A sense of shame

An editorial
©St. Petersburg Times, published April 9, 1996

Third of three editorials

Former Largo police officer David Paulsen was at the helm of his 33-foot sailboat two years ago, braving stormy seas for the annual Clearwater to Key West regatta. Four months later, he was awarded a $1,370 monthly disability pension for injuries he received from a car wreck while driving home from a training class.

Too injured to work but fit enough to sail, Paulsen had some help on the boat that day. His crew included a police captain and two other officers.

The only time police and firefighters get upset about pension claims, it seems, is when the money might go to someone they don't like. So when Tampa's fire chief, William Austin, applied for a disability pension because of chronic heart problems, he was met with an unusually hostile reception, even though his case wasn't that unusual. Heart disease is presumed to be job-related for pension purposes under state law.

One retired firefighter said it was insulting for a fire chief to get the same benefits as those on the front lines. But other chiefs had gotten similar pensions, including the late Fred Anderson, who continued getting checks even after going to prison for taking bribes as a county commissioner.

No shame.

The abuse of the pension system will end more quickly if the people it is there to help demand change. If they can't muster a little old-fashioned shame, they ought to consider the financial implications of fraud, abuse and even generosity. After all, taxpayers aren't the only ones who contribute to these plans. The firefighters and police are paying, too.

The growing sense that something was wrong led former Clearwater firefighter union president Ed Hooper to help change Clearwater's pension plan. Disability pensions were reduced from 75 percent of pay - the highest in the Tampa Bay area - to two-thirds. An extra 15 percent for dependents was dropped. Injured workers can now be required to take other city jobs if they are physically able. They also can be called back to work if their injuries heal.

It is highly unusual for public safety unions to reduce benefits, but Police Chief Sid Klein said they "finally opened their eyes to the potential abuses that had occurred and stepped up to the plate."

Austin's pension request is still pending. He sought another job as a fire chief but wasn't chosen. He would be a classic double dipper, collecting disability while working full time. That ought to embarrass police and firefighters. But how can they complain about the chief when rank-and-file members follow suit?

At the root of the abuse of the pension system is a feeling among police and firefighters that they have a right to these pensions because they have a right to the jobs they replace. They do have a right to expect fair treatment by the public they serve. If they are injured while on the job and cannot work, they deserve support. But if they can work and another job can be found, they ought to take it.

Most police and firefighters don't take advantage of the system. Some keep working even though they could retire on disability. Taking advantage of the disability system ought to be the last resort, says Steve Skinner, a Tampa firefighter who fell three stories. He's back at work. Retiring was not an option, he says.

A sense of shame would do more to rid the pension system of fraud and abuse than all the laws and regulations legislators and local officials could think of. The public support the system needs will drain away if something isn't done. It's time the good police officers and firefighters stood up and demanded change.