From what I’ve seen the difference in service level is getting greater, less hidden. I live in the Saint Agnes neighborhood, a tiny neighborhood across Wilkens from Violetville. We’re technically part of the Violetville neighborhood group. My area is lucky if we get recycling pick up every other month, not every other week. The street sweeper can’t fit down our streets anymore because the tractor trailers, illegally parked but never ticketed, take up too much room. Several trees fell last spring and are still on the curb except for the large branches neighbors were able to move out of the way. The level of services here dropped dramatically in the last few years.

On the other hand I went to a neighborhood meeting last month where people complained the councilwoman’s friends who co-founded a rival community group with her, receive special DPW cleaning services above and beyond normal. I was doubtful until the man showed a video compilation of DPW crews sweeping that woman’s back patio and cleaning up leaves in the alley every week, all while other parts of the neighborhood don’t get baseline services.

I don’t know if the overall level of services dropped in the city, or if people are more blatant about misusing city services because it goes unchecked. Whichever it is, it’s much worse now than it ever was before.