| As we have pointed out, the swells on the Orlando Sentinel editorial board think Florida governments' financial problems can largely be traced to the "fatter paychecks of government workers". These dopes, on February 10, 2008, in a delightfully titled editorial - Fattening Up: Local and state governments are overly generous to employees - have the gall to complain that public employees, which of course includes firefighters the wages of city and county workers in Florida [which were already pathetically out of sync with the private sector] grew by more than 20 percent between 2001 and 2006, and the average salaries of all local government workers is now higher than those who work for businesses. Firefighter insurance and pensions also need to be on the chopping block: While businesses cut back on health-insurance benefits and replaced expensive pensions with 401(k) plans, few governments have done the same. The editors' point is clear: it is a good thing to "cut back on health-insurance benefits" and "replace[] expensive [defined benefit] pensions with 401(k) plans".The editors then mocked the plight of public employees Wow. So much for the struggling public employee. A couple of days later the editors yet again proved their company mettle by going after firefighters'expensive vacation and leave policies [to bring them] in line with businesses. To summarize, the editors argue that it would be wise public policy for public employers to join the private sector in cutting back on wages, health-insurance benefits, pensions, vacations and leave policies. More: "Orlando Sentinel embarasses itself" and "The Orlando Sentinel editors are at it again". (It ain't just the Orlando Sentinel: "Time to cut Firefighters' "platinum", "lavish", "outlandish" and "sweet pay plans".) After urinating directly into the faces of Florida's fire-rescue and other public sector workers, the supine Sentinel editors, in a monumental display of hubris, now have the audacity to turn around and write about the hundreds of firefighters who have courageously and tirelessly worked around the clock to save homes and lives ... The editors flop over themselves to pen these words:
Risking their lives to protect strangers may be standard operating procedure for firefighters, but it should never go unappreciated. "Brevard fires put firefighters and suspected arsonists in focus. Which leaves one to wonder precisely how the editors think firefighters should be "appreciated"? After, of course, cutting firefighters' wages, health-insurance benefits, pensions, vacations and leave policies. |
