Washington Journal covering the fiscal crisis of the USPS

[matmar]

still waiting to hear someone point out that the USPS receives not one dime of taxpayer support.

It would be nice if "journalists" at the NY Times would do their homework before they write articles that impact public opinion - New York Times article mentioned that postal workers pay less for their health benefits than other Federal employees. The reason for that, NY Times, is because the salary of "other Federal workers" comes from the taxpayer, whereas postal workers wages and benefits are negotiated out of profits from the sale of postage - again no taxpayer subsidy.

[sfpcjock]

1. Thanks. The Postmaster General is addressing Congress today

He said USPS could have to close down by next Winter unless they get help. They have to make another stupid $5 billion prepay on worker pensions that could cause them to default.

[matmar]

3. the prepay is for future retiree health benefits....

amazing how a single-payer health care system eliminates all of this sturm und drang but no one seems to mention it.

[sfpcjock]

5. +1

The problem is HR 6407 that the Bush Congress passed by voice vote and unanimous consent in the Senate with no record of the votes in 2006 to make USPS prepay in 10 years, 75 years of pension costs. It is a poison pill to kill jobs by Republicans, as you know. Now USPS is forced to propose to kill 120,000 jobs to continue.

[Ilsa]

2. Everyone likes picking at the PO. I think they do a great job.

And I tell them so when I use their services.

Did anyone mention that the requirement to rapidly fund (overfund) their pension is causing this cash shortage?

[fasttense]

4. There is no crisis at the post office. It's all spin and lies.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say the post office has to pay for itself. It is a service deemed so important to our founding fathers that they put it in the Constitution.

Want to pay 5 times the cost for mailing a letter? Then privatize the post office and watch prices skyrocket and services decline especially in rural areas.

The post office is one of the few remaining government services that actually work, so of course RepubliCONS want to destroy it.

What do you get for tens of thousands of dollars in taxes? Not much if you are in the working class. But if your one of the idle rich, you get a whole lot more.