Once again...the Sacramento Bee Slams FF's

[OFD226]

What the HELL is wrong with this paper!!!


"Blame unions for part in California's woes

The latest TV ad bashing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger features a firefighter so handsome and at ease in front of the cameras, people watching might think he's an actor. He's not. The man who climbs out of a red fire truck to slam the governor is a real-life firefighter. Captain Brian Rice of the Sac Metro. Fire District. Rice is also the president of local 522, the powerful union that represents firefighters in the city of Sacramento and the suburban Sac Metro Fire Dist. As union leader, Rice delivered a 29.5 percent pay raise to Sac Metro firefighters last year, a raise that boosted pay for Metro firefighters with 4 years on the job to $89,000 annually on average. With benefits, total compensation costs jumped to $105,000 per year. For Metro Fire captains like Rice, compensation excluding OT approaches $120,000. The police and firefighter unions bankroll ads that accuse the governor of shortchanging schools and children. There is surely room to criticize the governor's school proposals. But if the governor's proposals fall short of meeting the needs of children, it is also true that public employee unions bear the responsiblity. The unions, with their insatiable appetite for bigger paychecks and richer retirements and stranglehold on the leadership of the Democratic party, pose a growing threat to the future of the state. California is drowning in dept. The governor is making an effort to rescue the state. Meanwhile, powerful unions representing firefighers,prison guards and police demand even more while pretending to defend children and schools. What hypocrisy.
Sacramento Bee- Editorial."

-Please let your comments be heard by contacting the Sac Bee -

http://www.sacbee.com]
http://www.sacbee.com[/URL]

[erics99]

Just curious, did Sacramento firefighters really get a 29.5% pay raise last year? Perhaps I am reading the article wrong. But anyhow, if so, why do they deserve a 29.5% raise?

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

There' nothing "wrong" with this paper.

Whether you agree with it or not, this paper is allowed, under the US Constitution, to express its opinion without fear of government interference. If you don't like that concept, there are plenty of countries that do not have that inconvenience.

There's good news! There are things that you can do, too. You can write a letter to the editor of the paper and express an alernative viewpoint. You can ask to write a guest editorial. You can stop buying a reading the newspaper and encourage your friends to do the same. You can stop patronizing the advertisers.

But you cannot and should not stop the free expression of opinion by the press.

[PattyV]

I agree, however we deserve our right to whine and moan about it on this forum

[DaSharkie]

I fail to see how this opinion page slams firefighters. I see it not being favorable of unions (including fire unions) but other than that your title is grossly misleading.

If they got a 29.5% raise, I guess they worked the system. But do you expect people to NOT be upset at you getting a 30% pay raise while others are struggling to survive and the economy is in shambles, and the state is broke, and cities are screaming about money?

While you post their opinion article, you do nothing to challenge the points made in it. You only ask what is wrong with the paper.

[OFD226]

I only posted the article, perhaps because it was too late (past midnight) when I saw it...

let me explain a few things:

1) The Sacramento Bee has a history of negative press directed to the Sacramento Area Firefighters. Some brought on by actions of members of said departments, others not.

2)The costs of living in California FAR exceed the 89,000 dollars a year which, by the way is for the top step Firefighter MEDIC with all of the incentive pay that is allowed to him/her.
For example: the median house prices, even in the comparatively cheap Sacramento Area is 425,000 dollars for a 2 bed 2 bath house. To qualify for a loan in that amount, you would need more than 65,000 dollars down, and make 135,000 dollars a year. At their current income, they could only afford a 310,000 dollar home.

3) The Sacramento firefighters have historically been among the lowest paid in the state.

4) I do not know if the sac firemen recieved these exact pay raises.....

ofd226

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

None of those factors affect why the paper has something "wrong" with it because it expresses its editorial opinion. Are fire fighters off limits?

[mesman]

29.5% - wow that's unheard of. In Los Angeles County - low call volume (police or fire) = higher pay, whereas high call volume (police or fire) = lower pay.

[CaptOldTimer]

It is called Union Contract with the City.

