|
Post by The Unknown Poster on Feb 12, 2014 10:04:37 GMT -6
Im no expert but I remember being sold a bill of goods that the US would buy our power at a huge profit and Manitobans would pay next to nothing for Hydro. It late came out that the Americans didnt really want/need our power and were paying less for it than we were. That cant happen.
On the other hand, its what we've got. We need to market it and hopefully become a premier supplier.
I dont trust the NDP though. They are far to corrupt and partisan. You've got whistleblowers questioning the viability of Hydro and we're spending billions? How good would Hydro look if the NDP hadnt stolen all their profits to pretend they were balancing the budget.
Remember, everything bad that happens is Gary Filmon's fault.
Man I cant wait to vote these clowns out of office. During the last election I had so many heated debates with NDP supporters who are now very sheepish and wont be voting NDP next time.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Feb 12, 2014 10:40:51 GMT -6
Im no expert but I remember being sold a bill of goods that the US would buy our power at a huge profit and Manitobans would pay next to nothing for Hydro. It late came out that the Americans didnt really want/need our power and were paying less for it than we were. That cant happen. On the other hand, its what we've got. We need to market it and hopefully become a premier supplier. I dont trust the NDP though. They are far to corrupt and partisan. You've got whistleblowers questioning the viability of Hydro and we're spending billions? How good would Hydro look if the NDP hadnt stolen all their profits to pretend they were balancing the budget. Remember, everything bad that happens is Gary Filmon's fault. Man I cant wait to vote these clowns out of office. During the last election I had so many heated debates with NDP supporters who are now very sheepish and wont be voting NDP next time. www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_6_aHere are the American rates there are only a few states that pay less then Manitoba and many that pay double.
|
|
|
Post by phillymike on Feb 12, 2014 12:17:27 GMT -6
What area on the above graph has the second lowest rates? West North Central. Which is the market Hydro would be targeting? West North Central. Which State has the second lowest rates out of all 52 states? North Dakota. Which State would be Hydros easiest state to sell to? North Dakota.
The highest paying states are to far away for Manitoba Hydro to sell electricity to.
|
|
|
Post by jetsorbust on Feb 12, 2014 12:53:14 GMT -6
Im no expert but I remember being sold a bill of goods that the US would buy our power at a huge profit and Manitobans would pay next to nothing for Hydro. It late came out that the Americans didnt really want/need our power and were paying less for it than we were. That cant happen. On the other hand, its what we've got. We need to market it and hopefully become a premier supplier. I dont trust the NDP though. They are far to corrupt and partisan. You've got whistleblowers questioning the viability of Hydro and we're spending billions? How good would Hydro look if the NDP hadnt stolen all their profits to pretend they were balancing the budget. Remember, everything bad that happens is Gary Filmon's fault. Man I cant wait to vote these clowns out of office. During the last election I had so many heated debates with NDP supporters who are now very sheepish and wont be voting NDP next time. Hey I won't argue it's time for the NDP to go, I certainly won't be voting for them. But this myth that Americans are paying less for our power than we are is plain wrong. Manitoba Hydro has several long term power sales contracts with various states, in which they sell power at a marked up price and make tons of money in profit (billions in profits over the last several years). But when water levels are high hydro can produce "extra power" lets call it. This they sell on the spot market where you get daily prices - these prices go up and down. Before the 2008 economic downturn even these prices were very high. Now they are low, but are almost pure profit - it's just extra energy that is either going to waste or sold for what you can get. New dams would all be backed by fixed price contracts taking a big chunk of the risk out. Obviously not all the risk, but why would we not take advantage of the chance to have our rates subsidized by the US for another couple decades, as we have for the past couple decades?
|
|
|
Post by TheDeuce on Feb 12, 2014 14:09:50 GMT -6
Because, like you said, it's just a chance! A multi-billion dollar gamble with limited payoff if we win and Glendaleian bankruptcy if we lose.
Let's flip coins. Heads I give you $100. Tails you give me $100,000. Why would you not take advantage of the chance to get a free $100?
m.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Feb 12, 2014 14:21:21 GMT -6
Because, like you said, it's just a chance! A multi-billion dollar gamble with limited payoff if we win and Glendaleian bankruptcy if we lose. Let's flip coins. Heads I give you $100. Tails you give me $100,000. Why would you not take advantage of the chance to get a free $100? m. Hey I hate the NDP as must as the next guy but calling them Glendaleian is just plain mean! Wish I sought of it.
|
|
|
Post by TheDeuce on Feb 12, 2014 14:51:37 GMT -6
Oh, and by the way all the experts, who work for you, say it's just a regular coin with you having a 50/50 shot at winning. But maybe you don't like what your experts say the odds are. So you keep shopping for an expert who tells you that it's a good gamble! The coin's properties don't change because you found an expert willing to say they did. But what the heck, you have a leg to stand on when you justify your decision.
