Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:01 PM

Eugene (15,533 posts)

Senators blast House leaders over Postal Service default

Source: Reuters

By Emily Stephenson
Wed Aug 1, 2012 4:05pm EDT

(Reuters) - Hours before the Postal Service's expected first-ever default on an obligation, senators blasted the Republican-led House of Representatives for not advancing legislation to overhaul the cash-strapped service before a month-long recess.

The mail agency, which relies on the sale of stamps and other products rather than taxpayer dollars, confirmed this week that it could not make a $5.5 billion payment for future retiree health benefits that is due by midnight on Wednesday.

Lawmakers have said for more than a year that they would overhaul the struggling agency and help it avoid a default.

The Senate passed a bipartisan bill in April. But the House plans to leave at the end of this week until after the September 3 Labor Day holiday without voting on postal legislation.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/01/us-usa-postal-default-idUSBRE8701HO20120801

13 replies, 2253 views

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13 replies	Author	Time	Post
Senators blast House leaders over Postal Service default (Original post)	Eugene	Aug 2012	OP
It's simply hard to believe that the Thug, Bully and Bagger Party is THIS stoopid.	SoapBox	Aug 2012	#1
Can they email your Passport too?	HockeyMom	Aug 2012	#2
No worries	n2doc	Aug 2012	#6
And that's if FedEx even delivers to Dumbfuck, Texas. nt	Ilsa	Aug 2012	#8
Why? Look at the people that elect them.	MrSlayer	Aug 2012	#4
Its not stupid its tactics. Without the US mail it makes it easier for the feds to track back things	cstanleytech	Aug 2012	#5
the War on Americans continues....	dtom67	Aug 2012	#3
There are no consequences for a default.	former9thward	Aug 2012	#7
Postal Service and SSA	elbloggoZY27	Aug 2012	#9
The USPS is independent from Congress control.	Panasonic	Aug 2012	#10
the USPS has an extremely large number of unionized employees	Samantha	Aug 2012	#11
The USPS shouldn't be making this Republikkkan-created dumb-ass poison pill payment anyway.	SunSeeker	Aug 2012	#12
Crushing Unions, the Billionaires, I mean Republicans ultimate goal.	sarcasmo	Aug 2012	#13

Response to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:05 PM

SoapBox (5,820 posts)

1. It's simply hard to believe that the Thug, Bully and Bagger Party is THIS stoopid.

Amazing.

Can you just imagine if the USPS really started shutting down?

It would be National and worldwide chaos.

And for the idiots that say that they don't ever need the USPS...for example, because they pay their
bills via bill pay at their bank? Uhhhh....the bank uses the USPS to MAIL checks to people/businesses
that are not set up for electronic funds transfers! Duh! And I hope you don't ever plan on getting
a birthday card from grandma again...

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Response to SoapBox (Reply #1)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:13 PM

HockeyMom (10,709 posts)

2. Can they email your Passport too?

Or your Voter ID card, your bank mortgage booklet, etc., etc.

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Response to HockeyMom (Reply #2)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:32 PM

n2doc (26,097 posts)

6. No worries

They can just use UPS/FEDEX to send them

At $20 per item.....and at least a 1 week delay.

want it faster? Sure can do! That will be $35/item, please.

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Response to n2doc (Reply #6)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 08:31 PM

Ilsa (31,678 posts)

8. And that's if FedEx even delivers to Dumbfuck, Texas. nt

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Response to SoapBox (Reply #1)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:31 PM

MrSlayer (21,345 posts)

4. Why? Look at the people that elect them.

Far from falling of the cliff or whatever, there will probably be even more of them in congress next year. There are way more stupid people out there than smart ones.

Idiocracy, we're nearly there.

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Response to SoapBox (Reply #1)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:31 PM

cstanleytech (5,302 posts)

5. Its not stupid its tactics. Without the US mail it makes it easier for the feds to track back things

like who blew the whistle on something where as today if someone uses a simple letter through the us mail its not so easy to trace.

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Response to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:25 PM

dtom67 (415 posts)

3. the War on Americans continues....

basic GOP union-busting: bankrupt the company the Union works for and nullify their contract.

Increased unemployment, destroyed economy, utter chaos; just collateral damage.

As long as Americans ( Who are not wealthy ) become poorer and the Rich get their taxes eliminated, the GOP is just doing what its owners want them to do.

Tar and Feathers, Anyone?

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Response to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 07:35 PM

former9thward (6,396 posts)

7. There are no consequences for a default.

From the link: Defaulting on the payment, which goes into a fund for retiree benefits years from now, will not disrupt mail delivery, prevent USPS employees and suppliers from being paid or stop benefits for current retirees, the Postal Service said.

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Response to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 08:47 PM

elbloggoZY27 (283 posts)

9. Postal Service and SSA

These two Federal Programs suffer from Political Warfare and need to be separated from the control of Congress and make them true Independent Agencies. The populace in the whole benefits by both services (Postal & SSA). In short they deliver there services to their customers.

This Congress especially has completely failed and I blame the GOP 100%.

It's like our War on Drugs which is a huge failure except for the prisons who become overcrowded.

Depoliticize SSA and the Postal Service.

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Response to elbloggoZY27 (Reply #9)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 10:32 PM

Panasonic (2,921 posts)

10. The USPS is independent from Congress control.

It's the pension that The House of Morons are ignoring and trying to stall and delay.

Well, The House of Morons are due for a major cleanup, in other words, the Smarter Ones will be taking over the House next January after the voters get tired of The House of Morons failing to do its due diligence.

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Response to Eugene (Original post)

Wed Aug 1, 2012, 11:34 PM

Samantha (5,997 posts)

11. the USPS has an extremely large number of unionized employees

Privatization of this organization could come in mighty handily during election years....

Sam

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Response to Eugene (Original post)

Thu Aug 2, 2012, 01:49 AM

SunSeeker (5,032 posts)

12. The USPS shouldn't be making this Republikkkan-created dumb-ass poison pill payment anyway.

What plagues USPS is the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (yes, another of Dubya's legacies), which requires the USPS to pre-pay the health care benefits of not only current USPS employees, but all employees who will retire in the next 75 years — including those not yet born!

No other agency or corporation is required to do this, and it is doubtful that any could survive if forced to meet a similar requirement. The law is a poison pill designed to drive the Post Office into bankruptcy.

Despite the growth of email, we still need the Post Office. We need to get rid of that ridiculous law and stop closing post offices and cutting services.

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Response to Eugene (Original post)

Thu Aug 2, 2012, 09:19 PM

sarcasmo (13,550 posts)

13. Crushing Unions, the Billionaires, I mean Republicans ultimate goal.

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