Hartmann: Destroying the Postal Service - another Manufactured Crisis

The United States Post Office is on the verge of shutting down. According to the New York Times - the Post Office is quickly running out of cash and may be forced to shut down this winter. While the media story line is that the Post Office is dealing with the problem of trying to remain profitable in a world of decreasing paper mail - the real cause is actually something much, much different. Consider that this year - like every year since 2006 - the Post Office is legally required to make a $5 billion annual contribution to a retirement account to pay for future retirees who aren't even born yet. For more on this Thom Hartmann is joined by Chuck Zlatkin - Legislative and Political Director of the New York Metro Area Postal Union.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Thom Hartmann
• Big Picture
• theBigPictureRT
• RTAmerica
• RT America
• RTTV
• Chuck Zlatkin
• Post Office
• New York Times
• retirement account

[poindexterwitkowsky]

~^~^~^~In 2006 REPUBLICANS mandated that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) begin a 10 yearr process of pre-paying all health & retirement benefits for all employees it may hire up to 75 years from now! THE GOAL: To create the ILLUSION that USPS, a NON tax payer funded profit making agency, is on the verge of FINANCIAL COLLAPSE! REPUBLICANS want toBREAK THE POSTAL UNION, lay off 125,000 AMERICANS & PRIVATIZE USPS . REPUBLICAN RACKETEERING & GREED ARE DESTROYING AMERICA! ! ~

^^~^

[TheMargiemo]

@1FendrBendr

Couldn't say it better myself. It's not easy. We earn every penny we make!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrBustarims]

Lol, go ahead, shut down the post office. When you are paying $50.00 to send a Christmas card to your grandma, remember how bad you had it. Compare the cost now, with a public option. Then imagine what it will be like with only private sector options. The post office gets zero tax payer money. A stamp goes up a penny, everyone flips out. A gallon of gas goes up a penny, nobody even notices.

[papatoony]

Why aren't more people talking about this???

[percygoff614]

This vid is a favorite on Albania

[ChaseTerrier]

@cedcampbell That is one thing I do not understand is how people blame the internet for the problems of the USPS. It might hurt with regular mail (paying bills, sending letters, est.). But with on-line shopping, shouldn't the internet help the USPS make money with sending packages?

[thepostalwife1]

Everything is not as it seems. Watch The Postal Wife and share. thanks.

[Vebinz]

@Martial024

What do you mean can't compete? They compete quite well. If I had a choice between paying $12 to USPS deliver a package that arrived in 4 days, or paying $30+ to have it delivered in 3 days by Fedex, I'm likely going with the former.

As for central planning, again you need to read some more. The internet you're using right now is due to government "central planning". Certainly not to "laissez-fair capitalism".

Let me guess, "Young Republicans", right?

[Martial024]

If the government can't compete with the private sector then why would anyone want to throw good money after bad to keep a less efficient system functioning that actually hinders and takes business away from the better one?

How did Americans get to the fascist, and stupid mentality that the government and central planning is better than free markets, competition, and laissez-faire capitalism even in the face of hard plain undeniable and overwhelming evidence?

How does the world fall for it?