What is the value of public safety?

The last few weeks have been interesting for public safety. Then again most every week tends to be interesting in some way or another. The interesting bit I am talking about is the news about wage cuts and pension cuts. OK Ok… this is nothing new we have had these issues for some time, but two stories seem, to me, a bit shocking.

First there is the issue in San Jose where the city is looking to make the public safety workers pay A LOT more into their pensions. Second is the story about the town that has lowered pay for city workers to minimum wage. Now full disclosure… I know we are in hard budget times so everyone needs to make some sacrifices. Heck look at how Firefighters in FL are offering to take a pay cut and reduction in benefits just to make sure no one gets laid off. Has any civilian ever considered the double sacrifice most public safety workers are being asked to make?

Last week I posted 2 questions to my Facebook fans. I asked how many had to buy work equipment out of pocket and how many have multiple jobs. Every respondent talked about having to buy equipment for work out of pocket. Every respondent also commented how they have both full and part time jobs, some even had multiple part time jobs.

I have a old friend who is a financial advisor. He is one of the first to post on his Facebook and his blog about how public safety is over paid and we are wine when ever pay cuts come up. Umm ok… dude, you drive a BMW, have a 3,000 sq foot house and a 2,000 sq foot vacation cabin up north for hunting. The house I live in every day is smaller that the place to go when your “roughing it”.

So here is the part that I find scary in all this… when the heck did public safety become the villains. OK I know cops get a bad rap all the time, but firefighters don’t typically get the bad guy/gal label. When was the last time a cop or firefighter handed out a sub prime loan? How many public safety departments almost went bankrupt and got a bailout check? Name me one chief who used bailout monies to pay themselves a bonus.

Many of us already work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. We have to use personal funds to buy work equipment. Oh and just FYI, my financial planner buddy has a computer at home and high-speed internet connection both paid for by his employer so he can telecommute in poor weather.

Funny my financial planner buddy is alway bugging me to get into investing and diversify my portfolio. When ever we start talking serious about the topic then he lays out the account maintenance fees and trading commissions I have to pay. He tells me it is the “cost of doing business”, I call it subsidizing his free internet connection.