Today I am calling on President Biden to fire the entire Postal Board of Governors for their silence

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Kevin M. Kruse Retweeted

Today I am calling on President Biden to fire the entire Postal Board of Governors for their silence and complicity in trump and dejoy’s attempts to subvert the election and destroy the Post Office.

Link to tweet

[SheltieLover]

1. Yes!!!!!

[Brown Feather]

5. Have 30 years in the Postal Service

I have been a Cerk, Mailhandler and now a Letter Carrier. The Postal Service has many issues that have it all.screwed up.

The current PMG is definitely part of the problem but not the root cause of what is going on right now.

[moonscape]

7. Welcome to DU. n/t

[Brown Feather]

8. Thank you!

[moose65]

15. Welcome to DU

I have close friends who are USPS employees. I love stamps and the USPS!

What do you consider the "root cause?" What could a Dem administration do to help the Postal Service?

[Brown Feather]

24. We destroyed our processing capacity

Eight years ago we shut over half of our mail processing plants, destroyed the mail sorting machines from that plants that they couldn't use moved everything into a handful of plants.

Then withe pandemic and everyone ordering from home the election, Christmas it caused a total failure of the system. I'm afraid the damage is so great nobody will want the cost of fixing the problem because it would be staggering.

[notinkansas]

80. Real justice would require that dejoy

replace all the sorting machines and whatever else he destroyed at his personal expense - not the taxpayers.

And then some jail time would be nice, too.

[2naSalit]

16. It has it's warts and all but it's still a great system...

I have relied on the USPS all my life and am thankful we have such a service.

Welcome to DU!

[niyad]

22. Welcome to our DU family.

[Brown Feather]

69. Thank you!

[PatrickforO]

56. I'd like to get your feedback then, if you would.

First, welcome to DU!

Now, here's my question. I am an economist, and have genuinely believed for some time that the US Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act was:
a) an indirect effort by Republicans to attack the union, by
b) requiring USPS to put $5 billion in operating revenues aside annually to fund retirement benefits for as yet unhired workers.

I thought from the beginning PAEA was specifically designed by the neoliberals in the Bush Administration to force a cash flow emergency so that Republicans could then criticize USPS for bad management and advocate privatization. As an outside observer, I would put the PAEA towards the top of the list of problems that have the USPS all 'screwed up.'

What is your take on this?

[Brown Feather]

63. The name of the Postsl Services problems is Legion for they are many.

PAEA had several reasons behind it and none of them were good! First off it was simply a cash grab by the government for more revenue, straight up! We were not preparing anything, all.thst money went straight into the general fund and was spent!

The 2nd thing it did was allowed the Postal Service to go into contract negotiations with the respective unions and scream they are broke! Yes, they pointed to the PAEA and said they could afford any raises!

As I explained to someone else this was also the reason behind the terrible contract we signed with FEDEX. Both of which also allowed the Republicans to push for privatization.

This was just not a single agenda but an plan with multiple objectives.

[soldierant]

59. Yes, the Postal Reorganization Act of 2006 was

deliberate sabotage.

Most people who don't work for USPS and don't follow politics have no idea how hobbled the USPS has been for the last 14 years - not how magnificently it is doing in spite of so much effort to kill it.

I do not and never have worked for UsPS, though I am highly dependent on it, being mobility challenged. I do follow politics to the best of my ability.

[Brown Feather]

67. The service is resilient!

Not only do we have to fight the Republicans we have to fight our own shitty management from floor supervisor to PMG!

[soldierant]

77. You are, sadly, not whistling Dixie there.

My heart goes out to you - not that that is worth any more thanthoughts and prayers.

[Greybnk48]

2. Please make it so!

This was an egregious attack on our voting system at a time of a global medical emergency. Not much could be worse than their conspiratorial plot to trash our elections.

[BeyondGeography]

3. This is the living definition of low-hanging political fruit

People want their post office back. Give it to them and they will notice.

