[silverwhaletail]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

Sorry guy, I don't hate police and firemen

If you don't hate us, then you certainly have the worst case of envy that i have ever seen.

, but EVERONE should have to sacrifice something in this mess we are in.

Why should I have to sacrifice anything? As far as the "public pension crisis", is it my fault that liberal city managers CHOSE not to continue to fund the pensions during the good stock market years, instead choosing to expand local social welfare programs??? Had the cities continued to invest that 6% of employees pay during all of those years when the stock market was expanding, then they wouldnt be in an underfunded situation now.

Instead, when the public pension systems told the cities that the pension funds were fully funded and gave the cities the option of continuing to pay into the funds or not paying into the funds, the stupid cities chose to blow the money on "other" projects. The smart cities continued to fund their employees retirement systems, even when they had the option not to.

For example, the City of Torrance just ratified a contract with their police officers. This year they will get 6.5%, next year 3.5% and the year after that another 3.5%. Thats 13.5% over 3 years. Further, the City will pay $1,077 monthly toward health insurance in year one, $1,164 monthly in year 2 and $1,257 monthly in year 3. (The city also pays for dental and vision). Interestingly, the police officers decided to cut the first year pay raise from 6.5% to 6% and instead divert that extra 1/2% to a health insurance retirement fund for officers who are already retired. Again, another instance of the membership giving up something now (1/2%) so that they will get something later (better health insurance when they retire). Torrance was smart. They fully funded the retirement system, even when they were not required by law to do so.

The way it is in most cities is you CAN NOT TOUCH these unions, which is wrong; why should they be off limits.

police and fire unions traded pay raises for increased pension benefits. Cities/counties didnt just "give" it away. I worked at a poor city for 12 years, and one of our contracts was for 5% over 3 years. (2%,2%, and 1% the last year). As a matter of fact, I left that city in 2002 and the police officers worked with no contract (NO RAISES) until 2006. Four years with no raise. And this at a time when real estate agents with no training and experience were making literally hundreds of thousands of dollars per year...

And you work so much at your "second job" only because you CAN. I know policemen and firemen who work such low hours each month that they can work other jobs and get by just fine. I understand there are cities where this work is stressful, but lets call it by what it is

I would bet that I work as many hours at my cop job, per month, as you do at whatever vital job it is that you work at. (I would love to know what you do for a living)

For the record, I dont have a "second job." and nobody that i work with has a "second job" either.

My steady police job has enabled me to make a couple bucks in real estate over the 19 years that I have been a cop. Yipee. I scrimped and saved and invested and SOLD, and then scrimped and saved and invested and SOLD some more and shazam, now i have a pretty decent passive income stream. So what.

Your basic premise is that all cops are on easy street. That is just not the case. California is a tough town. If I hadnt invested and TAKEN RISK during my earlier years, I wouldnt have $hit now. It is very expensive here.

As far as the photo goes, I just thought that it was pretty ironic that you are accusing cops and firemen of being on a financial "easy street" and of having so much extra time on their hands that they can have "second jobs". And here I am 5 weeks after moving in and I still can't find the time to get my garage in order...

and one last thing. Five of my buddies have been killed doing this job since I started in 1991. One at LAPD, One at Compton PD, Two at Long Beach PD and One at the Orange County Sheriffs Department. Two others have been shot in the head and miraculously lived. One of them walks with a cane and the other suffers from constant headaches and an intense ringing inside his head 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You want to talk about Stress? I'm 44 years old with a young family and I never know who is going to be behind "door #3..." I can tell you that I have seen one of those doors open and come face to face with the business end of an AR15. Kill or be killed. Night after night. Stress. Yes, that is stress.

I knew that I was going to be a policeman since I was 3 years old. I don't ask for sympathy from anybody. If the job wasn't dangerous, then I wouldn't be interested in it. I have worked all 19 years in patrol, other than a short stint as a violent crimes detective.

Could I have made a better living working full time in finance or investment real estate? Of course I could have. But still, I wouldn't change a thing.