Two Republican Chula Vista City Council Members, Mike Diaz and John McCann, have opposed the San Diego County Republican Party and are advocating a sales tax increase.
Let me get this straight.
Despite nearly seven out of ten American firefighters being volunteer, and despite California firefighters being paid 60 percent more than the other 49 states (CA median income is only 13 percent above the national average), these two Republicans want to increase the cost of living in Chula Vista?
They want their city to be known for the highest sales tax in the county along with Del Mar and National City?
I’d think one would first address their pensions. Fire personnel typically retire in their 50s and draw 70 percent or more of their peak pay. According to Richard Rider, chairman of San Diego Tax Fighters, a 30-year Navy Captain with responsibility of a multi-billion dollar aircraft carrier, nuclear weapons and 5,000 personnel retires on less than a Fire Captain overseeing a team of four.
Private sector employees rarely have pensions.
Know any fire personnel that think they deserve in excess $200,000? Let the market determine their value and we’ll all know if that opinion is valid.
Over one hundred people show for a job opening and we don’t see market forces are out of wack?
I think our volunteer fire personnel are our true heroes. We have a professional volunteer fire department on one of our homes in another state. No one is complaining. Fire fighting risk is less than unions claim.
There is a principled solution for Chula Vista if free markets, individual liberty and limited government are core values. Please stop. Wrong way.