[BComplex]

6. Amen! And well said!

I think it would be a wildly popular move. AND it has to be announced WHY he's doing it, loud and clear.
Nobody can try to say this is "politically motivated". It's the friggin' POST OFFICE!!!

Americans love their post office.

[sarge43]

13. I'm well aware *rump and company didn't mean it to happen, but

their nasty stunt taught an important lesson: We need and depend on the USPS.

[Brown Feather]

18. Everything that is happening now

Was set into motion 8-9 years ago when the Postal Service shut down half or more of our mail processing plants and gutted our processing capacity.

When this pandemic hit and everyone ordering on line the election and Christmas caused a major failure of the Service. You can't stuff 50 pounds of shit into a 5 pound bag.

[Spazito]

26. So, if I read your post right...

you see most of the damage done to the USPS was done under the Obama Administration rather than under the trump (mis)administration?

[Brown Feather]

34. Not a recrimination on Obama

Presidents don't have any real control over the Postal service, PMG Donahoe was the person who created the situation we are now in, I lived through it.

I live and work in Michigan during that time we shut down the processing plants in

Saginaw zip: 486/487
Flint: 484/485
Lansing: 488/489
Royal Oak: 480/483
Detroit: 481/482
Jackson: 492
Toledo: don't remember the zip
Gaylord: 497

And moved them all minus Gaylord into the Pontiac Metroplex, all that mail for millions of people stuffed into one plant! I got shipped to Pontiac from Saginaw. Packages are a different story!

This is what happened and when it happened or was in full swing. If people want to fix the problem they have to know what the problem is and how long it has been going on. If someone doesn't like the time-line I can't change that.

[Spazito]

42. How do you feel the change to the USPS budgeting forcing it to...

prefund 75 years of retirees' health benefits in a span of 10 years, a cost of approximately 10 billion dollars affected how the USPS could continue to provide service.

This change was brought in by the bush administration through a republican Congress in 2006.

Do you think this change had more to do with the negative changes than anything else, with the exception of the intentional decisions to destroy the USPS by trump's PMG?

[Brown Feather]

50. That was a contract year

That happened and the USPS also signed a multi billion contract with FEDEX that said they would fly our mail if they had space, not joking!! The USPS wanted to bleed as much money as possible before contract negotiations.

Not doing either one of those 2 things would have definitely helped the Service. The sacking of all the P&DC'S ( Processing and distribution centers ).slaughtered us. This made it easy as pie for De Joy to delay the mail.

Let me explain it like this. What would happen to Fords ability to meet production if it closed all of its plants down but 2 and tried to do it all out of 2 plants? That is a simple way to describe what has happned.

[Spazito]

52. Are you saying that demand by the repub Congress to pre-fund...

retirees' healthcare costs 75 years into the future, costing approximately 10 billion, and to be done in 10 years, had no greater negative affect on the USPS's budget and it's ability to continue to provide services at the previous level?


I have to say your "simple way to describe what happened" really doesn't take in any of the major factors leading to the decisions you are iterating in your posts, imo.

[Brown Feather]

54. No it hurt

But we still had our processing capacity! When my plant shut I went to where our mail and most of the mail in the state was going. We routinely found cages full of 1st class letter mail several months old.

It would come in, couldn't be worked and more mail would go on top of it because of no space. Postal Inspectors would blow their cork but it was to much volume for one building.

[Spazito]

58. I am genuinely confused...

I don't understand how a contract with FedEX, originating in 2001 and being renewed repeatedly since, to fly Priority and Express mail to other locations resulted in the reduction of your processing capacity. Whether that mail is flown or transported via ground transportation it would still have to be processed first, right?

I do appreciate you responding to my questions.

[Brown Feather]

60. Your questions was if I'm correct

How did prepayment into the retirement health fund effect service? I said it hurt along with the contract to FEDEX. Postal Service was happy about both because they got to dump billions prior to contract negotiations.

The processing is a seperate issue and I said it hurt way worse than the other two issues. Once we closed all those plants we delayed all the mail in the country and with the volume of mail where it is now it is getting way worse. You can only move so much at a time through what we have left.

