No defense for cheating firefighters

Over the years when I’ve written columns critical of either Clark County or Las Vegas firefighters, I have ALWAYS received calls or e-mails from firefighters or their families blasting me for my comments. When I questioned whether it was appropriate for firefighters to raise money for one charity (Jerry’s Kids) on their work time, I was ripped. Any criticism of firefighters always had defenders for what they did and explanations that I couldn’t possibly understand how difficult their jobs are.

Some of the comments were so harsh, friends suggested that a good Christmas gift would be an extra-long hose.

But Thursday’s column about the sick leave abuse by firefighters was different.

Not one person wrote or called to defend firefighters who abused sick leave, including those who obviously used it to try to pump up their pensions. The many decent firefighters can’t defend it and the ones who exploited the rules of their contract don’t have the chutzpah to say anything.

Not one defender.

Instead, several retired firefighters and their families wrote and called to share their own outrage at the firefighters who cheated the taxpayers.

One former federal firefighter wrote: “No, firefighter is worth that kind of retirement that these cities are giving out for retirement. Not even Superman deserves that.”

It’s impossible to deny that the scamming occurred. The silence is telling.