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News & ArtsWednesday, March 28, 2012
Money How George W. Bush Killed the Post Office
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Mar 28, 2012 at 3:16 PM
This Jim Hightower piece about what's really wrong with the U.S. Postal Service is required reading. If you're too busy to read the whole thing right now, here's the nut:
The privatizers squawk that USPS has gone some $13 billion in the hole during the past four years — a private corporation would go broke with that record! (Actually, private corporations tend to go to Washington rather than go broke, getting taxpayer bailouts to cover their losses.) The Postal Service is NOT broke. Indeed, in those four years of loudly deplored "losses," the service actually produced a $700 million operational profit (despite the worst economy since the Great Depression).
What's going on here? Right-wing sabotage of USPS financing, that's what.
In 2006, the Bush White House and Congress whacked the post office with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act — an incredible piece of ugliness requiring the agency to PRE-PAY the health care benefits not only of current employees, but also of all employees who'll retire during the next 75 years. Yes, that includes employees who're not yet born!
There's a good discussion about this over at Reddit. We need a good Democrat or two to stand up for the USPS and lead a SOPA-style campaign to repeal the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Once the USPS is gone, we're never going to get it back.
1
I wish conservative would successfully kill the post office. It would be a huge negative effect on pretty much the entire population - even bigger in rural areas - and it would put a huge stain on the republican's record.
Alas, the democrats will bend over backwards, as usual, to fix the neverending disasters the republicans create.
Alas, the democrats will bend over backwards, as usual, to fix the neverending disasters the republicans create.
2
Paul,
Isn't true that email is cutting dramatically into USPS revenue? There are not as many written/typed letters sent in envelopes with stamps on them going out. That plus electronic bill paying. My understanding is the USPS wanted to charge for sending an email. Couldn't contribute to the deficit?
Isn't true that email is cutting dramatically into USPS revenue? There are not as many written/typed letters sent in envelopes with stamps on them going out. That plus electronic bill paying. My understanding is the USPS wanted to charge for sending an email. Couldn't contribute to the deficit?
4
It's already gone. It recently took over a week for a letter I mailed to make it a block within the same zip code.
5
Face it, if it's good for America, they want to destroy it, like the arm of al-Qaeda USA that they are.
7
Probably has a lot to do with internet companies not paying sales tax.
But then you guys don't like taxes right?
9
@4: funny, it recently took the USPS 24 hours to deliver a letter for me from Seattle to Everett. yes, standard delivery.
13
@6
I give Politifact a half true for their "half-true."
They act as if the missing $5 billion per year would have no effect outside the Postal Service's balance sheet. They ignore the effect of having $5 billion more on hand instead of being taken away.
That money could have been spent on operations, and upgrades. Service improvements. Marketing. Better equipment. Who knows?
All the things that, if they Postal Service were a business, they spend their profits on in order to keep from having first class mail decline at a rate of 7.5% per year -- the thing that is supposedly the root of the problem.
I give Politifact a half true for their "half-true."
They act as if the missing $5 billion per year would have no effect outside the Postal Service's balance sheet. They ignore the effect of having $5 billion more on hand instead of being taken away.
That money could have been spent on operations, and upgrades. Service improvements. Marketing. Better equipment. Who knows?
All the things that, if they Postal Service were a business, they spend their profits on in order to keep from having first class mail decline at a rate of 7.5% per year -- the thing that is supposedly the root of the problem.
14
@10,
It's entirely possible. I've had jaw-droppingly amazing service from USPS many times. I'll never forget the time I dropped a birthday card in a mailbox close to 5 p.m. in downtown San Jose and, the next morning, my friend from the other side of town called to thank me.
That said, when I lived in Jersey City, the post office there was astonishingly bad and had the most surly and unhelpful employees I've ever had to deal with anywhere at any organization. It was loads of fun when I moved, and they completely ignored my change of address.
It's entirely possible. I've had jaw-droppingly amazing service from USPS many times. I'll never forget the time I dropped a birthday card in a mailbox close to 5 p.m. in downtown San Jose and, the next morning, my friend from the other side of town called to thank me.
That said, when I lived in Jersey City, the post office there was astonishingly bad and had the most surly and unhelpful employees I've ever had to deal with anywhere at any organization. It was loads of fun when I moved, and they completely ignored my change of address.
15
This video destroys urbards:
Google’s first self-driving car user hits the road
http://blog.sfgate.com/framerate/2012/03…
18
I don't know, I believe in strong government, gov't run health care, social safety nets etc. but I have yet to be convinced that the private sector isn't better off managing the delivery of things.
19
USPS rocks. The service is extraordinary. The Post Office never leaves sticky notes on my door. They leave packages. Plus, if you do need tp pick something up, you don't have to go to deep SODO.
20
@18 The private sector would be more efficient - you just have to give up the idea of universal service.
21
The National Association of Letter Carriers has been trying to get people to pay attention to the Bush ripoff for quite a while. For instance, this fact sheet (PDF) from a year ago.
As shown in the fact sheet, the USPS is being forced to set aside funds to cover retiree health benefits for 75 years into the future. In other words, for the retirement of Post Office workers who haven't been born yet.
As shown in the fact sheet, the USPS is being forced to set aside funds to cover retiree health benefits for 75 years into the future. In other words, for the retirement of Post Office workers who haven't been born yet.
22
Priroity mail costs a fraction of ups/fedex and gets your package across the country in about 3 days compared to 7-10 days for ups. Everyone has their horror stories about one service or the other, but I would guess bad experiences are spread pretty evenly across all of them. I have often thought that righty-types like to bash the usps because it is a government related service that works pretty well most of the time, which is a concept that frightens them terribly.
