Friends, we're not in Kansas anymore....

As America slides from First World status, we're going to have to change our expectations.

Standards of service we've come to expect from school, police, fire and medical services are falling and falling fast. Roads, bridges are deteriorating. Cut, recut and then cut again budgets, and things fall apart.

Profound changes are underway and pretending it's just a short slump that will be over soon is whistling past the grave.