[quote=njtosd]
SK – you are completely missing the importance of competition for keeping price down. A single supplier is also known as a monopoly – and few want that. Somewhere between one and a billion suppliers is optimal, depending on what the good or service is.[/quote]

I’m not missing the point at all. We’re talking about a very specific service, trash pickup. Not making cars or cell phones or spa services. If you don’t think those in management, even in civil service jobs, aren’t concerned with keeping costs down, you’re wrong. There may be no profit motive, but there is always pressure to spend less and deliver services more efficiently. And particularly with government contracted services, the motivation is always to deliver less service for more money.