DeJoy's new plan for USPS: Slower mail and higher prices, sources say

[demmiblue]

Source: WaPo

A key provision of the postmaster general’s strategy includes banning air travel for all first-class mail at a time when delivery rates are at historic lows.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is preparing to put all first-class mail onto a single delivery track, according to two people briefed on his strategic plan for the U.S. Postal Service, a move that would mean slower and more costly delivery for both consumers and commercial mailers.

DeJoy, with the backing of the agency’s bipartisan but Trump-appointed governing board, has discussed plans to eliminate a tier of first-class mail — letters, bills and other envelope-sized correspondence sent to a local address — designated for delivery in two days. Instead, all first-class mail would be lumped into the same three- to five-day window, the current benchmark for nonlocal mail.

That class of mail is already struggling; only 38 percent was delivered on-time at the end of 2020, the Postal Service reported in federal court. Customers have reported bills being held up, and holiday cards and packages still in transit. Pharmacies and prescription benefits managers have told patients to request medication refills early to leave additional time for mail delays. The agency has not disclosed on-time scores yet in 2021.

The new service standards are part of a strategic plan that DeJoy, a former logistics executive and major Republican donor, is set to roll out in the coming days. While the change is not expected to have a significant impact on local service, the people said, they have commercial mailers, including banks, insurers, retailers and publications, worried they may aggravate existing slowdowns for nonlocal mail.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/12/dejoys-new-plan-usps-slower-mail-higher-prices-sources-say/

[msongs]

1. done to benefit UPS. amazon crap will get first priority nt

[jimfields33]

11. Doesn't it save the environment as well?

Airplanes have to use more carbon then mail trucks. I’m not sure I’m against the ban on airplanes to transport mail. I wish they did a study on the environmental impact of flying mail compared to driving mail. That might satisfy all of us.

[Crash2Parties]

31. As I understand it, normally there *are* extensive studies required

for such changes. DeJoy simply ignores this standard.

[Kingofalldems]

45. DeJoy is a Trump henchman.

Pretty shocking to see someone agreeing with him on DU.

[wiggs]

2. Doesn't he own stock in companies that would benefit from hamstrung USPS? nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

23. Yup. between 30 and 75 million

IMO the plan was to cripple the PS so badly, especially with a Trump second term, that Americans get angry with the service level. 'What the hell are we paying taxes for?!!!"

Conservative governments around the world use this tactic to push privatization. Starve some government services of funds and any other way they can. People start to grumble. Then next election decry the opposition's support of a "failing" department that is a money pit with lazy unionized workers, and government waste rampant.

While they propose a plan to privatize the mail service. Hand it over to one of their wealthy donors to run it like a business, headed by someone who can make the hard decisions to streamline the service, and cut costs. With an impossible promise that this new private service will provide just as good, or better service, and because of their business prowess, and efficiency, that even with exorbitant executive payout, and shareholders payout, the public will still save money. And once a service is privatized, good luck every making it a public service ever again unless there is some kind of physical revolution.

[Lonestarblue]

40. Yes, just like the much better healthcare plan Trump promised.

People need to take a look at what happened to rural hospitals when private equity investors got involved. Many of them were in rural communities, and their profits were too low or nonexistent, so they were closed. There were several reasons, but changes to the ACA made by Trump and his minions plus really low Medicaid and Medicare payments contributed. If the USPS gets privatized, rural communities can say goodbye to their postal services because keeping offices open will not be cost effective. Biden needs to get rid of DeJoy sooner rather than later before he makes changes that are impossible or costly to reverse, including secretly destroying more equipment.

Some have commented here that sending mail by air just contributes to pollution, but it has been my understanding that most of these are regularly scheduled passenger flights, not special flights just for mail. Is that not the case?

[NHvet]

48. Yes he does

He owns stock in XPO a trucking company which contracts out to long haul mail. He's made millions off the PO and recent won a long term no bid contract to continue doing so. Fox managing the hen house.

[OnDoutside]

3. They need to bring the curtain down on his bum. Now.

[TigressDem]

4. I thought the Biden Admimistration was going to replace that horror monger?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. They can't, at least not immediately. Only the USPS board can fire the postmaster,

and at least until more board members are appointed, that won't happen because a majority of the board is Trump appointees.

[TigressDem]

18. Ahhh, but I knew there was some recent hope.... Biden can fill VACANCIES on the USPS Board

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/538049-obama-administration-official-elected-chair-of-postal-service-board

Democrat elected chair of Postal Service Board of Governors

Ron Bloom, a Democrat appointed by former President Trump who has served on the Postal Service board since 2019, said he looked forward to working on a "comprehensive plan" to revitalize the agency.

“It will require both ourselves and our stakeholders to come together, openly face our challenges, make necessary choices and do what is right for this great organization and our country,” he said in a statement.

Bloom previously served under former President Obama as his senior counselor for manufacturing policy. He will succeed Robert Duncan, a Republican who has served as the Postal Service board chairman since September 2018 and will continue as a board governor.

