Have you ever been injured at work? I have and the process of getting diagnosis and treatment was undermined by a nightmare adjudication: Workers' Compensation System. I went to hearing after hearing at which (over & over) my employer's insurer didn't show up, lost time from work and eventually lost interest and gave up. But I never thought of writing about the nightmare -- which I guess underscores a difference between great reporters and me.

Steve Greenhouse, labor reporter for the New York Times and recently the author of "The Big Squeeze" an excellent book about the methods employers and banks have extracted money from the rest of us, looked at the chaos called Workers' Compensation (you call this a "system?"). He and N. R. Kleinfeld (who has reported dozens of ground-breaking stories) have told about it in a series of, for me, stirring articles which have been appearing for the last few days in the New York Times.

A World of Hurt: Meatball Justice which appeared Monday told my story and those of many I know who have tried to file compensation cases.  read more »

Janet Jagan, US born, life-long leftist, former President of Guyana and widow of Cheddi Jagan, Guyanan political leader who had the honor of being overthrown by both the British the US CIA. (Cheddi Jagen’s overthrow by the CIA is a central plot element in an excellent thriller, by the way, The Yellow Dog Contract by Ross Thomas.)

Janet Jagan's web site has collected her memoirs, political writing and bio here . She maintained her ties to US radicals and spoke often in the United States. Many of us who heard her and watched her career from a distance were impressed with her grit, determination and carefully thought out political views. She was a wonder and inspiration. Her NY Times obit is here

Helen Levitt, leftist and one of the 20th centuries better photographers of street life (and she would say one of the luckier) died a few days ago at 95. She worked with Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans and James Agee.  read more »

My apologies to the dogs. Governor Paterson, Speaker Silver and Majority Leader Smith have struck a deal on NYS’s budget. In a number of ways, read for yourself, it's not great but it is a significant improvement over the rotten Paterson proposals which were aimed entirely at harming lower and moderate income New Yorkers and protecting higher income residents. Robert Harding writing in The Albany Project picked up the press release in full and the State Senate provided hot links to the actual budget bills for those committed to self-abuse (Thanks to Liz Benjamin who posted the link). The negotiations were carried out completely behind closed doors to the disappointment of reform-minded folk who’d hoped for a cleaner process. See Amy Traub's spirited defense of the broad outlines of the budget on the DMI blog (with which I agree). Also check out the NY Times budget critique favors better spending controls.  read more »

A deal has been struck among New York State legislators and Gov. Paterson to tax some higher income New Yorkers at a somewhat higher rate. See also the report in the New York Daily News. and the Albany Times Union

In my opinion this is a good deal for New Yorkers and a great victory for the complex coalition of labor unions, community organizations and social service agencies which lobbied for months. The irrational, unplanned and wildly harmful budget cuts proposed by Gov. Paterson will largely be avoided. The increased tax rate will produce about $4 Billion dollars which, while greatly needed is not quite enough.

The worst part of the deal is that the two-step rate increase expires in three years which means we will have to re-fight this fight then.

The coalition, One New York: Fighting For Fairness, will now have to face our Billionaire Mayor who proposes taxes on low and moderate income New York City dwellers. Mr. Bloomberg refuses to tax the personal income of higher earning City dwellers -- preferring instead much higher and very unfair sales taxes.  read more »

For those of us of a certain age (graying, balding, thickening) and political persuasion (left leaning) annual Pete Seeger concerts were a rite of childhood, a chance to see absent friends and to bask in the dynamic force of Pete's personality and musical energy. As we've aged many of us have kept up and renewed the Pete Seeger watch at the Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival Festival each June.

Now, Pete is 90 years old and a Madison Square Garden Concert is planned for May 3, 2009. The concert starts at 5 PM both to accommodate us Alter Kockers who can't stay out late and to allow an unending list of musicians to perform in Pete's honor. In my, somewhat eccentric, circle rumors of ticket sales were flying long ago and schemes were concocted to get seats or the best seats, or seats together. Performers and (as it turns out, of course) American Express card holders got first dibs on Monday March 23. Clearwater activists and members were allowed to order with a secret code (swordfish?) beginning on Wednesday. It's been a frenzied affair. People trading tickets, buying extra etc.

More than 40 artists are performing including Pete, Bruce Springsteen, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Dar Williams -- the list goes on and on. Check it out for yourself.  read more »