They are the “first to respond and the last to get paid.”  That’s the message the wives of Atlanta policemen and firemen want to make clear to city council and Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed.  They have taken that message to two Atlanta billboards in hopes of getting a raise of more than one percent for their spouses.  But the city is holding fast to their position that they have given as much as they can.  A statement from Mayor Reed’s office reads: “Under Mayor Reed’s proposal for the FY 2014 budget, first responders would receive another 1 percent raise bringing their increase to 4.5 percent since he has been in office. We believe that in these tough economic times, the proposal shows mayor reed’s commitment to fairly compensating the women and men who protect our city.”    The wives say that one percent won’t even pay for a tank of gas.  Read more on their efforts here.