Workers’ comp is a tax

Horray for Jock! Charlie Pray and John Martin should sit down and be quiet. Gov. McKernan’s insistence on tying workers’ comp reform to passage of the budget is the smartest thing he has done and he should stick to it.

It is disgusting to hear Martin and Pray continue to bellow that the budget should not be “held hostage” to the “non-budgetary” workers’ comp issue.

Workers’ Compensation is essentially a tax. It is a tax levied to fund an unofficial state disability program. Participation is mandatory, the rates are set by the state, and the state decides who is entitled to benefits, in what amount, and for how long.

Sound like a tax? You bet! It is as valid a budget item as sales tax on income tax, and I hope and pray that Jock finally sees to it that reform is achieved.

Stick to your guns, Governor! John D. Martin Blue Hill