It's a good thing police and fire employees are subsidized.
Should they be paid more than necessary to staff police and fire stations with qualified employees? How does the public benefit from that?
More than NECESSARY? In other words, you're saying you should pay them the absolute LEAST you can, and not a penny more. Enough to BARELY make them schlep into work, but JUST ENOUGH to keep them from quitting.
Really? Is that how you'd treat your employees?