BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 May 06 - 03:23 PM

Sadly, Alaska as a whole tends to be very pro development, very pragmatic, hang the consequences. (Take a look at the people we have voted into the legislature!)In my opinion a lot of the thinking comes from people who came up here a generation ago hoping to 'make their pile' in a new land where there were few laws or restrictions and it's fed further by others who come up with the same thing in mind. Even though there are far more restrictions now - today, if you build a cabin in the woods or on the tundra the chances are high that the state will find you, oust you and burn down your cabin. That used not to be so, and some people still find the change hard to believe or accept.

The Permanent Fund was begun in the heady heights of the oil pipeline days, when there was more money coming in than anyone could hope to spend. (Alaska still has the most money in reserve of any state.)

There is a formula for disbursement to the people. From the pot of oil income, first serve, comes the money to run the state, then some of it is saved and a percentage of what remains goes to the residents.

One has to have lived here for at least a year before applying, which means that you won't receive a check until the third year of your residence in the state. I think the highest amount was something like $1400 per person (if you have five children that is a tidy sum) and the least something like $800, if I recall correctly.

There is a rationale for the thinking: If you find oil in your backyard, it is NOT yours, it belongs to the people. So a percenatage of the oil money, the thinking goes, goes back to the people.

Each year each person or guardian has to reapply for one's share of the fund. (The deadline is March 31 and the checks go out in October) Each year one affirms that one plans to remain in Alaska for the foreseeable future or to return after military service or down south family crisis. If you have been out of state more than three months you must explain it- it will probably be accepted; if you've been out of state more than 6 months you have more extensive explaining to do.

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Rapparee
Date: 07 May 06 - 10:27 AM

Alaska has the Permanent Fund. The money comes from the oil revenue; I don't know if it's used for environmental stuff or not. I do know that some of it is distributed to Alaskans every year and that the amount varies from year to year.

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: *daylia*
Date: 07 May 06 - 08:02 AM

Well Rapaire, if I'd ever heard of it I might just want it! And if the Heritage Fund is used to protect the ecosystem/endangered wildlife up there in Alaska, please, DON'T give it away! And as for Alberta annexing Idaho, well .... if the good times are all gone and Idaho must move on, we'll look for you if you're ever back this way.   Promise!

Oh and btw, I want to correct my first post above. Ontarians do not pay 7% PST. We pay 8% PST (to the province) + 7% GST (to the feds) for a total of 15% sales tax on most goods and services. Always get those two mixed up! Makes for quite a difference, especially on big-ticket items like furniture, vehicles, musical instruments .... but hey, at least it's not 9%. If memory serves, that's the PST in the Maritime provinces. Maybe gnu will check in here and confirm.

And yesterday, I did not fork out $1.10/litre at the pumps. I forked out $1.06. Oh happy, happy day!    ;-]

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 May 06 - 10:11 PM

It's all that Heritage Fund money. All the folks in Ontario want to get their hands on it. That and cheap petroleum products.

Is there any way I could have Alberta annex Idaho, assuming Alberta would want to?

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Amos
Date: 06 May 06 - 11:55 AM

There are things that don't change, come what may, but by Gawd this is a new one on me! :D

A

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Metchosin
Date: 06 May 06 - 11:22 AM

Pretty good. At least better than the couple of worthless BRIC shares that each citizen of BC was given for some of their resources. Funny that the current owner of BRIC, now Westar, is Jimmy Pattison and ranked as a billionaire and recently named the wealthiest individual in this province. Sure pays to play golf with certain people.

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: *daylia*
Date: 06 May 06 - 10:48 AM

Permanent Fund? I bet that's listed in the Blue Pages. Just under Permanent Frost.

Hmm. Think I'll just chill out for a bit ...

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Ebbie
Date: 06 May 06 - 10:45 AM

Yep. They say that this year's will be approximately $1000.

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 May 06 - 09:24 AM

And the winds they sure blow cold way out there.

Move to Alaska. They do the same thing with the Permanent Fund.

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: *daylia*
Date: 06 May 06 - 08:52 AM

Yeah Ron, you're probably right    *sigh*    Still wish McGuinty'd change his mind, if I asked him one more time, but we've been through this just this one time, no more ...

Subject: RE: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: Ron Davies
Date: 06 May 06 - 08:11 AM

But Daylia--do you have some friends that you could go to working for? Cause you know that in winter there's not a lot for you to do. But I suppose you could just make music--that would probably get you through the winter pretty well. (After you get your Alberta check).

Subject: BS: Think I'll Go Out to Alberta ....
From: *daylia*
Date: 06 May 06 - 07:45 AM

... weather's good there for windfalls! One of my kids spent 6 months working in Banff last year. Yesterday there was a cheque in the mailbox for him, from the gov't of Alberta. He had no idea what he'd done to merit the extra $$$, and as we read the back of the cheque with our jaws fell open ...

Dear Albertan: Enclosed is your Alberta 2005 Resource Rebate. This $400 per person rebate is being provided by the Government of Alberta as a non-taxable, one-time bonus to all Albertans in recognition of their role in building this province. Funds for this rebate are from part of this year's provincial surplus, the rest of which will be saved or invested to build Alberta's future. For more information on the rebate, please visit www.gov.ab.ca.

Congratulations, and thank you for helping build this province.

From,

Premier Ralph Klein

??!!??    $400 for every resident, just for breathing? "Provincial surplus"? "Thank you for helping build this province?"   Holy Hosers, I say! And they don't even pay PST in Alberta!

Now I KNOW I've been livin in the wrong province! Here in Ontario, the only "gifts" the provincial gov't gives out (as we pay out 7% PST on everything we buy) are increased taxes and decreased public services. I guess oil must really make a difference. I'll remember that, as I fork out $1.10/litre at the pumps today. At least my hard-earned dollars are helping give Albertans a break! That oughta make me feel a bit better ...

But not much. This is a democracy after all! All for one and one for all, I thought. Ontario has a much bigger population than Alberta, and we are every last flippin bit as commendable too. We really deserve that bonus. Or several! For instance, most of us are immigrants and couldn't understand each other if our lives depended on it. Plus that, we are oil-deprived. See? Our needs are much greater than Alberta's!

So, I wanna see a $1000 cheque for every Ontarian, in recognition and appreciation of our ongoing contributions to the growth and prosperity of this great province. Get to it, McGuinty!!! Or I'll be buyin me a Stetson, buckin up me bronco and riding out under those big big BIG prairie skies, never to return!