No mention of a computer glitch, but I was
wondering why the workers were unpaid. Surely
a likely scenario anywhere that check writing
software fails. On Thursday, Bazanova said heat in 147 buildings
was turned off, leaving about 30,000 of the
district's 50,000 in the cold. The temperature
in the houses which have been disconnected from
the heat is about plus 10 degrees Celsius, Bazanova
said.

30,000 Without Heating in Oblast

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 20, 1999

Answers

A stinky link.

-- (blasted@oblast.huh?), November 20, 1999.

30,000 Without Heating in Oblast

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 20, 1999.

I don't know from Russia, but I do know something of the situation in Latvia. Under the Russian occupation residential heating was centralized for "efficiency" (like a lot of other things). Steam is piped from the central boiler all around to, mostly to apartment buildings. But the Russian occupation ended. A lot of formerly state enterprises were "privatized," with more or less ancillary corruption, etc.

If the central heating plant has been privatized, and the new owner (s) at some point can't pay the fuel bill, the fuel supply is cut off and the steam pipes get cold. The individual apartment dwellers have no recourse in this situation. Except more blankets, maybe.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), November 20, 1999.

A common situation in the former Soviet Union. People don't get paid because the former communists are still in control of the purse strings and siphon off all the revenue. That's why a few cronies in charge of every big manufacturing plant drive Mercedes, have nice houses, fly to Aspen to ski while all the workers steal whatever they can from the factory to barter for food for there table. The former Soviet Union is one of the worst places to be PRIOR to Y2K.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), November 20, 1999.

i feel so sorry for folks in russia. what a fine government. they pay such a horrible toll for it too. and this winter will be so awful.

if you want to do some good for them--there are several good ministries that have very good giving records (very high percentage goes right to the recipients):

one is giving food to a russian family (that is delivered in person) for $35 (four months worth of food) www.mercycorps.org

the second, for $10 will buy an entire set of winter clothes for two children in russian orphanages (the stories are tragic--kids can't even go to school or outside because they have no shoes). www.sga.org

here we think about our y2k supplies and food boredom through little treats and snacks. these folks would be thrilled to suffer food boredom. god bless.

-- tt (cuddluppy@nowwhere.com), November 20, 1999.