[quote=harvey]Yes, today’s firefighters are more “paramedic” than “firefighter.”
I don’t see any problem with that.
The linked article is basically a partisan crap, but it does raise one important issue: disability fraud among government retirees. It’s widespread, it’s disgusting, and it says a lot about the ethics and culture of certain so-called “public servants.”
People who have dangerous jobs should have access to disability insurance. Public safety employees who are killed or legitimately hurt on the job should be compensated generously (including their dependents.) There’s no debate there.
But this system where people in their fifties get lifetime annual bonus checks because “my knee hurts” is utter BS.
First, there’s no reason that disability compensation should be tied to retirement benefits. End the ridiculously corrupt pension system. Retirement and disability are separate issues, they don’t need to be entangled. It’s a recipe for fraud.
Give public-sector employees a 401K and a (separate) disability insurance policy, just like mainstream compensation in the private sector. The disability insurance for public-safety employees should be generous, but it should have nothing to do with “retirement.” It’s about injuries, period.
Second, there should be a more than a few bankers in jail right now, and they should each have “injured” retired firefighters as cellmates.[/quote]
Other than the 401k nonsense (there are less costly, more effective, and legal ways to address the pension problems), I agree very much with the rest of your post.
As someone who defends public workers because I think the vast majority of them are extemely honorable, hard-working, and deserving of what they get (not to mention essential in a civilized society), there is nothing I hate more than people who try to scam the system. Yes, they exist, and I would love to see them lose their jobs and all benefits.
