There is a lot of distortion going on these days regarding public pensions. A recent You-Tube video captured this well, especially as regards the current battle in Wisconsin and the ongoing disputes in New Jersey (two places with very different situations–Wisconsin’s plans are actually rather well funded for state employees).
Seeing the effects the smear campaign is having on the general public, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has responded back and has begun an ad campaign to educate people about the truths and myths of public safety pensions. Harold Schaitberger, president of the IAFF, made a lot of important points in his interview featured on the video and it is worth listening to.
After watching this video, I turned on the local St. Louis news to find a story about a 20+ car pile-up on a local highway. The news crew reported that the St. Louis City firefighters rushed to the scene, rescued over twenty people from their cars, and handled the catastrophe quickly and efficiently. After seeing both of these items, it makes me think that people should not rush to judgment regarding public safety pensions until they know all of the facts. The level of the rhetoric in St. Louis hasn’t reached the level in the two previously mentioned states, but the City’s distortions have been there for quite awhile. Add in the fact that the police have to go on the streets of America’s highest crime city, and it makes you wonder ‘what are these City officials thinking or are they thinking at all.