*****

President Biden has faced calls to shake up the leadership of the Postal Service. Its board is comprised of six Trump appointees, two of whom are Democrats.

There are currently three vacancies on the nine-person board. The American Postal Workers Union has called on Biden to fill the vacancies with Democrats, giving the party a simple majority.

"It should become a 5-to-4 ... majority choices of the Democratic Party," Mark Dimondstein, the union's president, told NPR.

[nykym]

9. Post Office is basically an autonomous agency

Governed by a board of directors.
They the board have the sole ability to remove dejoy.

[dalton99a]

5. Get rid of this criminal ASAP.

[Rebl2]

6. Fire him

NOW! Joe! Fill the empty seats on the board of governors with your people and then get rid of this idiot dejoy.

[TigressDem]

19. I wanted that too... but the Post Master General isn't appointed by Prez...

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/538049-obama-administration-official-elected-chair-of-postal-service-board


BUT.... the Board is ASKING Biden to appoint DEMS to give DEMS a simple 5-4 majority.



AND... with his eye on working under DEMS and the new Administration.... DeJoy is at least mouthing some different things...



BLOOM is A DEM elected to lead the Board....

Bloom said Tuesday that he would work with the agency's governors and its postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, on a 10-year plan to revitalize the agency, The Associated Press reported.

At Tuesday's meeting, DeJoy also reportedly apologized for mail service delays experienced by many Americans over the past year, which came amid both the COVID-19 pandemic and DeJoy's own efforts to institute operational changes at the agency before the November election.

[Rebl2]

22. His plan

to slow first class mail even more isn’t going to help anything. His apology rings hollow because of his new plan.

[TigressDem]

27. YES.... but once the DEM majority is in place.... he either plays ball or leaves the game.

SO his stupidity is like tRump burning the place down on his way out is my read on it.

[Rebl2]

46. Hope Biden

acts quickly on this!

[MyOwnPeace]

8. Does DeJoy really

have his head so far up his own "lost mail" chute that he thinks he's gonna' be around longer than next week's 'junk mail?'

If President Joe doesn't have DeJoy on the 'Return to Sender' list real soon I'm gonna' be very surprised!

[bucolic_frolic]

10. If it gets any slower it'll be going backwards

Aside from packages, only about 5 or 6 pieces of mail are USPS essential for me now. Two tax bills, 1099 or two, car and license registrations. Some of that could be handled online. Wish I could just pick up the mail twice a year. It's all junk. But they won't do that.

[sakabatou]

12. He's so goddamn awful!

[Cattledog]

13. Call him before Congress. If he doesn't comply site him with contempt.

Then call each and every member of the board as well.

[3825-87867]

14. Names of the USPS Board need to be made quite public

and photos and info on them since they draw a public paycheck. Let it go from there.

Surely they would get their "public suggestions mail" on time?

[TigressDem]

20. They ARE --- New Chairman is a DEM

https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/



Ron A. Bloom
Chairman, Board of Governors

Roman Martinez IV
Vice Chairman, Board of Governors

John M. Barger
Member, Board of Governors

Robert M. Duncan
Member, Board of Governors

Donald L. Moak
Member, Board of Governors

William D. Zollars
Member, Board of Governors

[Hoyt]

15. Don't really have a real problem having first class mail delivered in 3 - 5 days, rather than 2.

[TigressDem]

25. EXCEPT that businesses will pick Fedex or UPS for urgent deliveries.

First class is affordable alternative and NOW that the 75 Year "paid in advance" health benefits law is being changed, the USPS should be able to breathe again.

A law passed in 2006 put 110 BILLION Dollar burden on the USPS that no other government agency has to live up to and affected their ability to run at a profit.


https://defazio.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/defazio-authored-bill-to-help-us-postal-service-maintain-sustainability


DeFazio-Authored Bill to Help US Postal Service Maintain Sustainability Passes House of Representatives
Feb 5, 2020
Press Release

Today the House of Representatives passed decisively bipartisan legislation authored by Rep. Peter DeFazio that would provide the United States Postal Service (USPS) with much-needed financial relief by ending the agency’s burdensome prefunding mandate on future retiree health benefits. The legislation passed by a vote of 309 to 106, with 87 Republicans voting in favor of the bill.


In 2006, Congress passed a law to require the USPS to prefund 75 years worth of retiree health benefits in the span of ten years—a cost of approximately $110 billion. Although the money is intended to be set aside for future Post Office retirees, the funds are instead being diverted to help pay down the national debt.

No other private enterprise or federal agency is required to prefund retiree health benefits on a comparable timetable. The mandate is responsible for all of USPS’s financial losses since 2013.

[Hoyt]

28. Businesses can pay extra for overnight or 2-day delivery with USPS if rush.

[TigressDem]

29. But when USPS does it with First Class anyway and costs less.... it's very nice.

My little shop supports USPS whenever we can.

$3.50 for first class vs $8.50 - $30 for faster and you can get it in 1, 2 or 3 days with first class.

