US Postal Service: Public Has Right To Know Details of DeJoy's Destructive Agenda, Privatization

[appalachiablue]

- Opinion by Vishal Shankar, AlterNet, Nov. 19, 2023. - Ed. 📭

In a time of historic distrust in government, the US Postal Service has accomplished something extraordinary: it remains a universally beloved federal agency. Second only to the Parks Service in public favorability (77% approval rating), USPS is arguably also the most frequently-interacted-with component of the federal government: packages and letters are delivered to Americans’ mailboxes 6 days per week.

But these warm feelings – already under threat by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s continued destructive leadership – could quickly chill if the Postal Board of Governors has its way. At least 4 times per year, the Board (the governing body that votes on DeJoy’s agenda and has the sole power to fire him) holds an open session meeting, its sole formal contact with the public.

In recent years, meetings have concluded with a well-attended public comment period, where in-person and virtual attendees have excoriated DeJoy for embracing a privatization-friendly agenda. This year alone, commenters at meetings decried the mail slow downs and price hikes, demanded changes to DeJoy’s gas-guzzling & union-busting fleet plan, raised serious concerns about transparency of his facility consolidation plans, and pushed him to expand community services offered at the post office.

The future of the people’s most treasured public institution depends on public participation and feedback.

But when the Postal Board of Governors met this week for their final open session of the year, there was one major difference from its previous quarterly meetings: virtual and remote public comments were, without explanation, banned. This abrupt new barrier to public accessibility led the number of public commenters to drop to 4. The decline in attendance was also likely compounded by an unexplained shift in the meeting time...

- Read More, https://www.alternet.org/the-public-has-a-right-to-know-every-detail-of-louis-dejoy-s-destructive-agenda/

[kimbutgar]

1. I had to mail a credit card payment that I put in the mail on the 14th due the 24th going from SF to Kentucky

When I received my statement I got a late charge for a late payment. I always pay my bills on time. I called customer service and had them lift the late charge due to my past payment records. The agent I spoke to said the mail has been so slow and they are getting mail later now than usual. And she said Dejoy is trying to destroy the post office! She was answering from a southern state!

[appalachiablue]

5. It's great that she knows and cares about

the sabotage of the USPS. Good of them to drop the late fees. The privatization for profit of the Postal Service, an institution essential to democracy like public education is harming this country greatly.

[True Blue American]

9. I mailed my absentee ballot directly from the Post Office.

Took 9 days for the BOE to recieve it. I started checking a few days after I mailed it!

DeJoy needs to be fired. I thought the new board was to do that.

[stopdiggin]

2. it's a conspiracy!

except that probably it isn't.

The USPS has been operating at substantive loss for years and years (and years). Congress wants - and has wanted for years and years - a postal system that is not a continuing drain on the public till. The 'public' wants six day service, full staffing, responsive service (including the 'expanded community service' mentioned above), improved delivery times - - and cheaper prices.

Now - who woulda' thunk ... ?

[Grokenstein]

7. The USPS is self-funded.

https://facts.usps.com/top-facts/

We are self-funding. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[stopdiggin]

10. that's about half the story

The post office can claim that it is self funded through purchases and fees - but that amounts to faint satisfaction when underlying that claim is the fact that the USPS loses huge amounts of money year after year. And the further fact is (recognized by both USPS and Congress) that if reforms are not implemented - the system is on the road to implosion. If and when that happens - I guess it is up to your and my feeble imagination to guess what happens. Congress has already approved one very large 'rescue' package - and recent accounting is saying rather plainly that that is not going to be enough ...

https://www.gao.gov/blog/u.s.-postal-service-faces-more-financial-losses-how-can-it-stem-tide
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-385.pdf

[niyad]

12. Perhaps you could address the problems produced by the PAEA

the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, a bill in the lame duck session of the republican-controlled 109th Congress, that required the USPS to 100 % prefund its retirement fund for 75 years, something that was required of no other federal agency or company. A first step to destroying the only agency mentioned by name in the US Constitution. It is a puke wet dream to privatize that agency.

[stopdiggin]

16. I'm of course aware of that

(PAEA) And while any rational accounting would recognize that contributed heavily to the problems - that same rational appraisal would also have to grant that is, again, only part of the problem(s) besetting the system. (also needs to be noted that Congress, under Joe Biden, rescinded that asinine over-funding provision)

Look, I'm a faithful user and defender of the USPS (far more than many) - wish them well, and would dearly like to see them right the ship and succeed. (and I, personally, would stick with that support even if it required a certain amount of government subsidy) But the addled notion that what is 'wrong with the USPS' is - Louis DeJoy - is just so much poppycock. I just doesn't follow the facts on the ground.

[niyad]

13. See post 12.

[ancianita]

3. America's big mistake was to privatize the only agency named in the U.S. Constitution. To privatize the only one!

It's like endorsing fascism being planted right in there in the Constitution. What evil bullshit.

If we get a 119th Congress majority, they need to de-privatize the US Postal Service; sure, have a governmental board composed of government experts, not some heads from the business world, ffs.

[GreenWave]

4. This is why I vote early and in person.

This way DeJoy's hidden agenda cannot succeed.

[Deuxcents]

6. The Postal Workers Union should be on fire about what's happening

I remember when the breakup of the Bell System was just a rumor, CWA and IBEW warned us and put out ads in the newspapers about how this was gonna happen and how it would affect the consumer. It did give the consumer more choices but the advances in the Bell Labs was delayed and customer service was a thing of the past. It became stockholder driven and was replaced with the seven “baby bells” and that was because of the justice department decision. The Postal Service has a board of governors and DeJoy should be fired before we see the total dismantling

[jaxexpat]

8. Why, on Fri. (10:17 am), this very subject emerged upon this very forum.

What a visionary the author of that OP must be, eh?

[TwilightZone]

11. DeJoy is a constant target on DU.

Predicting that DeJoy would be the subject of criticism on DU around the time that he is criticized in an editorial is like predicting that Trump will tell another lie this week and that someone will write about it.

[jaxexpat]

15. Drat. Caught.

[JoseBalow]

14. Aren't you used to him yet?

[appalachiablue]

18. A gem, DeJoy straight up, a hitman, I mean Postmaster

hired to reform the USPS.

[BlueNIndiana]

17. De Joy is still there cause he is doing the dirty work.

Many Democrats are famous for crying they can do anything that would harm them politically if they did it themselves. If the Biden admin wanted him out they could put enough pressure to get him out especially after this amount of time board or no board.