Am I making any sense? If not let me know and I will try to do better. This is an issue I want everyone to understand.

[Spazito]

64. No, my last question related to your point in a previous response..

"That happened and the USPS also signed a multi billion contract with FEDEX that said they would fly our mail if they had space, not joking!! The USPS wanted to bleed as much money as possible before contract negotiations."

So am I correct in understanding you to say the FedEx contract didn't have anything to do with the reduction in processing capacity but, rather, it was a decision by the PMG in 2001, 2006, 2013 to initiate the contract and then to renew it in order to reduce the amount of money available during union contract negotiations?

Wasn't the amount of money available drastically reduced by the 2006 law by a republican Congress to pre-fund retirees' healthcare costs the main reason for any cuts in processing capability as opposed to it being a voluntary decision in order to affect negotiations?

[Brown Feather]

66. FedEx has no bearing on our processing capacity

It just sucked out money, that's all. The processing cuts were not implemented until about 2012? The reason given was declining mail volume and we had to much over capacity, it was BS!

Let's take my plant for example, the Saginaw P&DC, along with Lansing, Detroit, Royal Oak, Flint, Jackson and Toledo were shut down and moved into Pontiac, it was a massive failure and still is.

Their was supposed to be a 3 step process in handing of the mail, they never were able to complete phase 1! On the last day they did all 3 phases, failed and took the mail.

They then came in and took a few of the machines and destroyed the rest and ripped shit down so it could never be used to bring the mail back. They said even if this fails horribley the mail can never come back. This happened to all of the rest of the closing plants.

Nation wide we probably dumped a 100 billion into the trash can and fucked up the mail system in the process. Not only that they fucked up thousands and thousands of families. Dad went to Pittsburgh and mom went to Tennessee, not kidding!

[Spazito]

70. Thanks for your responses...

I think you and I will have to disagree with what and who are primarily to blame for the current state of the USPS. I continue to believe the law passed by the repub Congress in 2006 re pre-funding along with the malfeasance of DeJoy's actions to decimate the service in order to interfere with the recent election are the major causes.

Thanks for the back and forth, it was informative.

[Brown Feather]

72. You are welcome!

I would like to offer one thing for you to think about if you would please? I have been a Automation clerk, Mailhandler and now a carrier.

If you give me a piece of mail I have done every job in the Postal Service that piece of mail will go through from the time I take it put it in a hamper and a Mailhandler loads it on a truck dispatch it and it goes through it's long journey until another carrier delivers it to its destination.

My prospective is unique and and my fellow carriers are always asking me questions on what happened or where does this actually belong? After 30 years I have the puzzle fully complete!

I hope we chat again!

[Spazito]

68. Responded in the wrong place.

[mtnsnake]

35. You read it right. He/she is blaming the Obama administration & to do that is pure nonsense

The postal system was working great under the Obama administration. It only fell to pieces when Trump fucked things up. Anyone who ships or receives mail and packages on a regular basis should attest to that.

[Brown Feather]

39. I'm blaming PMG Donahoe

Not Obama, I can't help when the USPS decided to gut.itself. people want to know how to fix the Postal Service and you can't fix it until you understand what the problem actually is.

[mtnsnake]

49. Thanks for that clarification, but

I wish you had mentioned that in your other post, though, just so it was clear that you weren't necessarily blaming Obama. People are a little sensitive about that, considering how it was Trump who tried to destroy the postal system by hiring one of his lackeys to run it, and you were blaming something that happened 8 years ago...without mentioning who it was you were blaming.

[Brown Feather]

51. Sorry, didn't mean to upset anyone

I was just trying to convey what is the actual problem and why we are here today.

[mtnsnake]

57. That is appreciated. Your knowledge of the workings of the postal system

can be helpful to those of us who never worked there before.

BTW, it's not uncommon for a DU "newbie" like yourself to be grilled in the manner that you are getting grilled because we are often wary of the intentions of brand new posters. Take care and keep informing us about the goings-on of the USPS whenever you see fit, as long as you're supportive in the cause of the Democratic Party.

