NV-03: In Attacking Oceguera, "Newspaper" Ignores Heck's Checks

Yesterday, a certain "newspaper" continued its activity of breathlessly copying from Republican Party press releases by rehashing a familiar attack against John Oceguera, who's now running against Joe Heck in NV-03. "Oooh, that big, bad GUV'MINT worker! Johnny O was a firefighter! Johnny O was a big, bad GUV'MINT worker & retired at 43!!!"

They make it sound like Oceguera is somehow "cheated the system", but here's what they won't say. They won't mention the insane work schedules that firefighters have to endure, work schedules that most often include 24 hour work days and so much more.

In most urban departments, firefighters work 24-hour shifts. The schedule involves a rotation of three shifts, so that two of every three days are free. Since firefighters literally live together for 24 hours, the firehouse becomes a combination of work and home, and coworkers constitute a sort of second family. Firefighters often spend more time with crew members than with their own families. [...]

Although the life of a firefighter may seem exciting and glamorous, it has many challenges. Camaraderie and strong bonds between coworkers, along with respect from grateful members of the community is extremely rewarding. However, firefighting is a physically demanding and dangerous occupation.

Chetkovich observes, "Meeting such hazards requires certain kinds of personal and social qualities, the physical capacity to do the work, the stamina to continue strenuous activity for hours with little rest. But the work requires firefighters to 'think on their feet,' rapidly assess the problem at hand, plan a course of action and then quickly react when conditions change. Throughout an emergency, a firefighter must maintain a constant and heightened awareness, never losing sight of the broader picture while attending to a specific task."

Other challenges include a work schedule that requires nights and weekends away from home, sleep deprivation due to work schedule and anxiety and a high level of stress due to exposure to trauma and tragedy.

Considering all of this, it's actually quite typical for firefighters to retire in their 40s, as John Oceguera did. And considering firefighters' line of work, their benefits really aren't as "astronomical" as a certain "newspaper" wants you to believe.

Now compare and contrast the supposed "crimes" that the supposedly "libertarian" "newspaper" want to lay on John Oceguera's feet with the kind of work that "tea party" darling Joe Heck has done. For all the "newspaper's" complaints about "BIG GUV'MINT!!!", where are the complaints on this?

Here are the facts-

Triple-dipping Instance 1:
Senator Joe Heck collected all the following checks simultaneously

Government Paycheck #1: Since 1993, Senator Joe Heck has had various contracts with the Southern Nevada Health District.

Government Paycheck #2: From 1998 to 2003, Senator Heck worked as a medical director at a federally supported facility... in Maryland.

Government Paycheck #3: Since 2002, Senator Heck has been paid as a consultant by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Triple-dipping Instance 2:
Senator Joe Heck collected all the following checks simultaneously

Government Paycheck #1: Senator Heck served in the Nevada Legislature in the 2005 and 2007 legislative sessions.

Government Paycheck #2: Senator Heck received a $5,000 monthly retainer from the Southern Nevada Health District during the 2007 legislative session.

Government Paycheck #3: Senator Heck was under contract to receive compensation from Metro during April, May and June 2007, while the Legislature was in session.

All in all, Joe Heck has probably benefitted from over $1,000,000 in government contracts. In 2009, he signed a contract with Southern Nevada Health District to provide at least 35 hours per month of "consulting services" for $100 per hour (and rising to $125 per hour for "overtime"). So why wasn't the "newspaper" ever outraged by this kind of "government waste"? So compensating firefighters for dangerous work is "wasteful", yet pricey consultant contracts are not?

Wait, I thought the "tea party" was all about ridding the government of "wasteful spending" and "corruption". Joe Heck triple dipped with his "BIG GUV'MINT" consultant contracts, even while proclaiming loyalty to "tea party" values of attacking government and the public sector, and often did so while serving as a State Senator and belittling public servants elected to the Legislature. Where is the "newspaper" to decry this?

So "it's OK if you're a Republican"? And it's best to ignore the Republican "tea party" darling's real record of triple dipping hypocrisy while attacking Democrats and public servants? And folks wonder why this "newspaper" deserves no credibility as a legitimate source of real journalism?