Firefighter pay bill burns California taxpayers and exposes GOP hypocrisy

There’s little doubt the state Legislature’s Democratic supermajority embraces fiscally reckless policies, with the free-spending details in the latest $310-billion budget serving as the latest example.

Nevertheless, it’s time to dispel the idea that the Republican super-minority would behave better if it somehow managed to gain power.

Here’s a stellar example. GOP Assemblyman Heath Flora of the Modesto area introduced Assembly Bill 1254, which is hands down the most irresponsible union-giveaway proposal this year.

California’s public-employee unions typically secure their generous compensation packages via collective bargaining. This bill — which has so far received zero “no” votes from legislators of either party — would provide them with automatic pay raises forever.

The bill replaces that bargaining process with a formula requiring state firefighters to earn within 15% of the average salary received in 20 cherry-picked municipal departments.

Local departments on average pay 16% to 40% more than CAL FIRE, so supporters pitch this as an equity issue.

After the state’s grueling fire season, lawmakers want to show their support for state firefighters.

Union officials point to the low starting pay for a small number of seasonal firefighters to bolster their argument for this deal.

What they don’t say is, as CalMatters reports, that the average compensation for a state firefighter is $231,000 a year and for a battalion chief is $356,000. That’s for four 72 shifts a month including time spent sleeping.

We’re not downplaying the important work firefighters perform, but these are generous pay scales that include enviable pension benefits. Compensation packages for top-level firefighters approach amounts that would be the envy of many CEOs.

There’s no reason — beyond cozying up to a politically powerful union — to put taxpayers on the hook and limit the negotiating power of governors and lawmakers.

This brings to mind yet another shameful and indefensible union bill carried by a lawmaker from the allegedly fiscally responsible party.

In 2020, Assemblyman Phil Chen, R-Brea, authored a law that stops cities from creating new fire departments that offer a lower (but still generous) 401(k) pension plan rather than the current defined-benefit formulas. That bill drew broad bipartisan support, with the then-Assembly Republican leader Marie Waldron voting for the disgraceful bill.

Republicans also routinely join the Democrats in voting to give the California prison guards unjustified raises.

For all of their talk of fiscal responsibility, most Republican lawmakers routinely demonstrate little regard for taxpayers when it actually matters.

So remember these measures the next time Republicans rail against union power and promise to protect taxpayers from abuse.