buy into all the fearmongering and lies some of the wingdings take?...try listening to someone besides the kooks?
And guess what....the springs are flowing...as good as always...and the gas is flowing?
Don't worry...these guys have it under control despite your paranoid thoughts! Its going to be alright. Take a valium.

[coppertop]

cowman who were you directing your message to ? I think you were a wee bit nasty, Linda has every right to expect the company to communicate with her.
As for me, I am hardly an 'envrio' living in the heart of the oil patch. I am concerned with sour wells being drilled in close proximity to densly popluated areas, because I have lived through a couple of major blowouts in this area and know the health problems both humans and animals experienced during those wrecks.

As far as taking a valium goes, no thanks, I would much rather tackle issues head on, no need to have a drug induced calm when I need to state my case.

Hopefully you aren't going to be grumpy all through the HOLIDAYS....remember SANTA is watching you !!! LOL

[cakadu]

Cowman, you are quite right - I would prefer that they go far away from me - but that is absolutely not the reality. Whilst you might be prepared to take those risks not all of us are. Quite often we do not know of the consequences right away either. But hey, it is your water and you can risk it. Me, I'm not so interested in doing it. I also don't want to see my development potential - should I wish to exercise that option - be limited or completely taken away from me.

Being labelled isn't so great either. I am quite like copper, I'll handle my battles head on thank you, without judgments and/or name calling but with logic and facts.

When I talk about communicating, I'll give you just one example of how the company's agent is presumably communicating with us.

I will quote exactly from the FORM letter - yes, that is what it is a form letter and our name and address does not even appear on it. "...if you do not respond on or before at least 15 days from the date of this letter....." Tells me nothing and quite often the form letter is dated one date and it is not posted for sometimes a week or more from the time the letter is photocopied.

If you were trying to do that from a legal standpoint it would be a joke.

Personally, I live by the credo that I am just here borrowing what is here, it is not mine to exploit as I feel fit to. I won't apologize for trying to leave this place in at least as good a shape as I found it, if not better.

Now, would you like one lump of coal or two?

[cakadu]

I should also point out, cowman, that I have no idea to whom you are referring when you say listening to the wing dings and/or kooks?

Rather than dismissing them entirely, I sometimes think that these type of folks do make some good points, just as the "full steam ahead" folks do.

We all take the information we are given and process it in a way that makes sense to us. What a boring world it would be if we all thought the same.