Al Martinez’s Good-Bye Post

Al Martinez, Emmy-nominated, Pulitzer winning LA Times columnist sent us this email:

Just so you’ll know, my column in the Times will end Jan. 19. I’m not sure why: too old at 79? no space for me? I don’t fit the hip,cool, Hollywood demographics? All of the above? Ask them. They did say they couldn’t afford me, but since I was “downsized” the first time and hired back as a freelancer, my salary has been halved and I’ve had no medical coverage, no vacation time, no expense account and generally no staff perks. I haven’t been THAT expensive. But I’ve never been a whiner, and I won’t be now. This is just to show my readers the respect I’ve always felt toward you by giving you advance warning. It isn’t likely to do much good this time, but by making your feelings known to the editor, publisher, readers rep or anyone else you can think of, it may guide their decisions in the future. Meanwhile, my blog goes on and I’ll pop up now and then in non-column form in the Times and elsewhere.

That blog is here. Good luck to you Al!

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