I’m a little late to this party, but I feel compelled to respond.
[quote=teaboy]
1. Firefighters have a tough job.
2. Firefighters risk their lives.
3. Other people get paid more than firefighters.
4. Firefighters look sexy in uniforms.
5. Firefighters, like my friend bob, are very nice people.
6. If you dont like firefighters then you should be banned from calling 911 when your house is on fire and you should try to put it out yourself. Ha-ha!
tb[/quote]
I like No. 6 the most.
Anyone that thinks it’s easy money should just march down and apply to be a fireman.
[quote=sdrealtor]Just to clarify I like firefighters, I think thye have tough jobs and everyone I’ve ever met is a great person. With that said, I think they do get paid too much out here.[/quote]
And 6% for changing names, addresses and a few numbers on forms on, say, San Diego’s overall median of, what, 400k. That’s not a lot? I mean, are realtors risking their lives here?
[quote=sdrealtor]These are not people that invested huge sums in higher education.[/quote]
I would not assume that they did not have a higher education. Some firemen have to also be trained in the medical care. They can probably really make bank if they studied a little more and became doctors. They’re settling by being firemen.
[quote=Turtle69]The majority of firefighters in the US are volunteer firefighters. Thes firefighter’s perform just as effectively, and at a fraction of the cost as the unionized “professional” firefighters do.[/quote]
Does that mean that you would go out and volunteer to fight fires? Are you just going to leave or job to do that on a whim when there’s a fire? How many of you out there would? How many can even get away w/leaving their work for this purpose and still have a job when they get back? How many even have the capability and skills to put out a fire and/or save some lives?
[quote=Turtle69]
As for benefits it’s not a question of what they should be paid, but rather a question of what can be realistically afforded based on the money available. Most public employee pensions simply cannot be afforded and should be massively scaled back or eliminated.
[/quote]
Just like all the bankers collecting the bonuses b/c the contract said they can, these guys entered a contract and agree to work, putting their lives on the line with that understanding.
[quote=davelj]And this applies to police officers, teachers, etc. There are multiples of qualified folks willing to do these jobs (for less compensation) for every opening.[/quote]
I take it, dave, that you’ve done a few ride-alongs w/some cops and sat in a classroom trying to teach kids w/ADD who are mouthing off to you every day. Yeah. It’s a cakewalk.
[quote=CA renter]
Do those workers have the same liability as firefighters and cops? Does their work mean the difference between life and death for their customers?[/quote]
Exactly. How much is a lung worth nowadays? How much is your life worth, JIC you happen to die? It’s not a question if they make it home that night or not. It’s a question that there is the real risk you won’t. Great if you’re an adrenaline junkie. Change careers and become a cop or fireman.
CAR – also good point about what the military is getting paid versus, say, mercenaries. Those guys are crazy, not really having to follow protocol and make huge amounts of money.
[quote=CA renter]
During the housing bubble, fire and police departments had a very difficult time finding qualified recruits. When people could make $80K in a couple of months, why would they work for a living? All of a sudden, as soon as the economy turns, the sheeple start looking for a new scapegoat, and public safety personnel bear the brunt of their anger. Why aren’t we directing this anger where it belongs — at the financial sector and the people who drove this country into the ground (and caused the pension crisis)?[/quote]
Exactly. Thank you! In fact, I know a few realtors during the bubble making quite a bit and now not making anything who are thinking about becoming cops. They can’t even make it through bootcamp.
Yep. Easy money.
CAR – I also have the same understanding as you regarding the pension. I know many cops who have had to contribute more. In fact, for a couple of years they didn’t get raises and instead the city was going to contribute more to the pension and the city never did, in fact, contesting it.
[quote=CA renter]
Not only do they fight local fires, they are **forced** to fight fires in other locations around the state, and even in other states (forced overtime, sometimes for weeks at a time, and always with only a few minutes notice…maybe an hour or two, if you get a heads-up).
I know about the myth that firefighters just sit around in their recliners, but that’s just a myth. Do they sometimes sit in recliners? Sure, but it’s just a small fraction of their shift, and they do not get lunch or dinner breaks or any other kind of time-off during their shifts. They often run calls at night when the desk jockeys of the world are sleeping…[/quote]
I don’t know how firemen make the time to have a family, much less enjoy it. Same for cops. Cops have to regularly endure graveyard shifts 8 pm to 8 am, then sleep during the day. Makes for great relationships/lives.
Thanks for posting the salaries. I’m sure we’ll be hearing about many Piggs who quit their jobs to become highly paid public service employees.
Lastly, I have to say that I’m amazed at how little the Piggs here have respect for jobs that are pretty thankless that no one really wants to do but just want to complain about how much they make.
I also want to add that the real problem lands on the desk of whoever is in charge of finance down at the city. Their financial management abilities suck, to say the least.
