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A loud, ugly fight just broke out in Los Angeles — and taxpayers are stuck in the middle. The city’s police union has announced it will spend millions to oppose Measure FD, the firefighters’ half‑cent sales‑tax hike. The firefighters are not backing down. The two biggest public‑safety unions in town are now squaring off in a cash war over $345 million a year and whether Los Angeles voters should be saddled with a permanent new tax.
Police union vs. firefighters: This is not a friendly rivalry
The Los Angeles Police Protective League says it will spend “several million dollars” on ads, mailers and digital outreach to defeat Measure FD. Its president, Ricky (Rick) Mendoza, put it bluntly: “Our issue is that this is a permanent tax — a forever tax. We’re 100% for hiring firefighters and prioritizing public safety. This is not a shot at the firefighters. It’s an affordability issue.” The firefighters’ union, United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), has already spent millions to get the measure on the ballot and is asking members to authorize an additional $3 million to fight back. In short: two unions, millions in member dues, and a public war over who gets to decide how Angelenos are taxed.
What Measure FD would do
Measure FD would raise the city sales tax by 0.5 percentage points and is projected to bring in about $345 million a year for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Supporters say the money would fund new stations, engines and hiring. Opponents point out the tax is permanent and would push the city’s sales‑tax rate well into the double digits in some parts of the county. A forever sales tax that hits working families every time they buy groceries or pay for a filling station is not a small ask — it’s a permanent reshaping of city finances with few guardrails.
Why the war matters to voters
Yes, the LAFD needs resources. The union and department make a credible case that staffing and station counts have lagged as demand climbed. But when unions start spending millions of dollars to settle policy fights among themselves, taxpayers lose the debate. This is about more than fire engines — it’s about whether elected officials like Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council will be forced by a ballot measure to fund a department instead of making tough budget choices. Voters should be wary when the easiest path to money is a permanent, regressive tax paid by everyone, rather than smarter budget priorities or a sunseted, accountable funding mechanism.
What voters should demand
Angelenos deserve three simple things: a clear plan for how the money will be spent, real oversight and an expiration date on any new tax. If Measure FD proponents want broad support, they should agree to a sunset clause, independent audits, and strict hiring and station benchmarks before they ask to make a tax permanent. If they won’t, the police union’s campaign — for all its self‑interested bluster — is a useful reminder that permanent taxes deserve permanent scrutiny. In the end, the ballot box will decide whether Los Angeles wants a forever tax or sensible, accountable solutions to public‑safety funding. Let the voters, not the megaphones and dueling union war chests, make that call.
