There are many reasons for the decline. But it used to be a great place to live and grow up. Now, it's just mean and terrible. From city leadership to the police department to the religious kooks that control the place, Bethany has suffered greatly during a time of relative prosperity and growth for the rest of the OKC Metro area.
But this post is not really to criticize Bethany. That would take a whole book, and would be totally unnecessary anyway.
This post is about the recent controversy between city leaders and the fire department. The fire department union pushed for a raise and won through arbitration. The City responded by agreeing to the raise and cutting staff. The story is here.
I understand fiscal responsibility. But Bethany already pays firefighters 25% less than surrounding municipalities. Are they really so defunct that they can't staff the fire department properly and pay a decent living wage? Things really are getting bad there.
Firefighters are part of a group of people that we really need, and they usually get the very short end of the deal. They, along with police officers, social workers and a host of other public servants, see the worst of society. Firefighters do a lot more than fight fires. They work car accidents, medical calls, and a whole lot more. Whenever anybody thinks he needs help, the fire department is the default answer.
And that kind of work takes its toll. Many of these guys get calloused and bitter and suffer personal tragedy that is entirely a result of their chosen vocation. And society needs their sacrifice. We can't get along without them, even if many of them live miserable lives and die young helping the rest of us. It takes a very special person to be a public servant and not be victimized and traumatized by the experience.
But it's just wrong to ask them to to do that and not even pay them enough to live - or, like Bethany, use them as pawns in a power struggle.