Re:An Albertan responds

> Hi, As an Albertan I can't help but respond. First off Yes we
did all get a 400$ cheque. I find it really interesting that your
knickers are all in a knot on that one... as Alaska has been paying
such dividends to all Alaskan residents for YEARS now. Its really the
pot calling the kettle black. If you want dividends...move there.

How did we get into that position was that in the 80's-90's Our Premier
Ralph Klein did some serious cutting in our budget and we were very lean
for many years. Every spare dime went to pay off the debt (which was in
the billions). We are now debt free and are reaping the benefits from those
lean times. Yes Oil and Gas revenues helped but that is not the only cause.

As for a conspiracy...sorry...if you do some serious research you
will find that the world oil reserves are in decline. Saudia Arabia for
decades could control oil prices with a turn of their taps. Saudi companies
are now looking overseas to replenish their supplies. They are using more
and more water (under pressure to help push out the oil) to get a lesser
and lesser amount. China is now buying up oil and gas companies in oil
rich countries to try to tie up sources. Why do you think that China is buddies with the Sudan? The fact is that high oil and gas
prices are here to stay. Simple supply and demand...

Is that a problem....yes it will hurt lower wage earners. The fact is we
can't keep consuming energy at the rate we have been doing. But instead
of complaining why not look at investing into the oil and gas sector.
Other sectors worth looking at is rail comanies which are far more fuel
efficient than trucking for transport. Also compnaies like Whole Foods who
have suppliers close to their store (reducing transportation costs) will
also be much more common. The fact is that things will change. Becoming
more energy efficient is one way to reduce your costs. You can keep
your head in the sand and hope its a "conspiracy" or you can face facts
and take a look at what furure trends will be and plan accordingly
(I use my wood stove every day in winter and am looking at geothermal
energy which is very cost effective in the future).

Becoming better informed on these economic issues is a first step.
Panicing about "conspiracy theories" is a waste of time and energy.
(I'm well aware that such theories abound allover the internet)

I hope that injected some reality into the debate

If you do a search on Google for: CBC Ralph Klein and $400... you will
> find numerous articles about it. The $400 checks are not a joke.

> From this article at the CBC :

> "In January, the Alberta government sent $400 cheques – known
> variously as resource rebate cheques, prosperity cheques and "Ralph
> bucks" – to virtually every man, woman and child in the
> province."