It's a poor gamble. Period.
m.
|
|
|
Post by phillymike on Mar 13, 2014 9:16:24 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by hacky666 on Mar 14, 2014 16:13:29 GMT -6
So the city is into it for 30.3 million. a 3.3 million increase from the original 27 million. Yes, 33 million will probably be achieved.
|
|
|
Post by phillymike on Mar 19, 2014 0:53:38 GMT -6
Looks a bit long winded, but a good read, this is a letter to Charles Adler.
Hi Charles,
I have heard you read many, many letters this week and last, from frustrated Winnipegers…and I used to be such a bragger about the ‘Peg. I have to say, I can no longer say this is a ‘great, cheap, place to raise a family’. We moved out of Winnipeg in 1999 to a bedroom community. There we had a large house, large lot (70 x 200), we had garbage and recycling pickup every Tuesday (they NEVER missed a day in 14 years even during a snowstorm), my streets were plowed sometimes 3x a day during a storm. There was no potholes, minimal crime, no brown water and no frozen pipes. And my property taxes were $2,000 a year cheaper. And this was 15 mins outside of Winnipeg. We raised our daughter. It was a great town to raise a family.
In 2013 we decided to move back to Winnipeg. Daughter now in university, it is a good time to move back. Bought a house in St Vital. Nice house, much smaller lot…but, understand I am in Winnipeg now. So for this I get the same type of house but, a smaller lot. I get sporadic garbage/recycling pickup, I get pot holes like I have never seen, I get a city with frozen pipes, brown water, brutal crime, and my street got plowed TWO times this winter. They missed our area in January two times on the “snow parking ban days”. At this point the ONLY benefit I see for moving back is my close proximity to the mall and my daughter’s closer commute to university.
I think today, for me, was like “the straw that broke the camels back” type of day. Upon trying to drive to downtown Winnipeg I came across EIGHT major intersections with flashing lights. Regent avenue, and then Bishop Grandin, as well as numerous other intersections. I am so disgusted by this city. I am disgusted by the gross negligence of our city taxes. I honestly feel like i am starting to live in a city in a 3rd world country…not Canada. It is so mind boggling how the city has so deteriorated in the last 5 yrs. I am tired of hearing there is money for the Human Rights Museum, Stadium, and other venues, when I can barely drive down a street anymore. I am tired of MPI telling me NOT to swerve to avoid a pot hole but if I drive through it and damage my car I am responsible. I am tired of people taking my tax dollars to “give” to other things when it has become so blatantly clear to me that our life style in this city is is deteriorating so quickly that we are beginning to look like a slum city. Look, I love museums, and sports events but, this city can NO longer afford to help these venues. No more tax breaks for billionaires who want to expand when the roads to these venues are worse than gravel roads. No more money to museums when people’s water pipes are frozen for weeks to months on end. This is a G8 country!! How can this possibly be a G8 country with issues of water main breaks, frozen pipes, potholes, BROWN water??? These are things you find in Cuba, Dominican, Mexico. NOT Canada.
I am frustrated by the fact that we are such fence sitters that we continue to accept this as a ‘normal’ fact of life in Winnipeg. People, this is NOT normal and it should never be thought of as normal life for a G8 country. I open the paper today and read the school divisions are ignoring the MP and jacking up our school taxes, another continual burden to HOME owners when it SHOULD be General Revenue cost shared and EVERYONE contribute equally. And I am sorry SENIORS must share to:
1) educate our children to become productive members of society and
2) hopefully, God help them, should they stay in Manitoba, become the doctors and the nurses that our seniors will need in their old age.
WE ALL must contribute in a fair and equatable way….but not on the backs of tax payers. And for gosh sakes, Firemen making $60/hr to deliver water notices??? Could not have we had paid highschoolers $10.45/hr to walk door to door to give a letter and have the homeowner sign a document acknowledging the letter. Or offer part time temporary work to people on EI to earn $15/hr to do this? Or seniors looking for extra cash? SOMEONE for gosh sakes needs to take a stand to STOP people from making these types of decisions that hurt our city when we could use this extra cash to fix the BASIC needs of our citizens.
