Become a Patron! Today's topic is a little bit of a weird one, but it's valuable and widely-available enough that I wanted to make sure readers were aware of it. A lot of folks are probably aware one way or another of a federal program that was spun up in the mid-1990's called "Lifeline." This program provided basically free basic phone and internet access to low-income … [Read more...] about The even newer broadband discount
My paid family leave journey: my leave, payments, and surprise redetermination
Become a Patron! This is the third and final (for now) entry in my series about navigating the District of Columbia's universal paid family and medical leave program. You can find the first entry here and the second entry here. My family leave During my paid leave period I flew back and forth across the country a few times to provide support to a family member recovering … [Read more...] about My paid family leave journey: my leave, payments, and surprise redetermination
My paid family leave journey: application, timing, hiccups, and approval
Become a Patron! This is the second entry in what will be an occasional series about my navigation of the District of Columbia's universal paid family and medical leave program. You can find the first entry here. Getting your application ready Like every interaction with the government here, applying for leave requires filling out a series of forms. In the District of … [Read more...] about My paid family leave journey: application, timing, hiccups, and approval
My paid family leave journey: Introduction
Become a Patron! This is the first entry in what will be an occasional series describing my (hopefully successful) attempt to navigate making a claim through Washington, DC's paid family and medical leave program for the first time. Before I start describing the process, I think it's important to provide some essential context. America's bizarre approach to family and … [Read more...] about My paid family leave journey: Introduction
Labor scarcity and the Scandinavian model
Become a Patron! Like anyone with a pulse, I've been following with interest the nationwide panic over so-called "labor shortages," supposedly popping up everywhere from grocery stores to restaurants to the long-haul trucking industry. Needless to say, what I've seen so far hasn't particularly impressed me. It's become a cliche on the left to sniff in response, "try paying … [Read more...] about Labor scarcity and the Scandinavian model