The Trump donor whom Biden can't fire is running the U.S. Postal Service directly into the ground--just what everyone war

[UpInArms]

Full title: The Trump donor whom Biden can’t fire is running the U.S. Postal Service directly into the ground—just what everyone warned about when he was confirmed during the pandemic

Yet USPS announced Tuesday a proposed 8% price hike for stamps, bringing the cost of a first-class mail forever stamp to $0.73. It’s just another sign of the unfavorable leadership of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump. DeJoy was a major Republican Party donor and Trump fundraiser—and was also the first postmaster general in two decades without prior USPS experience.
Under DeJoy, the USPS has been bleeding money. In the first quarter of fiscal 2024 alone, USPS reported a $2.1 billion net loss, more than double its $1 billion net loss during the same time period last year.
“Under DeJoy, USPS has not adequately been controlling labor costs, while quality of service has been going down and prices going up,” said Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank that specializes in productivity and innovation issues. “This is not sustainable, and the more prices go up the more volumes go down, until USPS hits a death spiral.”
But DeJoy, who was previously under investigation by the FBI in connection with past political fundraising, says he has a 10-year plan to revive the postal service. He’s been in his role since June 2020, and plans to serve his entire appointment. Plus, President Joe Biden doesn’t have the power to remove him from his post, despite how badly the agency is struggling.
“Get used to me,” DeJoy said in February 2021. The postmaster general is appointed by the Board of Governors of the Postal Service—and can only be dismissed by this group, not the president. However, the governors are appointed by the president, and in 2022, 83 public interest groups led by the Save the Post Office Coalition sent a letter to Biden urging him to nominate postal board of governors candidates who would hold DeJoy accountable for his “destructive leadership and advocate strongly for the expansion of USPS services.”

https://archive.ph/JwlA2/again?url=https://fortune.com/2024/04/10/usps-dejoy-price-hikes-customer-dissatisfaction/

(Emphasis is mine)

[RandiFan1290]

1. If republicons wanted him out

he'd be gone

[Cosmocat]

3. Yep

nm

[liberalla]

47. House Democrats sent a letter, led by Jamie Raskin, in Feb. (link below)

I want DeJoy gone yesterday and don't understand why he's still there. In that thread progressoid posted an enthusiastic defense of Decoy and that Biden wants him there. His post:

Biden needs DeJoy...
and
DeJoy: from Trump villain to Biden's clean energy buddy...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143188095#post39

I feel more in line with Jamie Raskin on this issue.

[brooklynite]

67. If Democrats wanted him out........

[samsingh]

72. exactly

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Couple of things:

1. There's nothing to stop DeJoy from raising stamp prices 5 cents every 6 months -- indefinitely.

2. You'd think the USPS would have a lot more money now that Congress stopped that ridiculous mandate about funding postal workers' retirements -- before they're born.

[onenote]

18. DeJoy cannot unilaterally raise stamp prices.

Changes to stamp prices must be approved by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and are subject to review by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

[no_hypocrisy]

19. Point taken. TY

[a kennedy]

36. I still can't believe that was even allowed for as long as it was. 🤬 🤬 🤬

[gab13by13]

4. Don't leave me hanging

The article says 83 groups asked President Biden to nominate people to the board who would fire DeJoy, so what happened in 2022?

[Celerity]

6. on the telephone.....

[mdmc]

7. kicking for answers

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Gotta love this bit;

Under DeJoy, USPS has not adequately been controlling labor costs

Go fuck yourself, Robert Atkinson. Yeah, lets blame it on the workers being paid a decent wage, you useless think tank douchebag.

How much of the losses can be attributed to the massive retooling of many of the major distribution centers, including the one I haul out of almost every day?

This one is a little over 12 acres under one roof and 166 dock doors. They have been tearing out the old, obsolete sorting machines and installing new equipment for almost a year now, and it won't be complete till at least the fall, if that. I know for a fact that this NDC is not the only one undergoing such a refit.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NuYod7QkXdfsC9d7A

DeJoy is a monstrous horses ass to be sure, but I think much of the blame falls on Congress for not properly funding the upgrades the system desperately needs.

[wnylib]

8. Can't DeJoy be charged with election interference

for policies that slow down mail delivery during elections?

He did that in 2020 when most mail in ballots were being cast by Dems. Didn't work, but he dismantled sorting machines and removed corner mailboxes across the country. The one at the end of my block was removed and then brought back after the election.

Surely there's some criminal charge that covers that?