I am actually embarrassed and ashamed to say where I come from right now. Winnipeg always had mosquitoes and cold winters but, we had the BASIC living needs of FRESH, CLEAR and CLEAN water running from our taps. We had pride and we had the bragging rights that we were the cheapest, safest place to raise a family. This is NO longer a viable statement. I can’t back it up anymore.
What is the answer you say? I think we need to just STOP and re-look and THINK at almost every facet of our city right now. I think we need to go BACK TO BASICS. We need to prioritize for the BASIC needs of Winnipegers. Access to clean drinking water, access to roads that are NOT pothole ridden, access to street lights that don’t all go down because we had 10 cm of snow and it is ‘damp’ out. Access to PLOWED roads in a more timely AND professional manner. The BASIC things people in a city SHOULD expect. ONCE these have ALL been resolved, then, and ONLY then, should we even consider the ‘extras’. What a shame. My hope is maybe the next few years transparency and integrity and this “BACK to basics” answers will be given to the wonderful citizens of Winnipeg.
|
|
jschmoe
4th Line Grinder
Posts: 142
|
Post by jschmoe on Mar 19, 2014 10:13:52 GMT -6
Looks a bit long winded, but a good read, this is a letter to Charles Adler. [snip] So call 311. They get penalized, then they'll do better. I've had mine late twice since the switch, but who cares. My life doesn't revolve around garbage. Extreme cold + rapidly changing temperatures + lots of traffic make this pretty obvious. IN ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS EVER. This is my only real complaint - but I understand. It's because of the water main breaks. The water is not dangerous. You don't need to boil it to drink it. How brutal is it? Seriously, crime rates are falling. Mine was three. Whoop-de-doo, residential streets don't get plowed as much. One day. Not a regular occurrence. You don't know what a third world country is. Legitimate complaint! Over spending is a problem. The stadium looked like a good idea when the Bombers were doing well, the old stadium would sell out consistently. Now that they suck, attendance will probably fall, and there's no way they could pay for that. Bad planning. Winnipeg has poor parts, but it is no slum. And there it is. It's all about self interest. Poor seniors, they were able to be educated, now they don't want to educate children. Nobody to look after them. There are more careers than doctors and nurses, and the brain drain isn't nearly so bad. Great idea! Let's hire some people off the street. Oh, now we have to go through a hiring and vetting process? That will surely cost less than a couple of already-employed firefighters. There's that self interest again. This is just a load of biatching. Look, things aren't perfect, I get things would be nicer to improve, clean up the potholes, etc., but comparing us to a third-world country is hyperbolic and a farce.
|
|
|
Post by The Unknown Poster on Mar 19, 2014 10:54:13 GMT -6
Looks a bit long winded, but a good read, this is a letter to Charles Adler. [snip] So call 311. They get penalized, then they'll do better. I've had mine late twice since the switch, but who cares. My life doesn't revolve around garbage. Extreme cold + rapidly changing temperatures + lots of traffic make this pretty obvious. IN ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS EVER. This is my only real complaint - but I understand. It's because of the water main breaks. The water is not dangerous. You don't need to boil it to drink it. How brutal is it? Seriously, crime rates are falling. Mine was three. Whoop-de-doo, residential streets don't get plowed as much. One day. Not a regular occurrence. You don't know what a third world country is. Legitimate complaint! Over spending is a problem. The stadium looked like a good idea when the Bombers were doing well, the old stadium would sell out consistently. Now that they suck, attendance will probably fall, and there's no way they could pay for that. Bad planning. Winnipeg has poor parts, but it is no slum. And there it is. It's all about self interest. Poor seniors, they were able to be educated, now they don't want to educate children. Nobody to look after them. There are more careers than doctors and nurses, and the brain drain isn't nearly so bad. Great idea! Let's hire some people off the street. Oh, now we have to go through a hiring and vetting process? That will surely cost less than a couple of already-employed firefighters. There's that self interest again. This is just a load of biatching. Look, things aren't perfect, I get things would be nicer to improve, clean up the potholes, etc., but comparing us to a third-world country is hyperbolic and a farce. Good Lord, where to begin. Im not sure if I find the letter writer more annoying or your responses... Winnipeg is a great place to raise a family (I guess, I dont have kids). We have our problems yes. Whining about garbage/recycling pick-up...it doesnt annoy me when they miss a pick up but it does annoy me when the city seemingly has not a clue about when it will be picked up. But I cut them some slack because its a new system. It will get better. Plus, when I'm missed (like last