[Brown Feather]

61. Thanks you!

I wouldn't have a job if the Republicans had their way!

[Kingofalldems]

62. Waiting for you to address the OP.

That is the Postal Board should be fired along with DeJoy.

[Brown Feather]

65. Tjey should all be fired

I don't think he can though. They serve till.their term expires and the president nominates a replacement. The board also appointees the PMG. We are Quasi federal, not under the president or congressional authority per say.

[Kingofalldems]

36. Interesting post wasn't it?

[Kingofalldems]

33. 35 year letter carrier here.

DeJoy was hand picked by Trump to delay the mail. That's a fact.

[Brown Feather]

43. I'm not denying that

My point is shutting down our processing plants killed us. Detroit NDC still has not cleared it's Christmas packages because they are handling all the parcels now for the entire state! I'm still getting Christmas cards in my DPS because Metroplex had to yard letters!

This is a direct result of loss of processing capacity. I will have 200 in DPS and another 1,000 to case in because they couldn't run it.

[Kingofalldems]

44. So you don't believe DeJoy was hired to further delay the mail?

And BTW, delaying the mail is a federal crime.

[Brown Feather]

53. Yes he was

What I'm saying with the other issues we have he didn't have to work hard to do it.

When I was a Mailhandler you know how many times I watched a supervisor change color codes to show the mail wasn't delayed? Yeah it's a federal crime but I never saw anyone get in trouble for it.

[Maggiemayhem]

84. They closed our local mail processing center in Martinsburg WV

Our mail now has to go to Harrisburg Pa to be processed. Notice how they took the local mail slot out of lobby. Packages arrive at the Post Office quicker than letters.

[samnsara]

4. is De Joy still there??

[niyad]

23. Yes.

[Walleye]

9. DeJoy is a flat out mobster. I'm sure he's scheming to make more money when he gets out somehow

[spanone]

10. K&R

[sarge43]

11. Yes, sir!

That rat's nest needs a total clean out.

(yes, my apologies to rats)

[SunSeeker]

12. K & R & Retweeted!

[ffr]

14. Clean house on T----'s swamp!

Show them all the door!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

17. I have depended on the USPS all my life. I want it back! (Edit: added full images)

[FakeNoose]

41. Thanks for posting his letter - I couldn't read it in the tweet

[Hermit-The-Prog]

46. Welcome! I couldn't read it before either.

[cstanleytech]

19. A better avenue might be to fire them for incompetence because that is what they have displayed.

[Sogo]

20. Hear, hear!!

[lindysalsagal]

21. Criminals and gangsters: Send the pink slips! Replace them with good people.

Maybe retired post masters who know the realities of the system and the workers!

[Tarc]

25. I don't think he can

They serve out their terms if they choose to. Most he can do at the moment is fill the 3 vacancies.

[Crunchy Frog]

28. In his letter he says they can be fired for cause.

There's plenty of cause.

[Lonestarblue]

29. Is there an IG who oversees the USPS?

If so, we should have an investigation into the roles played by the Board of Governors and DeJoy in the political and malicious destruction of USPS property. Some of those sorting machines were new and they were just dismantled and scrapped.

If an IG investigation is not possible, a select committee in Congress needs to investigate and recommend indictments to the DOJ.

Barring that, the Senate can act. The last law (2006) changed the terms for Board members from 9 to 7 years. The current Senate could thus pass a law changing the term to 2 years, thus forcing faster turnover of current board members. That would get rid of Republican Robert Duncan, whose term began in 2018. With the three vacancies, plus Duncan’s seat, and the lone Democrat on the Board, Democrats would thus have control and could oust DeJoy and change policies now if the Senate would act. By law, no party can hold more than 5 of the 9 Senate-confirmed seats. Obviously Republicans would fight this change because they’ve spent decades undermining the USPS so they can privatize it by giving it to some wealthy donor. If the Senate hopes to get anything done in the next two years, the filibuster will have to go. The sooner the better.