[Silent Type]

30. That was one of the conspiracy theories BEFORE 2020 election. In truth, ballots were not delayed. Yet,

some still continue to spread that misinformation. They actually removed more blue mailboxes under Obama and Clinton because they aren't needed. We had three times the flat sorters we needed, so some were removed.

[wnylib]

38. Well, the blue box at the corner of the block that I live on

was removed in October of 2020, but was back in place again later. Not a conspiracy theory here. Something that I witnessed. One day it was gone. Then another day it was back.

I planned on voting in person and I did. But there was no blue box for weeks before and after election day.

There are 4 large apartment buildings here and several businesses nearby that use it.

[Silent Type]

40. Do you really think that kept people from voting. Heck, maybe it was rusting out. And I remember

when this was a conspiracy theory that DeJoy was attempting to suppress vote. Turns out that wasn't the case, it was to keep thieves from stealing mail.

?w=1200

[wnylib]

42. Obviously it did not keep Biden from winning and

we know that there were enough mail in ballots that were cast to delay knowing the final results of the election for a few days.

But, if my neighborhood mailbox was rusted, I never saw it. Removals WERE carried out in several states.

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/08/31/usps-mailbox-removals-drew-ire-trump-attacked-mail-ballots/3442736001/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/politics/usps-removes-letter-collection-boxes-reduces-post-office-operating-hours/index.html

https://www.npr.org/2020/08/15/902878419/democrats-warn-of-assault-on-the-postal-service-as-election-nears

[Silent Type]

43. Clearly there are plenty of articles supporting a conspiracy theory that never occurred.

[wnylib]

49. Rubbish. Good bye.

[BComplex]

65. It's been awful in my area. Not just for mail in ballots, but I've had a letter sent out in March of last year,

and it was returned THIS FEBRUARY 5th!!

I also had a card I sent to my daughter on Valentines day that has never showed up anywhere! I also had a letter sent to someone who moved, and the letter has never been forwarded, nor has it been returned to me. It's been over a month. All this, and I'm just one person! One mail customer.

THIS is the post office under deJoy. Everything trump touches DIES.

[lostnfound]

35. Criminal charges are generally only for the little people. Nt

[onenote]

58. Criminal charges generally are for people who have violated a criminal law.

The election interference law is narrow, applying specifically to someone who "by force or threat of force willfully injures, intimidates or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with-
(1) any person because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from-
(A) voting or qualifying to vote, qualifying or campaigning as a candidate for elective office, or qualifying or acting as a poll watcher, or any legally authorized election official, in any primary, special, or general election.

[brooklynite]

68. Name a specific complaint made by a candidate or campaign about USPS performance in 2020.

[appleannie1]

9. I rarely use the postal service anymore it is so screwed up in my area.

I now pay everything I can digitally. I even drive to the tax collector's home and pay in person. She has the same problem with the postal service in this area so her husband bolted a lock box to the front porch so people can safely drop things off at their house. My neighbors have complained at the post office but they can't fire the person that now delivers the mail in our area. Right now I have an electric bill on my kitchen table that I will hand deliver to the right address today. It is about a quarter mile up the road from where I live. That is what a lot of the people now do in this area. I think that when she get to the end of her route if she has mail left over she just throws it away because things I know were mailed to me has never arrived and twice it was checks that never were cashed.

[wnylib]

41. I have a problem where I live, in a large apartment building..

Mail gets put into the wrong boxes often. One mail carrier who filled in for the regular one on vacation just dumped all the mail onto a table in the lobby instead of putting it into the individual boxes. I often have missing or very late mail or get someone else's.

I have a very common surname so for a while, I was getting a lot of mail addressed to people with my surname who were totally unknown to me. I finally wrote on one of the envelopes that I live alone and have no relatives in my state so please stop giving me mail that's not addressed to me. i hand delivered that to the mail carrier.

[former9thward]

51. Is that DeJoy's fault?

[wnylib]

52. ?? Nothing in my post even implied that.

[TheRickles]

10. I thought Biden had already appointed enough new members of the Board of Governors to vote out DeJoy.

Does anyone know what the current BoG tally is?

[onenote]

23. There currently are 9 members of the BOG, plus two vacancies

Seven of the nine are presidential appointments. The other two are the postmaster general and the deputy postmaster general, who are appointed by the other members of the board, not the president.

At present, the seven presidential appointees consist of five Biden appointees and two Trump appointees.Of the five Biden appointees, three are Democrats, one is a Republican and one is an independent. By law, no more than five members of the board can be members of the same political party. Last month, President Biden nominated a Democrat to fill one of the two vacancies.

[TheRickles]

54. Thanks.

[former9thward]

50. The majority of the voting Board are Biden appointees.

They do not wish to get rid of DeJoy.