week), I simply tweet the city and they take care of it. Easy peasy. The Brown Water was not due to water main breaks. I cant remember the cause off-hand but it wasnt water main breaks. That was the story floated by the city when, once again, they didnt have a clue. Snow clearing. I agree this is an issue. But the bulk of the issue was the late year storms when the city foolishly decided to try and wait til Jan 1 and a new budget. They cheaped out and it, ahem, snowballed into other issues. That was utter incompetence and the City planner responsible should have been disciplined. There were also issues with the contractors doing less than acceptable work. There were planning issues (like scraping my area three hours before a blizzard was hitting, clearing my sidewalks three hours before a blizzard). I think snow clearing was legitimate complaints and better planning is needed. Crime is down. Tons of new investment and new building going on. The Stadium whiners are very much like the NIMBY losers. They want things but only things they actually like. Thats not how it works. The Stadium was NEEDED and the on-field play of the Bombers has nothing to do with it. To suggest that the Bombers playing well at Canad Inns equated to a new stadium "being a good idea" shows a complete lack of understanding of the entire Stadium issue. As for the Human Rights Museum, some want it, some dont. Personally I like it. And Im fine with public investment since its a national museum and they raised a staggering amount of private money. Much of the issues in Manitoba and Winnipeg can be tracted to a terrible NDP government and arrogant/incomeptent city leadership. But we've done well in spite of those limitations and will get better when we boot these fools out of office.
|
|
jschmoe
4th Line Grinder
Posts: 142
|
Post by jschmoe on Mar 19, 2014 11:45:58 GMT -6
Good Lord, where to begin. Im not sure if I find the letter writer more annoying or your responses... Winnipeg is a great place to raise a family (I guess, I dont have kids). We have our problems yes. Whining about garbage/recycling pick-up...it doesnt annoy me when they miss a pick up but it does annoy me when the city seemingly has not a clue about when it will be picked up. But I cut them some slack because its a new system. It will get better. Plus, when I'm missed (like last week), I simply tweet the city and they take care of it. Easy peasy. Exactly, I don't have a complaint with this. The only problems I've had are with the recycling trucks damaging the bins. I just called, and they were fixed before the next pickup. Ah, my apologies, I wasn't aware of another explanation. The water was still safe to drink, though. It just wasn't good for, say, the water heater. I think my opinion on snow clearing is an unpopular one - get rid of the contractors, and hire permanent (seasonal) employees & maintenance, keep them on-call in winter, purchase all the equipment, and get the cleaners out as soon as a significant snowfall hits. It'd be way more expensive, but I think we'd get better and more reliable service. But we don't need every street to be scraped clean all the time. I'm on a tiny street, I don't expect it to get cleared every snowfall. A few times a year is fine. I'm not of the opinion that the stadium was a particularly bad decision. I think it cost too much. I don't think it was absolutely necessary - I thought of it as a nice-to-have - were there structural problems or other failures at the old stadium that accelerated the need for a new stadium? I honestly don't know. Like a mortgage payment, we have to pay it off in installments, and decreased attendance will reduce revenue, making it harder to pay. This will be a problem, unless they follow the MTS Centre's lead and get a bunch of concert acts. I have no problem with the museum. I'm looking forward to going there. Any idea when it opens? I'd put the blame more to the city than provincial, but that's just me. I tend to lean NDP myself, but I'm of the opinion that any government in power for too long breeds corruption, laziness and arrogance.
|
|
|
Post by The Unknown Poster on Mar 19, 2014 13:45:47 GMT -6
Canad Stadium was falling apart. It required tens of millions of dollars in repairs to keep it from being condemned and it lacked revenue generating ammenities. So building a new stadium DID cost more than repairing the old one but throwing good money at the old Stadium would have been a waste.
We have a brand new facility. Opportunity for the Bombers to generate more revenue. The Bison get a new facility which helps their program. And we have a much better out door concert venue.
I actually do think some of the money owed will be forgiven down the road but the Bombers are publicly owned and therefore the public has to provide the venue. Its a 50+ year venue for Manitobans. I have no issue with it. With the increased profitability of the team and CFL, they should be fine.
|
|
|
Post by phillymike on Mar 29, 2014 8:29:57 GMT -6
Passed by the Plessis underpass project last night...... There it sits not being worked on... Deader than a doornail. WTF? As per Winnipeg's past work projects I forecast it'll be 5 years late and 1/2 a billion over budget. (maybe more, depending on the wind) What a joke!
|
|