I live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Last month, my water bill contained a bright pink slip. The purpose of this slip was to inform me that, as of 03/01/2013, the city would no longer provide service for any water pipe maintenance between the city's meter and the owner's house.
The very next day, I received a notice from a private company that was willing to provide this service for a monthly fee of $7.00/month. I expect that this is the first of many city services that are being sold off to the highest bidder.
Oh. did I mention that the Mayor and most of the City Council are Republicans?