[brooklynite]

69. Answer: Biden has appointed enough Governors to give Democrats a majority

The Democratic majority apparently doesn't share the opinion of the blogosphere regarding DeJoy's performance.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. DeJoy won Biden over with his support of EVs. Biden has nominated the majority of people on the board of governors.

If they haven't gotten rid of DeJoy, I'm guessing it's because it's not a priority for Biden.

[onenote]

25. DeJoy also was instrumental in getting the 2022 Postal Reform bill over the finish line

which put him in the good graces of President Biden and Chuck Schumer as well as the postal carriers union.

https://time.com/6263424/louis-dejoy-trump-election-postal-reform/

Does that mean everything he's done is good? No. But it helps explain the politics at work with respect to DeJoy and the Postal Service.

[jaxexpat]

28. That's my take, as well. The ball was, and still is, in Biden's court of this issue.

What's up with that? Too much "inch giving?" Or horse trading? DeJoy is a bad actor purposely planted by Trump. What else do we need to know?

[onenote]

57. That's the point, isn't it. You, and I, and others here don't know what Biden, Schumer etc. know.

Last edited Thu Apr 11, 2024, 11:03 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't know why folks think that they have better knowledge and political instincts than Biden, Schumer et al.

[jaxexpat]

63. It may be that if we perceive inexplicability, then others, some with nefarious intentions, will too.

Like spectators at a high wire act, we stare aghast, with bated breath, hoping they'll succeed when we know all too well there are others who ache for them to fall, injured for their entertainment.

[jalan48]

12. I think the idea is to privatize it and running it into the ground will convince Americans privatization is the answer.

[markodochartaigh]

17. There's a book about that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrecking_Crew_(book)

[TBF]

24. That's absolutely what they are trying to do -

and then we'll be stuck with UPS which is even worse.

[jalan48]

29. Worse for the workers I am sure. Privatization of public services can make some people super wealthy.

[TBF]

59. Worse for workers & customers -

I never know when ups packages will show up - I've always had better luck with usps. But yes your point is correct. It absolutely will make certain rich people even wealthier - which is all republicans care about.

[hadEnuf]

13. Any Republican appointed by Trump to be in charge of anything is tasked with screwing it up to make Democrats look bad

or to make Trump look good, notwithstanding just plain old incompetence.

Governing for the American people doesn't even enter into the equation for Republicans.

[usaf-vet]

14. Maybe thay can fire him but they should be able to reassign him to different duties without changing.....

..... his pay. Give him a mop and a broom, and make him the best-paid janitor in the postal service.

Or fire him on the spot and fight it out through the courts. Take a tip from 45, delay, delay, delay, and then delay some more.

[onenote]

21. Who do you think can do that?

[usaf-vet]

31. Oh so that's the deal he answers to no one. Appointed by Trump gives him the attitude that I'm untouchable.

So, it's an excellent lesson for us all to learn while looking forward to election time.

Vote against Biden, and we might all end up with dictators doing whatever they damn well please with no repercussions.

If the shoe were on the other foot and DeJoy had been appointed by Biden, do you think the repugs would hesitate for one moment before firing him and fighting it out in the courts?

The Dejoy case would become the delay, delay, delay case.

[onenote]

34. He was appointed by the board of governors. He can be removed by the board of governors.

The Postmaster General is not appointed by the President and can't be removed by the President. The Board that appointed him in May 2020 had a majority of members appointed by Trump. The current board has a majority appointed by Biden. They could remove him if they so desired.

[DET]

44. So why aren't they?

Ok, saw your later post about political considerations. Still don’t get why he should be rewarded for (some) good behavior but not punished for bad behavior - like overtly trying to interfere with a Presidential election. Republicans wouldn’t hesitate under similar circumstances.

[usaf-vet]

53. What this poster said !!!! AND.....

.... If his action disenfranchises one class of voters, he should go.

Otherwise, why tell us all to get out and vote because every vote counts?

If I don't vote, Biden loses one vote.

If Dejoy slows, stops, or "loses" thousands of votes in precincts all across the county, that can lead to a
stolen election.

Absentee ballots and overseas military votes worry me as being an easy target to slow, stop, or "lose" thousands of votes

[onenote]

55. I don't know the ins and outs of the political considerations at work, and I doubt anyone else here does.

But I'm confident that Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer and others in leadership are attuned to those considerations and I trust their political instincts. If someone shows up here with inside information and/or better political instincts, I'll be surprised.

[walkingman]

15. Biden to nominate Marty Walsh to Postal BOG

On Feb. 29, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Marty Walsh to serve on the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors (BOG).

