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San Diego’s pension fund expects to earn 7.75 percent a year
Response to #32. RE: The public does not rely on the police for safety either, but it is your job and YOU'RE the one that brought up the safety issue, not me. As a matter of fact, public safety is NOT my job. You assume that because I lay a bulk of the blame with our greedy city "leaders" for the pension mess instead of the day-to-day public safety workers that I have something to gain personally. In fact, I am not a cop, firefighter or lifeguard. However, my husband was saved by a lifeguard when he was 7 years old in SD Bay, my mother was recessitated by SDFD paramedics in Mission Valley and my friend's life was (probably) saved by a cop who rescued her from an attempted kidnapping by a convicted rapist in Ocean Beach. There is no denying that construction workers are sometimes at risk - but they do not serve the public. Miners, oil drillers, and nuclear engineers have high risk jobs too. However, since they are not civil service workers they don't really have a place in this discussion. Apples and hamburgers. Both tasty treats but not in the same food group. Somebody owes me another apology.— October 15, 2010 8:53 a.m.
San Diego’s pension fund expects to earn 7.75 percent a year
Response to comment #10: Please show me a private sector job that comps a 20 year old $200K before OT where there is no education or prior work experience needed, well except a GED. ========================================== Please show me an example of an uneducated 20 year old in the city of San Diego that makes $200K before OT in civil service (with our without a doctorate, let alone a GED)? You must be drinking the wrong batch of koolaid.— October 13, 2010 11:41 p.m.
San Diego’s pension fund expects to earn 7.75 percent a year
Does the general public rely on construction workers to provide safety for their family on a 24/7 basis? Obviously not. It is not fair to compare apples to hamburgers. I'm not saying that there isn't room for pension reform in San Diego, I'm only stating that blaming the safety officers for the decisions of the city council is just wrong. The city employees do not have the benefit of Social Security or any of the other publicly available "entitlements", instead the city leaders decided to make marginally viable wage and pension promises during a strong financial market and when that market turned South (no pun intented) they began thowing stones at their own glass house. The police, fire and lifeguards serve the public and risk their own life and limb in daily support of the citizens of San Diego and compensation for such should not be compared to that of construction workers or any other blue or white collar job. Public Safety is an employment and risk class in and of itself. Compare San Diego fire, police and lifeguards to other major US city departments in the same capacity and you will see that San Diego is below average. Point your animosity and blame at the proper parties: not the day to to day workers who serve the public! For the record, here are some of the nation's salaraies for firefighters: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Fire_Figh…, and police: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Police_or… Also, here are some numbers to review median salaries in San Diego: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/City=San_Dieg… You will notice that construction workers (managers) make $80K average. Fresno police make more than San Diego police. My point is this: public safety officers who work the day to day in San Diego are not the cause (nor should they be blamed) for the pension debaucle. Best, CDA— October 13, 2010 11:28 p.m.
San Diego’s pension fund expects to earn 7.75 percent a year
Safety workers retire earlier than traditional jobs due to the physical demands of job and subsequent limitations as the body ages. With average health, one can expect to work at a desk job well into their 60s or 70s. The same principle can not be applied to safety workers. For example, would you expect a 65 year old lifeguard to perform as well as one in his or her 30s or 40s? I'm tired of the media and unappreciative citizens comparing the jobs/pensions/wages of office workers with high risk *safety* officers as if it is the same category. It isn't. These civil servants spend their careers in extremely high risk positions earning below-average wage and deserve more respect from our community. The council is using its own public employees as scapegoats for their own bad decisions. Leave the good guys alone and take a close look in the mirror San Diego!— October 13, 2010 12:38 p.m.