Cost cutting and ramifications

Corporations have cut cost, cut employees.
Profits may look OK.
Where else is left to cut?
Quality, inventory, maintenance.

There will be larger outbreaks of food poisioning from large processors, like Tyson.

Food quality at restaurants, going down.   Food handling by every more inexperienced people who just don't care will result in more food poisioning from restaurants.

Maintenance on little things like gas distribution systems will be reduced.

Plane / Helo maintenance will be reduced and even cheated on. 

Public transportation systems will see decreased maintenance and less replacements even though at end of service life. 

These things are already happening as "healthy" cost cutting measures to make America more competitive take place.

Not trying to be negative, but these things are coming down the pike.  Adjust your lifestyle to account for them. 

Cost cutting measures can often end up as safety cutting measures, especially when the period of cost cutting exceeds the "standard recession" of 18 months.

Legionella is not a common problem from a city water system when the faciltiy heating system is properly maintained and heated to 140F.  However, cost savings may push facilities to turn down their storage tank temperatures. 

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20091214/D9CJ93701.html

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20091214/UPDATES01/91214007