23
I, too am a fan of the USPS. I think their service is excellent. So much so that when possible I instruct anyone sending me a package to use it versus UPS or Fed Ex.
That said, I believe there are not as many written/typed letters being sent in envelopes with stamps on them. That and electronic bill paying must be cutting into revenue. But, there may be other reasons for the deficit. I don't know the whole story. Still, I do want it solvent. Founded by Ben Franklin, the USPS (Post Office) remains a great government institution.
That said, I believe there are not as many written/typed letters being sent in envelopes with stamps on them. That and electronic bill paying must be cutting into revenue. But, there may be other reasons for the deficit. I don't know the whole story. Still, I do want it solvent. Founded by Ben Franklin, the USPS (Post Office) remains a great government institution.
24
From the linked Reddit article:
In addition, due to a 40-year-old accounting error, the federal Office of Personnel Management has overcharged the post office by as much as $80 billion for payments into the Civil Service Retirement System. This means that USPS has had billions of its sales dollars erroneously diverted into the treasury
Perhaps we should be following the money. Who is managing the money the USPS is required to invest? We already know the Treasury has been skimming from the postman's till. Who else is in on the scam?
In addition, due to a 40-year-old accounting error, the federal Office of Personnel Management has overcharged the post office by as much as $80 billion for payments into the Civil Service Retirement System. This means that USPS has had billions of its sales dollars erroneously diverted into the treasury
Perhaps we should be following the money. Who is managing the money the USPS is required to invest? We already know the Treasury has been skimming from the postman's till. Who else is in on the scam?
26
links for information on what came about in usps :
tpwulonestar.org/officers/President/ Iraq/html President Morlene Moore,
or type in title for search to find : Iraq is not the only place Bush is planning to attack.
nalc legislative fact sheet; background it has been estimated that Postal Federal Employees, and families , Postal Federal retirees and families have taken cuts in pay, health benifits and retirement benifits saving ( from 1970 until 1980) $200 billion in deficit spending. In 2000,2001 under the 1997 budget reconcillation act the Postal federal employees were made to pay in 15 percent more to their retirement funds, in which this was used for budget deficit balancing only, the President and the congress thanked the postal workers for their sacrifice. Whle the rest of the country got tax cuts of billion of dollars, the postal worker were made to pay in billions more to the retirement funds. The president stopped the action in 2002, and new legislativon ensued.
in 2003, congress was informed of overpayments to the retirement funds, 15 billion to fers, and 55 billion to csrs, with another additional overcharge from the govt at 85 billion, this means there was 104 billion in csrs, and 15 billion at least in fers, so a total of 119 billion for retirment paid in for postal workers.
( see postal comments to the federal trade commision, august 6, 2007)
(Presidednts report-www.cpwu.org/presidents_report.ht…;)
(postalemployeenetworks.com/.../postal-se…;
www.naps.org/indes/.../naps_leg-reg_upda…;)
paea enacted 2006
www.postalmag.com/joygoldberguspstress.p…;
or awpu3800 first area tricounty local , library, stress in the workplace articals
joy goldberg , how the ongoing violation of the guiding principals of the usps are creating a hostile work environment
www. billburras.jounral-misc
put bill burras journal in search
go to misc link- elevator scroll down read
AlEC/Koch Cabal The Priviitization of the USPS for Ups and FedEx
type in title to find links
www. savethepostoffice.com
More...
tpwulonestar.org/officers/President/ Iraq/html President Morlene Moore,
or type in title for search to find : Iraq is not the only place Bush is planning to attack.
nalc legislative fact sheet; background it has been estimated that Postal Federal Employees, and families , Postal Federal retirees and families have taken cuts in pay, health benifits and retirement benifits saving ( from 1970 until 1980) $200 billion in deficit spending. In 2000,2001 under the 1997 budget reconcillation act the Postal federal employees were made to pay in 15 percent more to their retirement funds, in which this was used for budget deficit balancing only, the President and the congress thanked the postal workers for their sacrifice. Whle the rest of the country got tax cuts of billion of dollars, the postal worker were made to pay in billions more to the retirement funds. The president stopped the action in 2002, and new legislativon ensued.
in 2003, congress was informed of overpayments to the retirement funds, 15 billion to fers, and 55 billion to csrs, with another additional overcharge from the govt at 85 billion, this means there was 104 billion in csrs, and 15 billion at least in fers, so a total of 119 billion for retirment paid in for postal workers.
( see postal comments to the federal trade commision, august 6, 2007)
(Presidednts report-www.cpwu.org/presidents_report.ht…;)
(postalemployeenetworks.com/.../postal-se…;
www.naps.org/indes/.../naps_leg-reg_upda…;)
paea enacted 2006
www.postalmag.com/joygoldberguspstress.p…;
or awpu3800 first area tricounty local , library, stress in the workplace articals
joy goldberg , how the ongoing violation of the guiding principals of the usps are creating a hostile work environment
www. billburras.jounral-misc
put bill burras journal in search
go to misc link- elevator scroll down read
AlEC/Koch Cabal The Priviitization of the USPS for Ups and FedEx
type in title to find links
www. savethepostoffice.com
27
links that did not come thru
postalmag.com/joygoldberguspsstress.pdf
postalemployeenetworks/,,,/postal-service-overpaid-6-8b_fers
www.naps.org/index.../naps_leg_reg_updat…
postalmag.com/joygoldberguspsstress.pdf
postalemployeenetworks/,,,/postal-service-overpaid-6-8b_fers
www.naps.org/index.../naps_leg_reg_updat…
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