The People Battling Wildfires in Idaho Need a Raise

Firefighting isn’t work for lightweights.  Earlier this week I had an on-air conversation and suggested the men and women battling wildfires could use a raise.  Their numbers are thin.  Governor Brad Little is concerned there are so few available we may have a crisis as fire season really unwinds.  It’s a dry year and some massive fires in neighboring states demand a Herculean response.  If we had something break out this weekend to rival what’s taking place in Southern Oregon, how would we cope?

Earlier this week I read a story about how poorly these firefighters are compensated.  They can be called on a moment’s notice to drive a truck halfway across the country and many may go months without seeing family.  Some aren’t making more than 50-thousand dollars a year.  If you’ve got a wife and three kids at home, it’s not much in 2021 terms.

Unlike my line of work, they put their lives on the line almost daily during summer months and often during the remainder of the year.  Our government spends a lot of money.  A lot of money it doesn’t even have.  This week, checks started going out to American families with kids at home.  These checks are scheduled to go out weekly until the end of the year.  The thing is, a lot of the people getting the money would probably tell you they don’t need a universal basic income.

How about instead we take care of the people that take care of us?  Did you know some of these men and women could make more money at McDonald’s?  President Biden is promising a one-time raise.  I guess his priorities are temporary.