Could someone explain why the Federal (!) State (!) Budgetary (!) Institution "Specialized Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of the Black and Azov Seas" needs a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in the "Luxury" trim costing 3,322,000 rubles?
http://zakupki.gov.ru/pgz/public/action/orders/info/common_info/show?notificationId=3879048 This is nothing short of a mockery. This area is constantly hit by natural disasters, and the latest one, which killed 177 people, is being dealt with right now by the whole country. I assume there are better ways to spend money allocated for meteorology, if there is any to spare. Krymsk showed that, frankly speaking, the early warning system for heavy rainfall needs, um... serious improvement, and forecasts need to be more accurate. And the local hydrometeorological service, right now, while the residents of Krymsk are still shoveling liquid mud out of their homes, is buying itself a "fancy ride" for 3.3 million rubles. So it can have a premium audio system and a little iPod connector. Maybe for the richest hydrometeorological service in the world, such a purchase would be reasonable. Let’s assume that is indeed the case, since the higher authorities apparently have no objections to this purchase:
Still, just in case, I send my warm regards to the head of Roshydromet (Russia’s Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring), Alexander Vasilyevich Frolov. I hope his subordinates plug only good music into that premium JBL audio system with their iPods.
PS Let me remind you that RosPil had introduced a special bill banning officials from buying cars costing more than 2 million rubles. The bill was supported by the factions of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, A Just Russia, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. It was specifically United Russia that blocked our idea. Calling it populism. So this Toyota Land Cruiser in the "Luxury" trim, bought with 3.3 million rubles of budget money for the head of an impoverished state-funded institution, is a direct achievement of United Russia. They should be proud of themselves.