Protecting the safety and freedoms of a citizenry is the first principle of any government, and from that principle derive all other benefits a society confers. Like the freedom to go to a bar and get hammered without getting shot on your way home. Freedoms like that are under threat in New York, as worsening street conditions have become a significant drag on the city’s famed nightlife. It’s another downstream effect of rising crime and homelessness – and one which won’t help the city’s looming budget problems. The scenario is not restricted to New York – nearly all the nation’s major municipalities are in the same boat.