How it happened - U.S. Postal Service "Next Manufacturred Crisis"

[SugarShack]

U.S. Postal Service

A manufactured crisis

In 2006, President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress passed a law mandating that the post office begin making massive payments to fully fund health care for its employees and retirees for the next 75 years. This is unheard of in the private sector. The "goal" was to fund health care costs for future employees who have not even been born. The projected payment is $5 billion this year alone.

Meanwhile, the postal pension fund is overfunded by $50 billion. A simple bookkeeping entry could easily balance out these two funds and solve this manufactured crisis.

Why did Bush and the Republicans pass this onerous mandate? It was envisioned that this phony crisis would lead to the breaking of the postal union. And second, the insidious, ultimate plan is to turn the post office over to private contractors with the result of massive campaign donations to the Republicans by prospective contractors before and after the post office privatization.

This was written by a private citizen in the postal union in Florida, printed in the St. Pete Times

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/article1193911.ece
:grr:

[SugarShack]

1. Thanks! Keep this kicked!! They are running ads right now, congress did this, they can fix it!

:nuke:

[catabryna]

3. And, here I thought I was the only person who talked out loud to myself!

chuckle... B-)

[Occulus]

2. That's about it, yeah

And for the record, because there's always one on these threads:

THE USPS IS NOT TAXPAYER FUNDED. PERIOD.

[SugarShack]

4. Good point! Thanks for taking care of that...

[court jester]

5. why did Waxman and another (D) co-sponsor the bill?

Bill Overview:

H.R. 6407: Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
Cosponsors:

Danny Davis D-IL7
John McHugh R-NY23
Henry Waxman D-CA30




Status: Introduced Dec 7, 2006
Referred to Committee View Committee Assignments
Passed House Dec 8, 2006
Passed Senate Dec 9, 2006
Signed by President Dec 20, 2006


Last Action: Dec 20, 2006: Became Public Law No: 109-435.

Votes: Dec 8, 2006: This bill passed in the House of Representatives by voice vote. A record of each representative’s position was not kept.
Dec 9, 2006: This bill passed in the Senate by Unanimous Consent. A record of each senator’s position was not kept.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-6407

Now THAT is some fast workin' congresscritters! 3 days! Voice Vote! YEA!

[SugarShack]

7. More examples of dems making careers in office and NOT representing us.

[SugarShack]

10. Many co sponsor and act like they support bills then vote against it in committee or

they vote for it in committee and then they vote against it on the full floor vote!

I am working on a bill right now for ERA in congress and florida state house. We have several republican "co sponsors" and we know FULL well they are not going to vote for it, outside of their committees.

Waxman needs to go find a real job now. He's been in long enough.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Not one single Democrat in Congress voted against this bill

[Kingofalldems]

23. That's at least the tenth time you posted the same thing

on this issue. It does nothing at all to solve the problem. So the question is, why do you keep posting it? Is it just another one of your 'Democrats did it too' posts? Do you support the republican plan? Seems to me the posting the exact same thing time and again is quite disruptive, but that's just me.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. I keep posting it, because apparently many DUers are unaware of it

I am sorry if you have a problem with Democrats becoming well-informed.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Why don't we force this business model on all corporations?

Is this the best that Republicans can do when they try to take over government? However, it does make sense if they were planning to transfer this over to a private business because then they could raid the 50 billion dollar pension.

[ThatsMyBarack]

8. Unh!

:kick:

[SugarShack]

9. Postal workers should join Occupy Wall Street, other unions are now getting on board!

[slay]

11. K&R for the postal workers

and FUCK the republicans and their "privatize EVERYTHING at all costs" mission they are on for their greedy billionaire masters! :mad:

[SugarShack]

12. Yes....kick for the postal workers....and damn the privatization!

[Fire Walk With Me]

13. Fix it! K&R!

[DebJ]

14. So how many years out are pension plans usually funded?

The 75 year requirement is certainly ridiculous; as one person said, they are funding pensions for those not even born yet. But what is 'normal' or 'high-end'? I tried the Google and couldn't find anything.

I'd like to know how extreme the 75 years is, and then I'd like to be hearing this info spread about to clarify.

[SugarShack]

16. Information on this would be helpful...we need the postal union to weigh in, bet they know.

[Occulus]

18. There isn't a parallel

I can't think of any other private business or government operation required to prefund pensions and health benefits to retirees they don't even have.

It's unique, it's killing the USPS, and that's why it has to go.

[toddwv]

15. The Republicans have been burning programs like this for the last decade or so.

I'm losing hope in Americans as I watch these once cherished endeavors teetering on the brink from a publicly stated agenda to destroy the federal government.

It's like watching Saudi Arabian terrorists fly planes into skyscrapes and then invading Iraq as a result.

Is the average American stupid, gullible or is it because they don't like these things that were once considered shining jewels in the American crown.

I honestly don't understand.

[librechik]

27. ALEC

they spend millions and hire the best lawyers to concoct legislation that makes us losers in the ongoing class war

[Fire Walk With Me]

17. It is interesting to see that people are now willing to see and believe that it's purposeful

and for profit, and that it's not just some natural disaster as a result of how the post office does everday business.

This is new, and it is growing.

[woo me with science]

21. +1

[former9thward]

20. This was not a Republican bill.

The OP is trying to hide the history of the law. It was introduced in the House by Danny Davis and Henry Waxman as co-sponsors. Are Davis and Waxman now part of the Republican conspiracy? It passed both the House and Senate with not one Democrat in opposition. The Post Office Union supported the bill in testimony in 2008. http://www.apwu.org/dept/presvp/testimony/testimony080508-paea.pdf

[Dr Fate]

25. Which explains why DEMS did not repeal it under Obama's majority. nt

nt

[woo me with science]

22. K&R

[DrunkenBoat]

26. knr

[hack89]

28. The legislation was co-sponsored by Henry Waxman and passed unanimously in the Senate

it may not have been a wise choice, but it is impossible to pass this off as some nefarious RW plot. It enjoyed bipartisan support.

[Blue Owl]

29. Gotta wonder how Republicans can live with themselves

They got a real sleazy scam machine going that runs on deception, greed, and theft.