🚀 go-pugleaf

http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/04/contempt-for-
firefighters-wont-help-the-city-
budget.html?cid=6a00d8341c7de353ef015431fe8413970c

You'd think a proposal to cut 18 fire companies and four 
ambulances from the Los Angeles Fire Department would outrage 
readers; that they'd argue public safety trumps $53 million in 
savings; that they'd demand the city explore other cost-cutting 
measures. But no. Readers are thrilled, at least judging from 
the comments on this L.A. Now post about the proposal, which 
claim that firefighters are lazy, overpaid jerks who're laughing 
all the way to the bank -- with our tax dollars. And I thought 
the contempt for teachers was bad.  Here's a sampling, with 
spelling corrected for clarity:

I urge the public to stop by a firehouse during the afternoon 
and especially the evening to see exactly how their tax dollars 
are being spent. Bring a snack for the movies and energy for the 
video game marathons.

--Ben Olguin

Highest paid manual laborers on earth.

--Fred

Can you name an occupation where you spend the bulk of your time 
NOT doing your job? Firefighters are like bridge attendants: the 
majority of their is spent NOT doing their main duties. I mean, 
firefighters go grocery shopping, get little Fluffy from a 
tree,take Sparky the dog to schools for Fire Awareness Day, 
exercise, wash and wax their trucks, etc. Seriously, %-wise, in 
a typical work-week, how much of their generously-paid time do 
firefighters actually fight fires? The point being, this is not 
at all the doom-and-gloom scenario that the firefighters' union 
and spend-at-all-costs politicians will make this out to be. 
Want proof? Drive by any fire station any hour of the day or 
night and see if anybody's home and what they're doing.

--Leonard C. Marshman

What do you call a fireman in the firehouse? A vacation.

--Stanley

A similar sentiment even appeared on the discussion board of Tim 
Rutten's latest column about the California budget:

I wish this state would hurry up and go Bankrupt. Get rid of the 
unions fire all of the state and county STROKES. A.K.A. Police, 
Fire and DMV workers to start.

I�m sure there are plenty of cheaper people out there. Plus if 
they want their jobs make them all SALARY.

Get Browneye out of office only a moron would think he was going 
to help out.

--marxbros1

The most surprising comment on the firefighter proposal suggests 
that the city start a volunteer fire department.

I wonder if the readers really know just how well and overpaid 
our "heroes" are. There are fireman making in excess of 
$250,000.00 a year, to sit around and watch big screen TV's and 
shine fire trucks.

Ask yourself, just how many fires do you see in any given week 
or month?

Civil service was never intended to make one rich, but to 
provide for a living while also providing a public service. A 
huge portion of the LA City fire dept are "rich", according to 
the current administrations definition.

The city of LA would be much better served by having a volunteer 
dept., by cutting 75 % of the paid fireman.

The mystique of the under paid and overworked fireman is 
difficult to break.

--Phil

Right. When a fire starts, it'd be much more prudent to gather a 
bunch of amateurs from around the city and then remind them -- 
the ones who bother to show up, at least -- how to use a hose 
and maneuver in their uniforms while the clock ticks and the 
fire burns, than to rely on trained-and-ready professionals. 
When it comes time to pay for the damage, at least we can take 
comfort in the fact that we got a really good deal on the 
firefighters.

Next thing you know, a commenter will suggest that teachers 
fight fires during their summer and spring breaks -- you know, 
so they can really earn their paychecks.

But personally, I think they'd be better off getting some 
perspective from Jim Newton's March 1 column on the subject:  
Budget-cutting at the L.A. Fire Department is no way to protect 
core services or those who provide them.