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Another attempt by Republicans to privatize the US Postal Service ?
Topic Started: Apr 25 2018, 12:22 PM (104 Views)
_g R_
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President Trump calls for total review of US Postal Service

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-jVPonOzFE
The real leftists are the silenced majority, the sleeping giant.
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PATruth
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The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
"No. No he won't. We'll stop it."
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George Aligator
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PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 12:43 PM
The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
The original idea of the USPS came from Ben Franklin. He thought the mail should be a government service like the roads the coaches traveled on. In the days of the great expansion westward, the Post Office remained a government outpost like the cavalry forts because it was necessary but couldn't be adequately self-funded in rural areas. Now we are in the Age of Amazon and the idea of turning over the postal services to competitive, for-profit corporations doesn't seem nearly as far-fetched as it did years ago. Up here where I live, it's hard to imagine a daily delivery service that could make a profit without charging rates most people couldn't afford. I'd like to see a feasibility study though.
Conservatism is a social disease
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Demagogue
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PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 12:43 PM
The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
Congress letting the Postal folks run the place like they should is key.

It is crazy how the two sides on this thing come at the numbers in such a different manner. The postal service is a semi-private organization. As such, they should fund their retirement plan but since the federal government must ultimately back up the postal service I understand the requirement that they pre fund their retirement rather than running it like Social Security currently runs.

To be honest, what they should do is set a cut off date for the defined benefit people and transition all new employees into a 401k style retirement plan.
People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would do them harm.
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clone
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Director @ Center for Advanced Memetic Warfare
Demagogue
Apr 25 2018, 01:13 PM
PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 12:43 PM
The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
Congress letting the Postal folks run the place like they should is key.

It is crazy how the two sides on this thing come at the numbers in such a different manner. The postal service is a semi-private organization. As such, they should fund their retirement plan but since the federal government must ultimately back up the postal service I understand the requirement that they pre fund their retirement rather than running it like Social Security currently runs.

To be honest, what they should do is set a cut off date for the defined benefit people and transition all new employees into a 401k style retirement plan.
This is a slap at Amazon...

Only liberals can choose not to go down the road to widespread, systematic violence.
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PATruth
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George Aligator
Apr 25 2018, 01:12 PM
PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 12:43 PM
The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
The original idea of the USPS came from Ben Franklin. He thought the mail should be a government service like the roads the coaches traveled on. In the days of the great expansion westward, the Post Office remained a government outpost like the cavalry forts because it was necessary but couldn't be adequately self-funded in rural areas. Now we are in the Age of Amazon and the idea of turning over the postal services to competitive, for-profit corporations doesn't seem nearly as far-fetched as it did years ago. Up here where I live, it's hard to imagine a daily delivery service that could make a profit without charging rates most people couldn't afford. I'd like to see a feasibility study though.
I don't think anyone is for shutting down the USPS, they still provide a vital service. That said there is no reason they don't go to a 3 or 4 day/week delivery schedule. Most of what I receive is junk, not environmentally friendly and driving all those trucks twice as often as necessary is also not environmentally friendly. I don't pay a single personal bill by check, why spend the $.49, risk the check being lost and waste days in transit? Simply put they have to adjust to the times, downsize or at least break even. Let postal management do what's necessary and get Congress out of the equation, if that doesn't fix it then it's on to option B.
"No. No he won't. We'll stop it."
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Demagogue
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clone
Apr 25 2018, 01:19 PM
Demagogue
Apr 25 2018, 01:13 PM
PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 12:43 PM
The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
Congress letting the Postal folks run the place like they should is key.

It is crazy how the two sides on this thing come at the numbers in such a different manner. The postal service is a semi-private organization. As such, they should fund their retirement plan but since the federal government must ultimately back up the postal service I understand the requirement that they pre fund their retirement rather than running it like Social Security currently runs.

To be honest, what they should do is set a cut off date for the defined benefit people and transition all new employees into a 401k style retirement plan.
This is a slap at Amazon...

It may be but if it is then it is wrong because the - Amazon/UPS/FedEX/Walmart/Target/Every small manufacturer or retailer in the country - packages are actually where the USPS makes some money. They don't make much of anything on regular mail.
Edited by Demagogue, Apr 25 2018, 01:22 PM.
People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would do them harm.
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PATruth
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Demagogue
Apr 25 2018, 01:13 PM
PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 12:43 PM
The USPS continues to be a huge taxpayer liability. The last I read the unfunded retirement fund, including disability and healthcare is close to 75 BILLION dollars. They, Congress, needs to allow USPS management free reign in running it like a business. They don't have to make a profit but they can't continue to lose money like they are.

Anyone claiming they are PRE-FUNDING their retirement for 75 because of the mean GOP is completely wrong so don't make a fool of yourself and make that bogus claim.
Congress letting the Postal folks run the place like they should is key.

It is crazy how the two sides on this thing come at the numbers in such a different manner. The postal service is a semi-private organization. As such, they should fund their retirement plan but since the federal government must ultimately back up the postal service I understand the requirement that they pre fund their retirement rather than running it like Social Security currently runs.

To be honest, what they should do is set a cut off date for the defined benefit people and transition all new employees into a 401k style retirement plan.
The confusion over 75 years may be due to an "accounting" and not an "actuarial or funding" issue. They only have to fund the future liability of their current or former workforce.

Before Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, the USPS operated under a pay-as-you-go model for retiree health care funding.

In summary, the USPS retirement fund used to operate like the SSA, a Ponzi scheme, the GOP did nothing more than demand they adequately fund their pension funds

"No. No he won't. We'll stop it."
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clone
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Director @ Center for Advanced Memetic Warfare
PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 01:21 PM
I don't think anyone is for shutting down the USPS, they still provide a vital service.

<snip>
My views on the Postal Service are the same as when CT claims he is for just taking away some guns....

:popcorn:

It has run up $51 billion in losses in the last seven years and blown through a $15 billion line of credit from the U.S. Treasury. It expects to lose $4 billion more this year despite a profitable first quarter.

Kill it....
Edited by clone, Apr 25 2018, 01:36 PM.
Only liberals can choose not to go down the road to widespread, systematic violence.
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PATruth
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clone
Apr 25 2018, 01:35 PM
PATruth
Apr 25 2018, 01:21 PM
I don't think anyone is for shutting down the USPS, they still provide a vital service.

<snip>
My views on the Postal Service are the same as when CT claims he is for just taking away some guns....

:popcorn:

It has run up $51 billion in losses in the last seven years and blown through a $15 billion line of credit from the U.S. Treasury. It expects to lose $4 billion more this year despite a profitable first quarter.

Kill it....
We are maybe 20 years away from killing it in it's entirety, senior citizens still receive and pay their bills by mail. It should be downsized to meet demand. They still deliver a 150+ billion pieces of mail a year.
"No. No he won't. We'll stop it."
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_g R_
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Watching the 4 minute Ed Schultz video
where he interviews the president of the USPS Union
will help explain the big picture.
The real leftists are the silenced majority, the sleeping giant.
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PATruth
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_g R_
Apr 25 2018, 01:59 PM
Watching the 4 minute Ed Schultz video
where he interviews the president of the USPS Union
will help explain the big picture.
The union has consistently lied about the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. They don't want their pensions funded because they believe the federal government will bail them out when it's bankrupt.
"No. No he won't. We'll stop it."
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