Question about cuts to USPS

[Shankapotomus]

Is there any way to trace where the genesis for the idea for cuts to the United States Postal Service are actually coming from? Are they actually ficically need cuts or is this generated by lobbyists? Anyone know? Because I'm wondering if this is motivated by the commercial shippers who would benefit from eliminating the USPS and its competitive pricing. If you get the USPS out of the way, couldn't you, as a commercial shipper, have more control and ability to raise your prices?

I'm getting a feeling of deja vu with this. It seems very similar for the push to privatize social security where the commercial investing firms would stand to receive all that money.

Do I have a point here or do I just not understand where the actual call for the cuts is from?

[unblock]

1. my understanding is the republicans made them prefund pensions to a ridiculous level (link:)

so they're not actually going broke, but they've been forced to divert so much money to the pension that they're starved for funds for actual operations.

properly-funded pensions are a good thing, but over-funded pensions are just a waste.


edited to add link: http://www.postmasters.org/legislation/papers/Talking%20Points%20Pension%20retiree%20benefits0311Final.pdf

[hack89]

2. Your understanding is incorrect

in as far as the legislation was bi-partisan and co-sponsored by Henry Waxman. It passed unanimously in the Senate with no Democratic opposition.

http://oversight-archive.waxman.house.gov/documents/20040824121826-81404.pdf

[uponit7771]

3. It was conservative policy regardsless of who passed it...

[hack89]

5. But it was bi-partisan

I know many want to pin this on the Republicans but that is simply not right.

[Occulus]

8. You only have half the story

The unions were told that it was either take the poison pill or the Republicans would go after dismantling the unions and canceling the contract... and they had the votes to do it at the time.

It was either this or massive job losses and no contract.

[unblock]

6. i think the issue is more that republicans aren't letting anyone fix the problem.

i don't think waxman or the democrats intended to divert so much money that it would cause these kind of problems.

perhaps the recession made some of the calculations turn out to be more inappropriate than when the law was passed.

[hack89]

7. The recession did change the calculations

unfortunately everything now is caught up in election year politics. But then again, Democrats play bare knuckle politics too, so I am more prone to blame our political system as opposed to a particular party.

[Shankapotomus]

4. hmmm...

i wonder if that was the purpose of having them overfund, to make them go broke. or maybe they ran into trouble paying pensions in the past? i wouldn't put it past the republicans to enforce something without a pressing need for it, though.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Go broke and privatize.

Issa's friends include UPS and FedEx.