Life & death, bucks & cents

They're our neighbors, our friends, people we look up to.

And when the going gets really rough, they can save our lives.

That's why, intuitively, it's hard to hold a magnifying glass over the ledger that shows how much pay and benefits our unionized police officers and firefighters receive. But as a community, hold that magnifying glass we must. Not only that, we then need to discuss whether the value of services received is equal to the amount invested.

This isn't union-busting. It's examining how your tax dollars are being spent. After reviewing our stories and chart comparing union and private sector benefits, many of you are probably thinking these dedicated public safety servants are worth every dollar and day off they're receiving. And many of you may not. But we think the discussion goes one step further: Is this the best we can do?

With the exception of Kootenai County Fire & Rescue, firefighters in Coeur d'Alene and in the other Kootenai County districts weren't union members until about a dozen years ago. In fact, many relied strictly on volunteers. That's why a comparison of 1998 and 2011 would in some cases show explosive expense growth, far beyond inflation - expenses borne exclusively by taxpayers.

Acknowledging and gratefully appreciating the incredible job our public safety staffers perform does not preclude the asking of fair questions, like:

• Why would a collective bargaining agreement prohibit personnel from routine duties when the temperature outside is deemed too hot or too cold?

• Is scheduling crews 48 hours on and then five days off the best way to ensure round-the-clock coverage, especially when crew members are paid for every minute of that 48-hour shift?

• Throughout the union landscape in Kootenai County - Coeur d'Alene city employees, firefighters, teachers - is being allowed to accrue months of paid time off, in sickness or in health, wise, fair and responsible? In most cases, when that employee takes extended time off, someone else must be paid as a replacement, essentially doubling the expense to taxpayers. This category shows the greatest benefit disparity between unionized public employees and non-unionized private employees.

• While every public official we dealt with on this series was cooperative and courteous, many details of the collective bargaining agreements they abide by could hardly be more difficult for citizens to understand. Is that obfuscation intentional?

All of the collective bargaining agreements we examined are public record, available to any citizen who requests them. We encourage you to do just that.

The series "State of the Union" was in no way intended to have the final word on the roles and costs of public unions in Kootenai County. If we simply helped get some healthy debate started, then maybe the series was a success.