Possible breakthrough in firefighter contract talks: Union proposes one-year freeze on drug-testing pay increase

Do you have data that shows the average number of hours worked in a month?

I haven't seen that data before and you said yourself that they only work every 4th day.

A cop without a masters degree is going to make less than what a teacher makes (per hour).

The fact is, the schools in many "inexpensive" suburbs and exurbs really aren't any better than Boston's, and are, in many ways, more limited in resources.

I think this is part of Adam's objections - it isn't 1980 or even 1990 anymore.

Those suburbs with the "great schools"? All very expensive to buy in and live in.

I don't think the true cost is being figured into this either, and I sincerely doubt those comments were based on anything resembling actual data on real estate prices, taxes, and transportation costs - my MIL was pitching fits that we wanted to live so close in and didn't just buy further out and drive a lot ... but we showed her how much that would cost in "consumables" like cars and gas and time.

Our family income is about $50K. Our home cost $279K in 2005, and it's good-sized and 0.2 miles from a major T stop. We put about $1500 into savings every month (um, or into frivolous things many months instead, but that's not the point!). That would be enough for full tuition at many private schools, plus our family income would likely qualify us for financial aid. So yeah, putting aside the assholishness of being above putting your kids in public schools like everyfreakinone else does, so yeah, a single-income firefighter living in Boston could sure as hell afford private school if it were a priority, unless they also insist on a huge lavish house, frequent exotic vacations, an exquisite wardrobe, in which case, um, it isn't my tax dollars' problem that you're more special than the rest of us.

Oh, and I work at a state-funded program and make nowhere near what a firefighter does. Also an essential public service. I have a second job and do some odd work here and there. Also I'm required to have a master's degree. Nearly all of my coworkers have second jobs in addition to the long hours we put in at work. Why are firefighters so much more special than we are?

The only communities to the north that are cheaper than West Roxbury are Everett, Malden, Lynn and Chelsea. Stoneham has a similar median price, as does Dedham to the south(which one would expect). Rockland is a bit cheaper (but not much for single family units), and Weymouth single family housing prices are around the same.

From like 1980 to the 1990s every single city employee had to live in the city. After that more and more groups started to get grandfathered in.

And I kind of disagree with Swirrly's take on the housing market in the suburbs versus Boston. The taxes and commuting issues are more expensive in most surburbs, but you get what you pay for in both places. I think you get more for your buck in the suburbs, and there some good deals out there all around.

I guess the city has that right, but they might get a better employee if the relax the residency requirment. And civil service is whole other issue in terms of residency.

There's a huge benefit to being served by people who live in the area and understand what life is like here. I work indirectly for the government (most all social services and health care are contracted out) so we don't have any residency requirement. I used to work for a program similar to my current one, and most of my coworkers were whiter-than-white people from the suburbs who'd make offensive comments about how they managed to not get shot today, they never did any errands locally during lunch or anything and made horrified comments at suggestions that one use the local post office or bank or store, made frequent comments about locking car doors while driving and carrying mace and whatnot. Most of them were pretty ineffective clinicians, because they viewed our clientele as poor poor pitiful people who risk getting killed by a gang when they go to the post office, rather than as people just like themselves. I think this cultural difference maybe gets in the way more with things like education and social services, but I still want firefighters who live in the city and have spent plenty of time hanging out in the types of housing we have, and who when they respond to medical calls and whatnot are familiar with different living situations and cultural groups and types of families because they see them and interact with them every day outside of a crisis situation.

(This is not to say of course the people from the suburbs can't make great city employees, but that they do at least need to view the community in which they work as "their" community as well. A teacher or firefighter who flees for the suburbs the second s/he is off the clock is going to be out of touch and ineffective. However, there are certainly suburban city employees who grab a snack at the corner store after work and attend the happenings in their work community with their families, and it makes a big difference.)

Those people are worth less than the ones in my neighborhood. Since we pay more taxes than them, the cost/benefit analysis should benefit my neighborhood first.

Gee, I put forth an entire section of articles from a Boston Globe special report. Statistics, investigative reporting, the whole shebang ... not exactly "baseless" in any sense of presentation of evidence.

All we have heard from you is uncited information. That's baseless assertion.