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To: bentway who wrote (761423)	1/5/2014 4:41:44 PM
From: longnshort	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1574884

Cubans Shocked At Prices As Foreign Cars Go On Saleby Tammy on January 5, 2014 Posted in: FUBAR, Incompetence, Just Plain Stupid, Leftists, Moronic Convergence Because Utopian Socialist Dictatorships work for well ‘for the people.’ Via BBC. Cubans have reacted with shock after foreign-made cars went on sale for the first time since the 1959 revolution at what some termed “crazy” prices. The state has a monopoly on new car sales and has set massive mark-ups. A Peugeot 508 is listed at $262,000. Peugeot’s UK website puts prices from $29,000. State salaries in Cuba average about $20 a month. Freeing up car sales is the latest in a series of reforms. A permit to buy new vehicles is now no longer required. However, only a minority will benefit. The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford, in Havana, says the stream of people at one used-car store in Havana’s upmarket Miramar district were in for a shock. She says the most commonly uttered phrases were “this is madness” and “what a lack of respect”, referring to the government. One of those outside the dealership, Suzanne, told the BBC: “The prices are crazy. No Cuban who works for the state can buy at that price. They have zero chance of getting a car.” Another, Antonio, said: “We’re speechless, it’s a big surprise. I don’t know what the government’s strategy is. Maybe this is just a test phase. But the prices are excessive.” The government argues profits will be placed in a special fund to develop public transport…But one Cuban resident, Daniel Rojas, asked: “At these prices, how many people can buy the cars? So where’s the money to invest in public transport if no-one can buy them?”