While other Baltimore City retirees and politicians continue to receive cost of living raises, Baltimore's police officers and firefighters have had their pensions frozen for almost seven years ("Baltimore's top elected officials set to receive automatic raise," Nov. 27).
Can you imagine: Police officers and firefighters who have been injured in the line of duty have received nothing for almost seven years now, unless they are 55 years old. At 55 they would get a paltry 1 percent. Imagine trying to live off of that!
When police officers or firefighters are killed or severely injured, the politicians are right there for all the press coverage while finding away behind closed doors to take away anything they can. It should also be pointed out that police and firefighters contribute the most of any city union to their pension out of their own pockets while also not receiving Social Security, meaning for many their pension is their only source of income. All the other city retirees do receive Social Security.
It is amazing to think that we would turn our backs on the people we ask so much from. It is hard to believe politicians could look themselves in the mirror after denying these folks the simple raises they need to survive while making sure they still get theirs.
Michael Ceriale
The writer is a retired captain in the Baltimore City Fire Department.
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