Betty,

Are you expressing sarcasm, innuendo, lousy research, sour grapes, or
the art of the abstraction?

Pardon me.  Right now I’m not into reading and quoting the Federal Dept.
of Labor OWCP-ESA Regulations.  Nor debating.

Your statements upset me, probably because they seem to me more
propagandistic than accurate and factual.  I would feel great
disappointment if my respect for your objectivity were diminished.

Workers compensation for on the job injury is a crucial legal mandate.
The fear, suffering, isolation, shame, and disablement of ill and
injured firefighters (as depicted in the article I posted) and all
workers encompass important class, political, and disability
concerns—especially those of us with disabilities vulnerable to
workplace injuries.


The law must be made flesh if it is to be effective.  Why should injured
and sickened workers live in fear and be impoverished by medical bills?
I am more concerned about those deserving aid who are isolated or
neglected than getting worked up over those acting fraudulently or
taking maximum advantage with what may be observed as little or no need.

No claim can be made and pursued that isn’t filed, no victory won when
preempted by ignorance and presumption of defeat.

Nothing like a dose of moral superiority to ease the pain.

S.



Date:    Sun, 20 Feb 2000 23:36:01 EST
From:    Betty Alfred <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: When at Risk

In a message dated 02/20/2000 7:36:53 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Betty

 I had never thought about Workmen's Comp claims in this light. It would
be a
 real bitch to contract Hep C or HIV on the job and then not be able to
prove
 it.

 Bobby
  >>

It would indeed.  I was hurt twice in the fire service, but neither
injury
was too serious and I wasn't off long enough for worker's comp to kick
in.
Once I was off for 3 or 4 days, the next one was a little more serious
and I
was off for about two weeks.  That was a back injury.  In the federal
government, you have what's known as "traumatic injury leave" for the
first
45 days, and you receive your regular paycheck.  Three days after your
last
day of TI leave, you can apply for worker's comp.  If you get that, it's
not
your full salary -- it's a fraction.

I was often amazed by the number of on the job injuries I saw in the
federal
government (I don't mean just the fire service) that were miraculously
healed
in exactly 45 days.

The federal government moves in mysterious ways -- or something like
that.