Another data point indicating a slide towards a lower standard of living

The "secure" government jobs which paid pensions and where workers never got fired- they are rapidly becoming extinct. People who relied on the government to provide services will have to get those from the private sector- which means some people may choose to forgo services because they cannot afford them.

Costa Mesa, Calif., Laying Off Hundreds - NYTimes.com: "Nearly half of this city’s workers were told late last week that, come September, they would probably be out of a job. Nearly every city department will be eliminated. More than a dozen tasks will be outsourced, including graffiti removal, firefighting, building maintenance and street cleaning."