[OnDoutside]

37. My understanding is that there are 4 unfilled seats. Fill them and the Dems have a 5-4 majority.

Then fire DeJoy ?

[bucolic_frolic]

27. Cabal of greedy corporate vivisectionists /nt

[BumRushDaShow]

30. Fill the 4 vacancies with Democrats

and then we can remove DEJOKE.

[grantcart]

75. By law the board cannot have more than 5 members of one party. 5 R 5 D and one independent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_Governors_of_the_United_States_Postal_Service

[BumRushDaShow]

78. There were 3 vacancies on the board before the new calendar year

and 1 Democrat's term expired in December 2020 (which is shown at your link).

Ron A. Bloom Governor Democratic[18] August 20, 2019 December 8, 2020 Chair of Strategy and Innovation Committee[19]

Vacant Governor
Vacant Governor
Vacant Governor

[liberalla]

31. Yes! Fre the board, fire DeJoy-- do whatever is necessary to make the USPS the best possible!

[katmondoo]

32. This has been the worse month for late or no mail for me in my entire life. I am 91yrs old

[Brown Feather]

71. Read my posts, please

I want everyone to understand why it is getting worse.

[BumRushDaShow]

73. What's going on in little Saginaw

is NOT reflective of the changes in big cities like mine in Philadelphia, with neighborhoods the size of that town, where right now, I have a 1st class package sent from one of my cousins last week that is LOST IN A DEJOY PURGATORY ANNEX HELL.

These changes happened SINCE JUNE.

Link to tweet

TEXT

Christopher Ingraham
@_cingraham
NEW: @jacobbogage got USPS data showing at least 671 USPS mail sorting machines have been removed across the country since June. Represents a reduction in national mail sorting capacity of 21.4 million pieces of mail per hour. https://washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/usps-states-delayed-mail-in-ballots/2020/08/14/64bf3c3c-dcc7-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html
Image
2:46 PM · Aug 14, 2020

[Duppers]

38. Why isn't DisJoy being charged with destroying govt.

Property? Isn't that a crime??

🚨🚨🚨

[matt819]

40. To say nothing of delays overall, which could contribute to more problems

I am waiting for two business packages (inventory) that cleared US customers 45 days ago. No sign of them and not particularly responsive to requests for assistance. It's just been bumped up a search level, but I'm not confident that they will find these packages or that they give a damn.

An order I sent to a customer on 12/22 via priority mail was delivered on 1/23. As much as anything, it's the uncertainty - will it be delivered on time, or won't it be. Will they be able to find it, or not?

I've been shipping orders using USPS for 20 years. Before these past six months, I had maybe one problem every two years, maybe even less. Now? It's a regular problem. I can't imagine what it's like for people expecting medications.

[BlueIdaho]

45. I hope the President is listening.

Weaponizing the Post Office is reason enough for their dismissal. Surely we can find a new board with the interests of all Americans in mind

[samsingh]

47. that would be good

[mezame]

48. Postal Banking!!

Make It So!

[Vivienne235729]

81. God yes!!!!!! It is so needed. I would switch in a heartbeat.

[druidity33]

85. Hear here! K&R, nt.

[Jay25]

55. Sounds good to me, and we'll deserved

[orangecrush]

74. Hear, hear!

[bonniebgood]

76. 100 BILLION in damages? If this wasn't on The President's Desk on week one

Goodbye my US Postal Service . The WHOLE BOARD should be fired.

[BobTheSubgenius]

79. Not the worst idea I've heard.

[A Brand New World]

82. My sister sent me a Christmas card on 12/17 from Ohio

And I received it in Washington state exactly a month later on 1/17. Ridiculous! We depend on the USPS for our prescriptions so luckily it wasn’t something like that.

[dchill]

83. Well, hell, yeah!

[The Wizard]

86. Pascrell is a real fighter

for justice and the American working class. He can be a charming diplomat or a Paterson street fighter.