I am happy that they got the 29.5%. They deserve more and should have received it. The cost of living, as ODF226 has stated, is sky high, if not out of this world. The cost of a modest home, 2br and 2 bath is high by the standards on the right coast or mid America. Too bad our Brothers and Sisters in this area can make more and be able to afford more.

[CALFFBOU]

Finally- something OFD226 and I can agree on.

Here, The Sac Bee gets slammed back for fraud.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/latimests/ne...nsafterinquiry

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

And your point?

We should suspend freedom fo the press to a specific publication if one of their employees is caught fabricating a story?

This has zero to do with their right to publish editorial opinions.

[BKDRAFT]

Congrats to the Sac area firefighters if they did recieve a 29.5% increase. That might seem unfair to others in other parts of the country but the cost of living out here in the Bay Area is insane.

I currently am a Reserve Firefighter which means I recieve no compensation from the department I work for except for the excellent training and expierence. I someday hope to be hired into a paid full time firefighter position here and hope to own a house someday in the city that I have grew up and work in. With the house prices sky high it is next to impossible.

But the Sacramento firefighters have brought the attention on themselves with the numerous incidents that have recently occured there. It's only natural for the press to publish it to the city. A good portion of them are jealous for the jobs that we have and the money that we make.

[Smoke20286]

Good on Sacramento Firefighters if they were able to secure a 29% raise. If someone has a problem with that, they need to take it up with the City negotiators, who agreed to this ammount. A unions job is to secure the best deal for its members as it can.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by Conster74


Where in God's green earth did I imply that????

Au contraire; the journalists who write about firefighters, or policemen, or strawberry jam makers, or ANYTHING, should themselves be held to the same accountability standards they demand in the rest of the playing field. And if they whine about that, perhaps a few of them *should* take their **** elsewhere.

Good god -- You know up here in Syracuse they've actually pulled this crap: "We interrupt this program to bring you some late breaking news, we have no further leads in the house fire on 125 and Maple..." We bring you this late breaking news to tell you... we have no news. WTF?!?!

Did any of those journalists write the editorial?

Should the fire service really be talking about being held to a high standard?

[OFD226]

The unions, with their insatiable appetite for bigger paychecks and richer retirements and stranglehold on the leadership of the Democratic party, pose a growing threat to the future of the state. California is drowning in dept. The governor is making an effort to rescue the state. Meanwhile, powerful unions representing firefighers,prison guards and police demand even more while pretending to defend children and schools. What hypocrisy.
Sacramento Bee- Editorial."

I am not sure why this is even an issue. No one else can see that they are using the firefighters as the scapegoats for our moronic governors approach to goverment??????? This paper is blaming the unions and the fire/police departments for all of the woes of the state. When in reality mr action star is trying to take away our retirements and cuts schools to fund whatever programs suit him!!! We pretend to defend children??? I would say that we defend them very very well.....

I would never restrict the freedoom of the press, but a rational voice must also be heard in this idiotic newspaper!!!!!!

Thanks CalFFBou....we do agree on this!!!

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Bou, the link doesn't work.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by OFD226


I am not sure why this is even an issue. No one else can see that they are using the firefighters as the scapegoats for our moronic governors approach to goverment??????? This paper is blaming the unions and the fire/police departments for all of the woes of the state. When in reality mr action star is trying to take away our retirements and cuts schools to fund whatever programs suit him!!! We pretend to defend children??? I would say that we defend them very very well.....

I would never restrict the freedoom of the press, but a rational voice must also be heard in this idiotic newspaper!!!!!!

Thanks CalFFBou....we do agree on this!!!

Write a guest editorial.

[RLFD14]

A little dirt on the SacBee, for a change....

Calif. columnist resigns amid probe into sources

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by RLFD14
A little dirt on the SacBee, for a change....

Calif. columnist resigns amid probe into sources

It's already been posted and it is irrelevant to this discussion.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by Conster74
Big deal, all he did was post a link, not take a whiz in your cornflakes...

What side of whose bed did you wake up on man?

I'm sorry. I must've neglected to inform you that I don't give a rat's butt what you think.