Walsh’s name will be sent to the Senate in order to fill one of two seats on the BOG vacated Dec. 8, 2023, when the terms of Captain Lee Moak and William Zollars expired. Walsh is a Democratic nominee. The administration has not yet put forward an intended nominee for the vacant Republican seat.

In accordance with the Postal Reorganization Act, the president nominates the nine-member BOG, which is responsible for overseeing the executive management of USPS. By law, no more than five members can be affiliated with the president’s political party.

https://www.nalc.org/news/nalc-updates/president-biden-announces-intent-to-nominate-marty-walsh-to-usps-board-of-governors

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Whatever efficiencies DeJoy's logistics expertise wrought, shrinking through price increases

is not a growth, competitive, nor durable advantage. DeJoy is running it like a business but is losing market share to private carriers, and is trying to engineer profitability through volume reductions and out-sized price increases. Prepping it for privatization I would suspect.

[ecstatic]

20. He did a number on Georgia. I'm not sure if the havoc has been contained

yet but it was a complete mess around the time of the gop primaries. Mission accomplished. I won't vote by mail, but now I can't even rely on USPS for other types of mail either. It's insane!

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-lawmakers-call-on-usps-to-address-metro-atlanta-mail-delays

A hopeful sign of improvement: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/special-reports/postal-problems/metro-atlanta-usps-mail-delays-tracking-packages/85-15f248f9-ec15-4a60-bb79-962527a9a12a

[LymphocyteLover]

22. WHY CAN'T HE FIRE HIM???????

[onenote]

26. BECAUSE OF THE LAW THAT SAYS HE CAN'T

The Postmaster General isn't appointed by the President and can't be fired by him. The Postmaster General, and the Deputy Postmaster General, are appointed by the members of the Post Office Board of Governors.

[LymphocyteLover]

37. oh, right. But why can't the Board members he appointed fire deJoy?

[onenote]

39. They could. If they so chose to do so. But I suspect that politics are in play here

DeJoy earned some points with Biden and Schumer by providing key support in getting Republicans on board for the administration's Postal Service Reform bill. Plus the Post Office has been supporters of transitioning to electric vehicles.

So my guess is that its a politically expedient decision by Biden and leadership not to push for DeJoy's ouster.

[LymphocyteLover]

64. OK, thanks

[underpants]

27. Richmond VA mail is a mess

[Blue Owl]

32. I still wish...

They'd tape him up in a cheap cardboard box and ship him third class to Mag a Lardo with a sticker saying "Return to Sender." Let the fat fuck have his stooge back....

[samsingh]

33. why is he still there?

[onenote]

56. See post 39

[samsingh]

71. i will, thanks

[RANDYWILDMAN]

45. price at usps way up

hope that price increase helps someone, cause it is taking a toll on my side e-business sales for sure

[Fritz Walter]

46. This donor was noted to have huge investments in USPO competitors in 2020

Something of a "conflict of interest"?

From Politifact in 2020:

"This is Trump’s new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy," says a narrator in the ad, which was published by Really American on Twitter. "A longtime Republican donor, DeJoy has given over $400,000 to Republicans just this year. Coincidentally, DeJoy and his wife have between $30 and $75 million in assets of direct competitors to the United States Postal Service.

"That’s right — they own the competition. The man Trump put in charge of our post office has the most to gain from its destruction."

(The video-ad from Really American is available to view through the link, above).

[ffr]

48. Louis Dejoy has been a turd in the punchbowl, much like Aileen Cannon has been. Republican governance

at its best. Or worst, if you're an average American or military veteran who depends upon reliable postal service.

[WarGamer]

60. 73 cents is still an incedible value.

I can be drinking a coffee in Seattle, see a 63 Corvette just like Dads snap a pic on my iphone... drop by the CVS, print a 3x5 picture and drop the photo and a letter into an envelope and have it appear at Dad's house in Miami FL in 4 days.

(Dad doesn't use computers or cell phones in my example)

[questionseverything]

61. Cool except it used to only take two days

[WarGamer]

62. To take 2 days... it'd require air freight.

Comes down to... can you stretch the 73 cents to get it there in 2 days?

Would you pay more to make it 2 days?

[brooklynite]

66. No he's not...

..."running it into the ground".

I'm having no trouble sending or receiving mail, and they have a growing market in "last mile" package deliveries.

[GenThePerservering]

70. I have a small mail order business

so far the USPS is doing a stellar job, and it's entirely due to the fabulous postal employees.

Letters never got cross country in 2 days unless they were sent the old fashioned air mail, or new fashioned priority.