General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe post office says it will run out of funds by the end of Sept. Is it just a coincidence that...
trump just rejected additional funding for them because that would stop voting by mail in November?
No.
Speaker Pelosi will have to do something.
flying_wahini
(6,529 posts)How about Amazon pays for their own postal and leave the USPS out of it.
Or make corporations pay what the rest of us pay. No breaks for them?
misanthrope
(7,405 posts)isn't that in effect paying for the USPS services and therefore helping them make money? Are you advocating for taking more business away from USPS?
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)Trump contends Amazon needs to pay more for the USPS' services. This maybe one thing he's right on. My company is a major carrier for Amazon, and they go for the absolute cheapest price they can get. As a top provider, we have a good handle on costs, and we understand what our products are worth. We hold firm with Bezos and provide him the level of service his customers demand. I doubt USPS has top-notched negotiators targeting profitability like my Fortune 500 org.
misanthrope
(7,405 posts)Thanks
brush
(53,474 posts)brush
(53,474 posts)lunasun
(21,646 posts)Cha
(295,913 posts)to have the US Mail.
I would think amazon would be on this, too. And, All the businesses and people who receive packages and letters across the country.
I hope Nancy and the House can do something.
misanthrope
(7,405 posts)funding matters are delegated to the legislative by the original framing.
Cha
(295,913 posts)on an earlier thread.
Thank you!
Celerity
(42,666 posts)The Congress shall have Power To establish Post Offices and post Roads
Thats it! You dont need to be a constitutional scholar, or even a lawyer to interpret that sentence- its very clear. Congress is not required to establish post offices. It merely has the power to do so if it chooses to. And it chose to do so in 1792 when it passed the Postal Service Act. That Act of Congress established the Post Office Department. All it takes to repeal an Act of Congress is another Act of Congress- not a constitutional amendment.
misanthrope
(7,405 posts)**
spicysista
(1,663 posts)I think many in the private sector will have to step up the pressure on trumplethinskin. I also think congressmen from rural areas (representing both parties) will have much to say on the matter, too. A lot of rural people throughout Louisiana (and other regions of the country) are only serviced by the USPS. This will concern the tRump voter, too.
Cha
(295,913 posts)This will concern trump voters, too.
Hope you are well. It looks as if we may see some more bipartisanship on capitol hill. Congressman Adrian Smith (Nebraska, R) has previously written about the need to shore up the USPS. Hopefully he hasn't changed his tune.
Here's an article written by the congressman from 2012...
https://thenebraskasignal.com/postal-reform-must-preserve-rural-mail-service/
From the article:
Without prudent, long-term changes, the Postal Services debt will balloon to nearly $100 billion in potential liabilities for U.S. taxpayers by the end of 2016. In these challenging fiscal times, the American people certainly have no appetite for another massive bailout. If there is one thing on which everyone agrees, it is the status quo is unsustainable and meaningful reform is desperately needed.
~snip~
I proposed an amendment to the postal reform bill currently in the House of Representatives H.R. 2309 which would cap rural post office closures at no more than 5 percent of total closures in any given year, and offer more guarantees USPS will maintain universal service.
.
Cha
(295,913 posts)Mahalo for that from Rep Adam Smith(Nebraska R).
Talk about the "Economy" falling apart.. it seems it mostly certainly would if we weren't able to send our necessary mail. So many people get things from amazon that aren't available In the stores and it's cheaper.. especially over here on Kauai.
I'm doing ok so far.. I hope you and yours are doing well!
spicysista
(1,663 posts)We're all doing pretty well. Thank you for asking. Take care, Cha.
Cha
(295,913 posts)San Diego.. I wondered where you were.
I used to live all over San Diego county for 15 years from 1974 to 1990ish.
Loved it! My daughter was born there.
SKKY
(11,772 posts)...If he said the USPS is being obliterated by Amazon and needs to be shut down, his followers will believe it 100%. No questions asked. And I have yet to see anything, by any elected official on the right side of the aisle that leads me to think they would do anything to stop this.
brush
(53,474 posts)country. UPS and FEDEX don't want that responsibility. In fact, they use the post office too so they don't have too.
Without the post office we'd be picking up our mail in centralized mail facilities and prices to mail anything would quadruple or more.
spicysista
(1,663 posts)The last time I sent my grandmother something from Amazon (fulfilled by amazon), it was delivered by the USPS. Most of my older relatives live in unincorporated/rural areas. Many have P.O. Boxes and they all depend on the services of the USPS.
Thanks for this thread, brush. This is a very important issue.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)And they should pay a fair price for using USPS facilities. Also, I keep saying, raise the rates on sending junk mail. It's a wasteful use of resources to begin with, and subsidizing it is foolish.
jimfields33
(15,470 posts)StTimofEdenRoc
(445 posts)Their retirement funds are far too big a cheery not to pick.
brush
(53,474 posts)aeromanKC
(3,307 posts)Ya, just try and fuck with that Trump!!
Blue Owl
(49,918 posts)Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)The USPS currently employs 600,000 people, a large proportion of whom are military vets. The average salary for a postal employee is around $60,000 plus generous benefits. Also, the USPS is a non-profit organization.
Does anyone think that FedEx of UPS would pay its employees that much?
brush
(53,474 posts)Last edited Sun Apr 12, 2020, 02:01 PM - Edit history (3)
additional workers unto the unemployment line a month and a few days before the election.
Dumb ass trump might, as he just rejected funding for the post office and knows it employs many POCs. Moscow Mitch will have sit his stupid behind down and tell him it's not a good idea to shut down the post office even though he if it could stop mail-in voting.
Jim_S
(58 posts)Is that the Bush administration back in 2006 did this!
...[The Postal Service is not losing money because of Amazon. Its losing money because in 2006, the Republican-led Congress passed a law forcing it to prepay its pensions for 75 years, which no other corporation does.
This was meant to bankrupt it so its business could be privatized for profit. Without this law, the Postal Service would be turning a profit.]...
Also, this effort began when the P.O. began exploring the option of 'electrifying' most of it's fleet of vehicles. That freaked out the fossil fuel industry. Not to mention that there are so many 'unionized' workes in the post office. The GOP wants to destroy all unions. No other corporation is required to prepay for pensions for people that are not even born yet! Call your congress-person. NOW!
brush
(53,474 posts)they may finally be successful.
DFW
(54,055 posts)I would say, "gimme a fucking break," but asking that of Repubicans in an election year is like asking a great white shark to go vegan.
duforsure
(11,882 posts)Against Jeff Bezos. Pick a fight , deny funding , hurt Americans , and weaken our country for putin and him to plunder. That's what trump is all about. Putins helping him too.
chowder66
(9,011 posts)It may not be enough but it is something we can do.
Dingus J McGee, ESQ*
@lildipshit3
·
8h
PS: If you're reading this and want a much easier, more direct way to help us out? Volume is down right now by considerable amounts (our office is 50% lighter some days during COVID-19!). Go online, buy some stamps. Have them delivered. Write an old fashion card to a friend today
This is a really great thread;
Link to tweet
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Last edited Sun Apr 12, 2020, 06:53 AM - Edit history (1)
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)for decades. Established by Benjamin Franklin, part of the warp and woof our nation, mail carriers once an important part the life of every neighborhood in the nation, in 2020 still delivering birthday cards for less than the cost of a candy bar.
And that's the problem. Private business can make so much more from it. From us.
As part of reclaiming the soul of our nation, we should hire a million new carriers and restore delivery to the door once again. We've always gotten more than just mail from it.