I was doing what 99.99% of all the firefighters in the U.S. where doing. I was watching it on TV.
Your ignorance is incredible. MOST union firefighters make FAR MORE than private sector workers make. Particularly those with as little education as a firefighter has. Remember a GED IS required to become a firefighter! Yet, they receive average compensation in my city of over $65,000. per year and their expense to the city is over $120,000. per year with retirement and benefits.
I am sorry that you feel the need to kiss the ass of firefighters, I do not. I know way too many that are little more than users who take their public sector jobs for granted and feel as if they are somehow entitled to ever increasing incomes and benefits regardless of the circumstances of city budgets and citizens finances.
They also feel no compunction at stealing work from tradesmen who do not have the benefit of government health insurance and pensions allowing for them to undercut their prices and pay. They also feel entitled in trading shifts and overtime padding. Any guess at how many spend the last several years of their careers on disability, often caused by work done OUTSIDE of the fire services, like falling off the back of a cement truck? The stories of firefighters dragging themselves into the firehouse after getting hurt at their side job in order to qualify for Workers Comp and Disability are legion.
Like I said, most are fine people, but MANY are not. Regardless, they are as a whole no more special than your average coal miner, lineman for the electric company, or cellular tower worker. All of whom make as much, or considerably less than a union Firefighter, without the need to be constantly looked upon as heroes.
I actually do agree with you on some of your points. The problem I have with the entire pension system is that everyone had the opportunity to go into any job they wanted at 18 or 22. Some chose to go into the public sector and some went into the private. Now it is years later when the baby boomers are retiring and suddenly because of the over amount of retirees (right now), this whole issue has become a problem where as before it was not the case. Trust me nobody wanted to be in the public sector in the 80’s when everyone was making big bucks on the private sector...Same with the 2000’s...nobody was itching to go into the public sector then either. It is only when the private sector is hurting that it is an issue with pensions. You do have some valid points. Perhaps what they should do is start 401K’s the minute you begin working and have a mandatory 10 percent go into an account that you can have a retirement. Then even people at McD’s will have a penny to spend on retirement. to be honest, I don’t believe that anything will be done. If they decide to do away with pensions and bennies today, it would only effect those starting tomorrow.