This article shows how Americas big cities have been affected by the economic times we are in. Some are turning off the utilities to force people to move.
Turn Out The Lights - The Largest U.S. Cities Are Becoming Cesspools Of Filth, Decay And Wretchedness -- Society's Child -- Sott.net
No they aren't , they're removing public resources because they can't PAY for them. Utilise as an example Detroit. The city is less population *now* than in the '50s , with same ailing infrastructure to maintain as at it's peak. And many of the other " rust belt" and eastern cities are the same.
Their tax base has been eroded so drastically that they can't afford the cost to maintain the basic services. This is happening in places not quite so hard hit too, in Oakland Calif the LEOs don't respond to burglaries etc. , they don't even come out , they tell you to file a report online or at the station.