[paleotn]

16. Nah....he's on the way out.

Biden is about to fill the 3 vacancies on the Post Office Board of Governors, given Dems a 5 to 4 margin. When that happens, DeJoy will no longer be joyful. Bye, Louis.

[llashram]

17. why in the hell

can't this POS be forced out. He is a seditious POS and a traitor. He is a dyed in the wool trump chump.

[IronLionZion]

21. Republican efficiency makes things very slow and expensive

they always tell you government doesn't work and every time they get elected they prove it. DeJoy is blatantly trying to kill the postal service so GOP can use it as an excuse for privatization. They can't seriously think they're fooling anyone with this crap.

[TigressDem]

26. Ain't it the TRUTH?!

they always tell you government doesn't work and every time they get elected they prove it.



SOLUTION:

RETHUGS! STOP RUNNING FOR OFFICE. LET PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO THE JOB DO IT and it will get done.

[yaesu]

41. Republicans seem to be modeling everything after the old Soviet Union. nt

[ananda]

24. Get him out now!

Don't they have new governors now?

[Hiawatha Pete]

30. That grifter still there? nt

[Turbineguy]

32. Well, yes. He'd have to raise prices.

When you reduce efficiency, you have to raise prices. Unless of course, you want to go bankrupt.

That's why most CEO's try and make their organizations more efficient. So they can be more competitive or make higher profits.

[Mendocino]

33. Imprison or fine DeJoy

for willful delay of the mail, about 100 billion+ or more counts.

That will show him!!!!

[mdbl]

35. WTF is Dejoy still doing there?

Someone with the power please get rid of him.

[Blue Owl]

36. In any other goddamned business/company, this asshole woulda been canned months ago

FUCK HIM AND THE FAT PIECE OF SHIT HE RODE IN ON!

[Nasruddin]

37. Why hasn't he been fired yet?

[karin_sj]

38. Why the F hasn't he been fired yet?

He's used corrupt and criminal means to slow down the mail to slow election ballots from reaching their destination in order to help his former boss get re-elected. He has had postal machinery destroyed for no reason other than slowing mail delivery and hurting the U.S mail. His goal is to destroy the U.S. postal system so that it can be privatized, which will enrich him and his cronies. I cannot believe they can't get rid of him for all the illegal and destructive things he's done to OUR fucking postal system!

[srose58089]

39. Just resign Mr DeJoy so you can get your life in order before prison.

Do not pass go do not collect $200.

[keithbvadu2]

42. Self-serving sycophant of Trump with a goal of sabotaging the PO for two reasons: his own gain and l

Self-serving sycophant of Trump with a goal of sabotaging the PO for two reasons: his own gain and loyalty to Trump.

Destroying mail sorting machines and going back to manual labor.

Surely there must be a cost-benefit analysis to make such a business decision. Let's see it.

[Cattledog]

43. Can anyone verify this?

Pursuant to Title 39 U.S.C. §202, POTUS has legal authority to fire members of the USPS Board of Governors.

[yuiyoshida]

44. WHY IS HE NOT FIRED YET? HE was hired by TRUMP... BIDEN needs to fix this

SEND THE ASSHOLE PACKING!

[dchill]

53. Exactly this!

[Galraedia]

47. Biden can remove DeJoy

Once confirmed to the board, governors can only be removed by the president “for cause”; that means their jobs are safe unless the president can show that they engaged in malfeasance or extreme neglect of duty. The board of governors, in turn, selects the postmaster general, who is not subject to Senate approval. And once appointed, the postmaster general can only be removed by the board, though it need not justify its decision.

Source:https://newrepublic.com/article/161345/fire-louis-dejoy-usps

[TeamPooka]

49. fuck that guy. twice.

[weissmam]

50. Please just fire this

GOP jerk

[MichMan]

51. Not understanding the OP

"DeJoy, with the backing of the agency’s bipartisan but Trump-appointed governing board, has discussed plans to eliminate a tier of first-class mail — letters, bills and other envelope-sized correspondence sent to a local address — designated for delivery in two days. Instead, all first-class mail would be lumped into the same three- to five-day window, the current benchmark for nonlocal mail.

snip

While the change is not expected to have a significant impact on local service, the people said, they have commercial mailers, including banks, insurers, retailers and publications, worried they may aggravate existing slowdowns for nonlocal mail."

First the OP states the proposed change would affect local mail that is now designated for two day delivery. Then later on it states it is not expected to have a significant impact on local mail.

[bdamomma]

52. Why is this

jerk still there???

[Jay25]

54. I guess he plans on destroying the place before he leaves.

Did he ever provide answers to some House members when he was brought in for questioning?
I know he was given a timeline to provide answers, if he didn’t, maybe that can be used against him.
They need to move quickly to have him removed.

[badboy67]

55. Dude still answers to USPS competitors?

[live love laugh]

56. Get him OUT! nt

[bringthePaine]

57. shitcan. immediately.

[Vivienne235729]

58. He needs to be removed ASAP. No one presents a plan like

This unless they are compromised. Shameless and infuriating.