Dan Tobben’s Commentary on Firefighter & Police Pensions Published in St. Louis Post-Disptach

On May 5, 2010, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran an editorial piece that was submitted by Dan Tobben about the St. Louis police and firefighters’ pensions relative to the city’s financial situation.

Excerpt:

Politicians in St. Louis city government appear to be in denial about the causes of police and firefighters’ pension funding issues. Contrary to what city officials have been promoting in the news media, the allegedly generous benefits provided for in the St. Louis police and firefighter pensions are not causing the city’s budget problems…

Firefighters and police officers do not qualify for Social Security because they have a government pension, so their pensions are all that they have when they retire. Firefighters have no health care coverage when they leave the job.

One can imagine how important a stable pension must be to a young recruit before making a decision to join the city’s police or fire department. Would you take a low-paid, dangerous job if you were not offered the incentive of a guaranteed pension with strong disability benefits?

The city’s budget crisis was not caused by public safety pensions.

And it is fundamentally important that the city continue to be served by dedicated police officers and firefighters who serve honorably and with distinction.