Serving one’s community is a service which every American should esteem.
Young men and women dream of becoming cops, firefighters, and many of them settle down in their communities to serve as public workers in other capacities, too, whether in water works, or city energy supplies.
Public employees not only dream of setting aside their comfort for the well-being of their communities, but expect their city leaders to provide adequate funding and support for their pensions and benefits when they retire, especially for public safety officers. Firefighters on average face a lower lifespan for taking on the fires, and police officers suffer innumerable tolls to keep cities safe.
That a cash-strapped city, following irresponsible promises and inadequate funding, could walk away from those commitments: such an outcome seemed unthinkable, if not unconscionable. In eight cities, however, city leaders opted for bankruptcy protection for fear of mounting financial obligations, mostly because of lavish pension and benefits promises.
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