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The report begins: "House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) will probe into the deeply troubled finances of the US Postal Service Tuesday and will grill the postmaster general about a new tentative contract with the postal workers union that increases wages and limits layoffs."

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, 05/28/10. (photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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+11 # granny 2011-04-03 14:07

And does Issa also mean to question the big bonuses still going to big businesses who contract with the government? And the regular increases given to lawmakers? And the obscenely high profits allowed to the oil and gas industries? Until he does that, he's as much a sham and a liar as we all think he is.

+9 # in deo veritas 2011-04-03 14:54

These Repuglicans won't bite the hand that feeds them-their masters on Wall Street. They shouldn't get a cent of taxpayers money for serving the robber barons. Issa is just another sham and charlatan typical of their inbred greed and deceit.

+11 # Klee 2011-04-03 14:08

It was at least 35 years ago that a USPS logistics (accounting) manager explained what happened when UPS came on the scene. They took the cream routes, albeit for premium overnight service. That left USPS still delivering, as they had to, to US residents all over the country. Think of that one house off in West Podunk, Montana. USPS delivered there, while the close, short (economical) routes were picked up at lower cost and higher price by the private carrier.

As email has cut into more paid service, USPS perhaps needs to update. Could it, for instance, include a low-cost Internet connection as part of its service? Could shoppers look over their coupon flyers on Friday night for Saturday shopping and still make the merchants happy? Would closing some outmoded facilities help? Could further efficiencies be looked at in USPS that would neither cut its own wages and just benefits NOR turn written communications over to companies that profit by paying substandard wages and withholding health and retirement benefits?

Perhaps, instead of spending so much spit bashing unions, it's time we looked at the real costs of privatizing public service.

+9 # in deo veritas 2011-04-03 14:52

Privatizing public service would only put more money into the hands of the criminal element on Wall Street. If you privatize police forces, you end up with the same type of cretins and criminals employed by Blackwater. Take it from there-it's always about money, not service.

+10 # rm 2011-04-03 14:19

I'd like to see a comparison of the rate increases between USPS and the private carriers like FedEx and UPS. I'll bet the privates have raised rates at least 4 times higher than USPS in the last decade. Gas prices are killing them all. Internet mail is reducing the USPS volume. But the USPS provides a really important service. I live way out in the country, but there is a little post office just two miles away. For about 200 years, that little post office has been a social center. I'm sure it loses money, but it is worth it. UPS or FedEx would never keep such a center open.

+4 # in deo veritas 2011-04-03 14:46

LLoyd they are here because they are too rotten to get into hell. Satan would fear the competition. Their only god is money so he could not trust them any more than any TRUE Christian.

+1 # in deo veritas 2011-04-03 14:49

To AARP IS PATHETIC- if you are so unhappy with things that are morally bakrupt, why don't you just find another country. This one has no moral fiber left if we judge it by our Wall Street and DC thieves.

+11 # photonracer 2011-04-03 14:56

So when is Issa and the entire Rebpubnican cadre going to cut congressional salaries? The congressional union consistently votes themselves salary increase and highly reduced days of congressional function. Yet they want to eliminate collective bargaining and unionization.
Go figure

+12 # historywriter 2011-04-03 17:18

Oh, let's privatize everything! Look how well it's worked for the prison system. Overpopulation of prisons because private prison companies lobbied for and got more behaviors considered crimes. Shortchanging the prisoners in basic necessities. Absolutely no attempt at rehabilitating people. Deep seated racism that throw us back into the deep south 19th century. Corruption because it's so lucrative, especially the way these companies do it.
Privatizing does not mean saving money--almost never.

+6 # Ken Hall 2011-04-03 18:45

Too true, HW! Privatization is nothing more than profitization, a way for politicians to reward cronies and supporters with political plums at taxpayer expense. Gov'ts can often do the same job as well and more cheaply because they don't have to make a profit. Compare the percent of money invested in SS to the cost of administration, about 6% last I heard, and far lower than administrative costs for any mutual fund, stock broker, etc. Gov't workers get a bad rap, the ones that I know (having lived in the DC area) are conscientious, thoughtful, industrious. The conflict of interest that you point out with the privatization of prisons is a case in point. Privatization is too often used to subvert democratic process in favor of corporations. Look at our privatized military! That's not working so well for us.

0 # Capn Canard 2011-04-05 15:40

absolutely historywriter. However, I would say that is exactly the reason FOR privatizing things. If the government pays for it then that sector of the economy will benefit. Look at the privatization in the military!! Bechtel, Haliburton, Blackwater (wasn't there a Nazi Schwarz wasser org?) these companies do the same tasks the military once did but now they are less efficient and cost FAR more.

+5 # fhunter 2011-04-03 20:05

From the bonus of a single, incompetent CEO, 10,000 postal workers could get the increase in salaries.

+2 # code blue 2011-04-04 15:06

[quote name="fhunter"]From the bonus of a single, incompetent CEO, 10,000 postal workers could get the increase in salaries.

Well I can tell you that the Carriers have not gotten a cost of living wage the last 3 time. They do not all get paid 8 hours a day.
Most of the money wasted in the Post Office goes to upper management who do not manage or fix problems. They could save all the money they need by firing the works who do not work to speed. The many employees that get paid while they are not even in the office. Also Postmasters getting paid $250,000.00 to move 50 miles, sends red flags in my eyes. I am sure that most people don't know that the Post Office is delivering UPS parcels for them. The people are paying UPS, but the Post Office is delivering the package (for what cost?)
I have declared the Post Office penny wise and TON foolish. They need to go back and run things the way they did before they broke the system.
Where supervisors watched that the work was done properly, etc. etc. The union has nothing to do with those rules.

+1 # tomo 2011-04-03 20:06

Great! Darrell Issa should combine his committee with that of Peter King. Linked so, they can start a coast-to-coast campaign against Muslim postal clerks "who are trying to destroy America."

+4 # giraffee2012 2011-04-03 20:59

Google Issa - he's been on the wrong side of the law MANY times - He should be sharing a cell with "Bernie" and not passing judgement on anyone.

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