Workers’ Comp Bill Hurts Many

Re “Some Are Unsettled by Gov.’s Victory,” April 18: What a deal. At 3 a.m. the so-called workers’ compensation reform bill is approved by the Legislature -- and not a worker in sight to howl in protest, for howling they should be. The bill is a victory for the Chamber of Commerce, for the insurance industry and for a conservative governor whose anti-labor agenda becomes more obvious with every passing day.

It is a triumph of moneyed interests over workers’ rights and it is, sadly, the complete political surrender of the state Democratic Party, whose fear of the power of Hollywood celebrity outweighed its moral conscience. Democrats should slink away in shame.

Thomas Borut

Manhattan Beach

*

I have been a workers’ compensation attorney for more than a quarter of a century. I am considered by my peers as one of the best. After reviewing the new bill, I have a very bleak message for those Californians who work for a living. If you get hurt on your job, God help you.

In most cases, I doubt I will be able to.

Ernest A. Canning

Thousand Oaks

*

A lot of the workers in California are working without the benefit of workers’ comp coverage. My neighborhood has plenty of construction going on. I wandered onto three construction projects and asked questions about them. Not a single worker understood my English. Could it be that a lot more workers are working underground besides gardeners, domestic help, etc.? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Democrats think they have the compensation issue fixed, but I would not bet on it.

Jerry Basura

Arcadia