It's always been around, but seems to have become much more pervasive in the past 20 years or so. It's pretty much everywhere you look.
- Workers who leave aren't replaced. The workload of those who stay increases with no corresponding increases in pay.
- Funding for upkeep in real terms drops a percentage point or two every year.
- Quality/quantity of output drops. Eventually there's some major fuck-up.
- Everybody stands around and acts surprised.
- Major reforms are promised with about one percent actually happening.
- At some subsequent point people wonder why fewer and fewer people go into that field
- Rinse and repeat after nauseum.
A friend is flying Newark to Paris Sunday. He is not amused.