Issa attracts allies in his "Cynical & Diabolical" quest to end Postal Service

[okaawhatever]

The Postal Service’s largest union has harsh words for Rep. Darrell Issa, and is raising alarm over a pilot partnership with Staples, which it warns is a stalking horse for privatization – a goal the union alleges draws support or indifference from key Democrats.

“I think Congress and the White House are pretty much working hand in hand,” American Postal Workers Union president Mark Dimondstein told Salon prior to Tuesday demonstrations outside Staples stores in San Francisco and San Jose, the first of what he said would be an escalating wave of protests. “There hasn’t been a fight to defend the public good, and there hasn’t been a real fight around good jobs.”

While slamming Democrats, Dimondstein reserved special condemnation for Issa, the Republicans’ leading voice on postal reform. Noting that Issa had proposed eliminating Saturday postal service as part of a bill undoing veterans’ pension cuts, the union president called the congressman “a pure enemy of the Postal Service,” and his proposal “cynical and diabolical.” Asked about such criticism, an Issa spokesperson emailed, “This false claim about privatization is being pushed by entrenched special interests who oppose common sense and bipartisan reforms in both House and Senate postal modernization bills.” APWU also warns that legislation offered by Issa, easing the closing of post offices if services are being offered nearby – at least as originally proposed – could have severe consequences if USPS’ Staples pilot program spreads.

The White House and Staples did not respond to requests for comment. Reached over email, a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson defended its Staples pilot program, calling it “the next step in the USPS retail partnership expansion to provide postal products and services where our customers live, work, and shop,” and “a direct response to the changing expectations of customers who demand greater convenience.”

Continued at Link: http://www.salon.com/2014/01/31/cynical_and_diabolical_issa_attracts_allies_in_quest_to_demolish_postal_service/

[Faux pas]

1. issa's an

assa.

[Samantha]

2. It is JUST A COINCIDENCE one of the Bain Capital partners sits on the Staples Board of Directors

Right.

at http://saveourpostoffice.us/wp/2014/01/02/staples-bain-capital-and-cbre-the-link/

"by David Welsh
Postal Workers United
Thought we’d share with you something very interesting one of our organizers for CPWU and Postal Activist David Welsh found through research: Staples interlocking directors with Bain & Co. and CBRE My internet research reveals the following: 1. Bain Capital (of Mitt Romney fame) was founded in 1984 by partners of Bain & Co, a consultant firm. Today a partner of Bain & Co. , Vijay Vishwanath,… sits on the board of directors of Staples, Inc. and owns stock in Staples. One of Bain Capital’s earliest venture capital investments was in Staples, in 1986. Bain Capital eventually reaped a nearly 7-fold return on its investment, and Mitt Romney sat on the Staples board of directors for over a decade. Staples, from modest beginning, grew to be the largest retail office supply chain. 2. CBRE president and chief executive officer Robert Sulentic, also sits on the board of directors of Staples. (CBRE belongs to Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband Richard Blum). David Welsh" (emphasis added)

and as you can see from the above quote, that partner also owns stock in Staples.

Sam