Village Voice Loses Two Greats

It’s not a very happy new year at New York City’s Village Voice: Two veteran investigative journalists announced Tuesday they were leaving the alternative weekly. Wayne Barrett, a political columnist for the Voice since 1973, was let go because of “budget reasons,” and his friend and fellow veteran columnist, Tom Robbins, quit in protest. “I gave my life to this paper,” said Barrett, who also said he tried to talk Robbins out of the decision, but his friend could not be swayed. Robbins plans to do some writing projects in the future, while Barrett is set to become a fellow at the Nation Institute. Voice editor Tony Ortega refused to discuss the budget cuts, but said the departures were amicable.