Agree that it is difficult to get into the fire dept, and have known a number of kids growing up whose fathers were captains or chiefs, and they still couldn’t get in — usually because of Affirmative Action.
Also wanted to clarify my position. I think police officers are grossly underpaid, and firefighters are somewhat overpaid.
I do NOT agree with the current pension plan, and even wrote letters to municipal govt representatives and state representatives years ago to voice my concerns. IMHO, they should never have gone over 2%@55, which means you get 2% times your highest pay, multiplied by the number of years worked. If you work 30 years, you get 60% of you highest pay at the age of 55. Currently, many (but not all) departments have 3%@50, which is where the 90% figure comes from — after 30 years, you get 3% of your highest pay multiplied by the number of years worked, and you can retire at age 50. That really is too generous, and we cannot afford it.
Additionally, I also agree that CalPERS is not properly funded, and they’ve over-estimated their forecast returns for a long, long time (and I’ve written letters to representatives to say that as well).
My problem with threads like this is that people who know nothing about the topic of public safety are looking for a scapegoat for the financial mess we’re in. There is a wide net of blame to be cast, and these hard-working public servants are by no means the cause of all (or even most of) our financial problems.
