I know this is "old" news from yesterday, but on MSNBC last night (Aug. 5), Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) was interviewed about the USPS brouhaha, and she talked about ways to save the Service. Never once did she mention H.R. 2382, the bill sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) that would lift the ridiculous burden the G.W. Bush administrat…
I know this is "old" news from yesterday, but on MSNBC last night (Aug. 5), Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) was interviewed about the USPS brouhaha, and she talked about ways to save the Service. Never once did she mention H.R. 2382, the bill sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) that would lift the ridiculous burden the G.W. Bush administration placed on it in 2006. It passed in the House (with substantial Republican support) and was sent on to the Senate on Feb. 10, 2020, where it still languishes, never having been brought to the floor for a vote (I know, along with 200+ other bills McConnell won't allow). Would someone PLEASE tell me why this senator apparently doesn't know about it and why it's never mentioned in all this stramash over the Service? I sent Sen. Gillibrand this question last night, too.
Don't know the answer, of course, but it might be possible she just forgot. FWIW, I do this a lot-- not forget about something's existence, but forget that not everyone knows it. My last video, I set up ONE POINT for about 20 minutes... and then never made the point. It does happen, and interviews are SO short. Still, yes, she should've put it on the table.
Yes. The bill I refer to would lift the egregious burden Bush put on it to fund its retirement fund for the next 75 years NOW. That is why the USPS is struggling and how 45 can leverage the situation to damage it further, first by inserting donor and supporter DeJoy as postmaster general (replacing long-time PG Brennan), who is throwing big wrenches in its works, and then by trying to extort the Service by "bailing it out" in return for greater presidential control. And we all know what that means--the death of the venerable and long-suffering USPS. All to make it look like the USPS is inept so 45 can claim it's unfit to handle mail-in ballots.
The Postal Accountability And Enhancement Act (PAEA) was and continues to be an insidious tactic to bankrupt the postal service and privatize it. The added bonus would be destroying the postal union. The G.W. Bush administration talked privatization a lot...remember he wanted to privatize Social Security too!
Thanks for the name; couldn't find it when I went back to use it. And yes, insidious and even rapacious. Come to think of it, I do remember talk of privatizing Social Security. Heaven help me if the Republicans get hold of that; I depend on it to live. What the heck is it with these Republicans?! Have the (modern) Dems done anything so gratuitously nasty?
Kerin Forsyth, That is interesting! I thought the funding of the Postal Workers retirement so many years in advance came from the Postal Workers Strike in the early 1970s.
Just another foolish question, (since I don't have time to dig for the answer right now) but where is the money from the Postal Retirement fund held? Or is that an IOU from the government, similar to the way companies steal pension fund monies, or by the way, like when Reagan changed the Social Security fund, from being held in a separate fund, to allow the money to go into the general fund?
Judging by the great passage of time between the '70s and 2006, I can't say whether the two things are related. It's possible that it took the Republicans that long (30+ years) to push through their dearest wish. Wouldn't be surprising.
AND, I hope you won't mind, but I simply copy and pasted your comment onto Facebook, added Sen Gillibrand's phone number and encouraged all to call. AND then I called!
Thanks! Get the word out. I also sent an opinion to the Baltimore Sun this morning about the DeJoy/USPS situation (not mentioning Sen. Gillibrand). I hope they publish it.
Honestly, I am so grateful to use your words. I find myself emotionally exhausted by all of this. I'm trying to write syllabi for 5 courses, as well as prepare for the upcoming school year (I teach public school fulltime and adjunct part time), while being bullied by my very conservative family members about my political views. It's gotten to the point where I am often speechless! Heather's words, and in this case yours, are very helpful as I try to make coherent points. Thank you.
I teach 8th grade (special education and reading) and prepare preservice teachers at a local university. I just finished my PhD (after 11 years) in educational psychology.
