Staby (A Quality of Government Report)

Hi guys! I want you to meet my little friend.

It’s a dead dog. Dead since last Friday (Apr. 9). I call her Staby (as in stabilnist). She can be found here.

Naturally, the municipal hotline didn’t help. The CDC didn’t even answer calls.

Hour after hour, day after day, the beach gets visits from unsuspecting kids and carefree adults. That’s where they run into Staby.





I’ve been picking up plastic bags and bottles on Kyiv beaches for about a year. I’ve even buried a few birds. (We don’t have a reliable service to take care of dead animals or roadkill. Most of the time, they just rot away on the streets or become car-pressed steaks on the highway.)

I gave up on Staby. She’s too heavy and too much of a health hazard. You can smell her from a distance of 50 meters if the wind blows your way.

Ironically, the bay goes by the name of Sobache Hyrlo (Dog's Throat). Here's what it looks like in the summer.


Back to Staby, I last saw her on Thursday evening, half-submerged. With the water rising, she may sail away tomorrow. Too bad she won’t reach Koncha-Zaspa.



Mr. Yanukovych, I know you hear everyone. Why don’t you pick up Staby and take her to the White House, along with the enriched uranium?

Or maybe we should keep her as a tourist attraction for Euro 2012?

Mr. Yanukovych, my offer remains open for you until further notice.

As of April 20, Staby appears to be gone. Gone in 950,400 seconds.

Ukraine #85 Out of 182 on Human Development Index

Based on 2007 figures, one should add.

Which means that, given the 25% GDP contraction in Q1 2009 and the hryvnia's 60% devaluation, Ukraine's up-to-date ranking may be lower.

With real wages falling twofold, GDP per capita of $6,914 (PPP) — whatever its accuracy — is history now.

Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer
bebepanda

Sources:
http://pravda.com.ua/news/2009/10/6/102777.htm
http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_UKR.html

Ukraine Ranks 64th of 104 on 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index

According to this year's study by the Legatum Institute, “Ukraine ranks amongst the lowest of the European states at 68th overall, on a par with Macedonia.” (h/t Ukrayinska Pravda)

The study ranks countries on economic competitiveness and comparable liveability, both of which contain a variety of sub-rankings.

Particularly interesting is the finding that Ukraine’s “Economic Competitiveness rank (45th) is substantially higher than its Comparative Liveability rank (91st).”

Below are some of the other excerpts from Ukraine’s country profile:

In terms of liveability, Ukraine scores very poorly on many indicators, including income. The health situation is particularly alarming: 49% of the population is dissatisfied with their personal health, and health-adjusted life expectancy is under 60 years. HIV prevalence is the highest in the region, and the population is decreasing by almost 1% annually, a trend which is amplified by massive emigration both towards the West and to Russia.

Although unemployment is relatively low, Ukraine is marked by a perceived lack of opportunity. A significant proportion of the citizens are dissatisfied with the freedom to choose what to do in life and do not believe they can get ahead by working hard, according to the Gallup World Poll.

For cross-country comparison-shopping, Legatum offers a tool called Prosperiscope™. Using this tool, you can compare:

Ukraine to the U.S.
Ukraine to Canada
Ukraine to the UK
Ukraine to Germany

Sources:
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2008/10/20/83090.htm
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3725069,00.html
http://www.prosperity.com/country.aspx?id=UP