[lbo-talk] Forecast: Russia's GDP to grow 15%-18% in 2003-2005

[Chris Doss]

> >Local telephone calls free. Up to 30% of Moscovites use public
> >transportation for free, poor health care basically free, cheap food 
>still
> >available etc....I paid 50 rubles ($1.50) for utilities last month.
>
Come to think of it, it's even cushier than that. Half the time on the bus, 
they don't even bother to ask you for money.

In addition, Russian apartment blocs are all linked to a single power line, 
so you can't turn off someone's electricity for non-payment without shutting 
off power to the entire building. And it is illegal to evict people (they 
own the apartment, after all). So there is usually some family in every bloc 
that just refuses to pay. There were Soviet movies decrying such people.

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