I know this is "old" news from yesterday, but on MSNBC last night (Aug. 5), Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) was interviewed about the USPS brouhaha, and she talked about ways to save the Service. Never once did she mention H.R. 2382, the bill sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) that would lift the ridiculous burden the G.W. Bush administration placed on it in 2006. It passed in the House (with substantial Republican support) and was sent on to the Senate on Feb. 10, 2020, where it still languishes, never having been brought to the floor for a vote (I know, along with 200+ other bills McConnell won't allow). Would someone PLEASE tell me why this senator apparently doesn't know about it and why it's never mentioned in all this stramash over the Service? I sent Sen. Gillibrand this question last night, too.
Don't know the answer, of course, but it might be possible she just forgot. FWIW, I do this a lot-- not forget about something's existence, but forget that not everyone knows it. My last video, I set up ONE POINT for about 20 minutes... and then never made the point. It does happen, and interviews are SO short. Still, yes, she should've put it on the table.
We need to save -- heck we need to restore -- the post office!
Yes. The bill I refer to would lift the egregious burden Bush put on it to fund its retirement fund for the next 75 years NOW. That is why the USPS is struggling and how 45 can leverage the situation to damage it further, first by inserting donor and supporter DeJoy as postmaster general (replacing long-time PG Brennan), who is throwing big wrenches in its works, and then by trying to extort the Service by "bailing it out" in return for greater presidential control. And we all know what that means--the death of the venerable and long-suffering USPS. All to make it look like the USPS is inept so 45 can claim it's unfit to handle mail-in ballots.
The Postal Accountability And Enhancement Act (PAEA) was and continues to be an insidious tactic to bankrupt the postal service and privatize it. The added bonus would be destroying the postal union. The G.W. Bush administration talked privatization a lot...remember he wanted to privatize Social Security too!
Thanks for the name; couldn't find it when I went back to use it. And yes, insidious and even rapacious. Come to think of it, I do remember talk of privatizing Social Security. Heaven help me if the Republicans get hold of that; I depend on it to live. What the heck is it with these Republicans?! Have the (modern) Dems done anything so gratuitously nasty?
Kerin Forsyth, That is interesting! I thought the funding of the Postal Workers retirement so many years in advance came from the Postal Workers Strike in the early 1970s.
No. It was imposed in 2006. If you're interested, this is a good and highly readable history of the USPS: https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf
Thank you for the clarification!
I've actually been a bit surprised during all this at how interesting the history of the postal service actually is. (Shhh.... :) )
Just another foolish question, (since I don't have time to dig for the answer right now) but where is the money from the Postal Retirement fund held? Or is that an IOU from the government, similar to the way companies steal pension fund monies, or by the way, like when Reagan changed the Social Security fund, from being held in a separate fund, to allow the money to go into the general fund?
Judging by the great passage of time between the '70s and 2006, I can't say whether the two things are related. It's possible that it took the Republicans that long (30+ years) to push through their dearest wish. Wouldn't be surprising.
Thanks...as a NewYorker, I will do the same (I was asleep during that interview!)
AND, I hope you won't mind, but I simply copy and pasted your comment onto Facebook, added Sen Gillibrand's phone number and encouraged all to call. AND then I called!
Thanks! Get the word out. I also sent an opinion to the Baltimore Sun this morning about the DeJoy/USPS situation (not mentioning Sen. Gillibrand). I hope they publish it.
Honestly, I am so grateful to use your words. I find myself emotionally exhausted by all of this. I'm trying to write syllabi for 5 courses, as well as prepare for the upcoming school year (I teach public school fulltime and adjunct part time), while being bullied by my very conservative family members about my political views. It's gotten to the point where I am often speechless! Heather's words, and in this case yours, are very helpful as I try to make coherent points. Thank you.
What do you teach, Mary Beth?
I teach 8th grade (special education and reading) and prepare preservice teachers at a local university. I just finished my PhD (after 11 years) in educational psychology.