The group spearheading the campaign to fight the recall against Gov. Gray Davis calls itself Taxpayers Against the Governor's Recall. That's one of those creative names that political operatives often use to disguise their true identity. Taxpayers Against Recall are really the California Professional Firefighters -- the firefighters union, one of the most influential power brokers in the state.

So far, the union has contributed $168,000 in cash and services to help defeat the recall. In addition, it has put its entire political operation at the disposal of the governor's fight for survival. Davis' campaign is being run out of the union's Sacramento office. Send an e-mail to the union and you will likely get a response from Taxpayers Against Recall.

None of this is surprising. As governor, Davis has been extraordinarily generous to public employees, particularly firefighters and police.

Still, as the legislative session winds down and the recall effort heats up, real taxpayers need to worry about what these groups may try to extract from a governor desperate to keep his job. In recent days, a bill long sought by fire and police unions to force binding arbitration on cities and counties has started moving aggressively through the Legislature. Local governments warn that, if passed, SB 440 by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, would fuel huge increases in payroll costs.

Firefighters are also expected to try to resurrect AB 136. Sidetracked early in the session because it was too costly, the bill by Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, would expand from one to two years the length of time injured police and firefighters can stay off the job and still receive their full pay tax free. The current benefits are generous and are enormously expensive to cities and counties. The new bill would double those costs and encourage goldbricking. Rewarded with full pay, tax free, what injured worker would not stay off the job?

Davis is not the only politician in Sacramento who does the bidding of the firefighters union. Last week a bipartisan committee of the Assembly Public Employee Retirement and Social Security Committee passed the Burton binding arbitration bill unanimously. Republican Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi, who represents Lodi and is the former mayor there, was one of those who ignored the pleas of the cities and voted with the firefighters.

Legislators may not be facing recall, but they are looking forward to re-election. Police and firefighter contributions and endorsements are among the most valuable currency available to vote seekers.

Firefighters are not alone in this, of course. Any number of interests -- gambling tribes, prison guards, trial lawyers, insurance companies -- are likely to try to take advantage of the situation to wring promises from a badly wounded governor facing recall. The question in this environment is clear: Who will protect the public interest?