General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Some things about the USPS [View all]hay rick
(7,607 posts)USPS has two pension funds- one for the older civil service employees (CSRS) and one for more recently hired employees (FERS). Both pension funds are over-funded. The Obama administration has drawn on a portion of the over-funded surplus to help keep the Postal Service afloat in the past. The exact amount of these surpluses is a matter of dispute. These disputes are separate and unrelated to the healthcare pre-funding problem.
You point out that if an employer promises post-retirement health care benefits, they should assure the funding of those benefits. They should- that would be prudent and responsible- but most don't. They would rather use their available cash today. The demands on the Postal Service vastly exceed that reasonable but rarely attained standard. The Postal Service is being required to pre-fund all employee health benefits 65 years in advance (10 years to pre-pay 75 years worth of benefits). Many of those whose benefits are being paid have not been hired yet or even born...