An unauthorized collection of the records of Alternate Energy Holdings, inc., its principals and subsidiaries, and their antics, trials, and tribulations

Former AEHI CEO Don Gillispie

Former AEHI CEO Don Gillispie
OK, everyone, I've got to step out for just a minute. I'll be right back, I promise!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Keeping Up Appearances, Part II: "Initial Site Improvements"

With long periods of inactivity punctuated only by the occasional motions in the SEC fraud case, AEHI needed some sort of 'news' to share with the 'whining stockholders' and board members.
A while back, it was just the sign at the entrance to the property.
Water?  Of course they have water.  See the reactor cooling pond to the left of the sign?

Most recently, however, the company announced "progress" in the form of  what they call "Initial Site Improvements."

What "improvements?" Dragging a trailer in, making a gate, installing a culvert.

They're pretty good at saying things that are technically true.
Here is their elaborate gating system.  You can also see Don's Ford Compensator Pickup in front of the "Energy Complex" trailer:
Elaborate Terrorist-Proof Gating System with Big Mean Scary Sign.
Nuclear Command Post with Ford Compensator Quick Response Vehicle in background.
Here is their new Facebook cover photo:
Clearly, it's legit!  They have a sign and a trailer.  And a fancy gate and stuff.  
Here is the announcement of all the stuff they are doing so that it looks like they are actually doing something besides paying themselves lavish salaries: (facebook link)  (Link on AEHI websiste)

This sort of thing,  making things appear to be more elaborate or significant than they really are, is nothing new in Idaho.  It's a well-used tactic to get money from investors.

Here is an excerpt from an excellent book, Roadside Geology of Idaho, page 119, Part III, Central Idaho, "Frontier Mining":
Many of those old mines and claims back in the hills were simply stock promotions.  In a word, scams.  The promoters would set up a few small buildings, buy some nice ore samples, and print a batch of colorful stock certificates.  Then they went to one of the big eastern cities, sold the stock, and returned to the Rocky Mountains to enjoy the proceeds.  It was an efficient system:  The investors promptly lost their money without any intermediate fuss over operating a mine.  If you run across what looks like  an abandoned mine, but can't find much sign of spoil heaps, ore minerals, ditches, or haulage roads, you may well be looking at the relics of an old stock scam.  An amazing number of mines never shipped any ore, or even had any mineralized rock to mine.
From Roadside Geology of Idaho, by David. D. Alt and Donald W. Hyndman, Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, 1989.

Just substitute "foot of transmission line"or "ounce of spent nuclear fuel" in the detritus list and you've got this one in a nutshell.  Same shit, different day.  Old as the hills, or at least as the history of Idaho.

1 comment:

  1. Thinking the east coast investors are getting smarter. Stock is selling for 2 cents a share. I find more money than that walking down the street.

    ReplyDelete