Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s potential plans for his extensive post-Election Day overhaul at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) reportedly involve price raises that could lead to more damage to the agency’s operations than previously reported.
According to the Washington Post, DeJoy is considering gutting a USPS program that covers the cost of shipping groceries to distant areas in Alaska known as the Alaska Bypass program.
Other possible changes reportedly include requirements mandating that first-class postage be used for mail-in voting and increases in package rates.
An unnamed source told the Post that DeJoy’s proposals “go directly to the heart of what Democrats have been saying this postmaster general wants to do to the Postal Service.”
“This is going to get very hot very fast,” the person said.
On Tuesday, DeJoy announced that he was putting plans for restructuring on hold until after the elections in response to the outcry over delays caused by the changes and accusations that he was helping President Donald Trump, to whom the postmaster general has given campaign donations, by slashing the USPS’ ability to process mail-in ballots.
DeJoy will testify before the GOP-led Senate Homeland Security Committee on Friday and the Democrat-led House Oversight Committee on Monday.
My baby!
The way I read it, the Constitution allows that the Congress will set up a Postal Service.
From the wikipedia article on this:
‘" Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution , known as the Postal Clause or the Postal Power, empowers Congress “To establish Post Offices and Post Roads.”’
It says nothing about how it needs to pay for itself. It was a service deemed by the founders to be most necessary for the country. Go figure.
The House needs to act now with appropriate legislation and at least try to get the Senate to follow.
(Adding a bit more, here’s the conservative Cato institute’s take on this: https://www.cato.org/blog/us-postal-service-constitution . They basically say the Postal Service need not be exclusive, etc., etc., but they don’t deny the Constitutional aspect of it.)
This is a dagger to the heart of rural Alaska. And ammunition for the Senate campaign of Dr. Al Gross, who has a real shot to unseat the current GOP Senator Dan Sullivan. Make Alaskans know that the Republican Party is dismantling the federal infrastructure that makes normal life possible in all far-flung corners of the Last Frontier!
Cripple it and then sell it for a pittance to your pals. Also, all that sweet pre-paid pension cash now controlled by who-the-fuck. It is the story of too many US companies since the 80s.
Ding-ding-ding…Walmart & Amazon grocery deliveries!
And of course, there is the vengeful saboteur