[quote=sdrealtor]First off I value highly competent public safety people. Just not to the tune of 150K a year plus incredible pensions at the age of about 50. I value them just as much as I did back east where they dont make anything close to what they do here and have much tougher jobs.
Second, entrepreneurial risk is putting YOUR OWN money and capital at risk not some corporations. Entrepreneurial risk taken by highly educated people is NOT what got us into this mess. What got us into this mess is people playing with other people’s money. Education alone does not mean someone should be paid more though some folks are so smart and well educated they deserve to be paid very well. Getting paid alot in my mind is a reward for putting your own money on the line. If more of that was done in banking we would not be in the mess we are in.[/quote]
FDNY pay is about equal to what is made here. They actually have better benefits (lifetime medical, up to four weeks paid vacation, pensions after 20 years, etc.).
Also, while firefighters back east have to deal with structure fires in older, more dangerous structures (leading cause of death), firefighers in California deal with wildland/brush fires (the second leading cause of death), where firefighters are exposed to fire and smoke for much longer periods of time.
BTW, the $150K/year number that is carelessly thrown around would be inclusive of quite a bit of overtime. Base pay for your average firefighter around here is much lower than that.
