Trump-backed postmaster general plans to slow mail delivery

[Ruth Harris]

This is the message I sent to my US Representative and both US Senators

I want to know your position on the USPS stance taken by President Trump

This is a sentence from a Washington Post article I read today: "Democrats say that President Trump's assault on the U.S. Postal Service has handed them a new political message in the 2020 election, with a chance to make inroads with constituencies who have long favored Republicans."

Well, it has definitely made inroads with this voter. I have had it with the current administration. And you, his fellow Republicans, instead of issuing a full throated cry against this latest tactic are waffling in the corner.

I am dependent on the US Mail since I have been basically house bound due to a compromised immune system. I work from home so I still pay taxes that supports your salary and benefits. I get my paychecks by mail, and over the past couple of months they have been arriving later and later. So have my order packages.

I will be voting by mail, as early as I can; I have to wait for our county clerk to issue the ballot request form for the November election. And this is a forewarning: you can either publicly and loudly disavow this idiot-in-chief's actions, or I will vote against you. Enough is enough. The USPS is a national service that should not be subject to the whims of the current administration.

I suspect that all I will receive as a reply is some canned response ginned up by the office public relations specialist, but that in itself will be telling. If it is just a apologetic for President Trump, that is all I need to know.

Ruth

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[lpetrich]

Susan Collins asks postmaster general to address delays of 'critically needed mail' | TheHill

"I write to request that you promptly address the delays in mail delivery that have occurred following recent operational changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS)," wrote Collins. "I have talked to postal employees and received calls from my constituents in Maine who expressed concern regarding the delays in delivery of critically needed mail, including prescriptions."

"I share the goal of putting the USPS back on a financially sustainable path," she added. "However, this goal cannot be achieved by shortchanging service to the public."

AOC & Maloney: Mail Service "Being Sabotaged" By Trump Ahead Of November Election - Gothamist
Carolyn B. Maloney on Twitter: "RIGHT NOW: Watch my press conference w NMPHU & NALC defending @USPS against POTUS’s attacks https://t.co/nDtoAWJunD" / Twitter (audio is very bad)

"You don't come in with proposals that slow down the mail, right in the middle of a pandemic when people are more dependent on mail than ever for their medications and other deliveries in front of a very important presidential election that we just have every four years," Maloney told Gothamist shortly after a news conference Saturday where she called out changes to USPS that have raised red flags.

AOC:

"There's just an enormous amount of incentives that not only makes this appointment corrupt, but also when you layer it on top of the fact that that the President wants to essentially de-legitimize mail-in voting. The way that you do that is by dismantling the Postal Service," said Ocasio-Cortez. "I won't lie to you all, I am extremely, extremely concerned about what will happen to one of our most beloved public services and agencies between now and November."

Ocasio-Cortez added that the USPS "is being sabotaged by this administration. They're trying to dismantle it. It is horrifying."

NY Gov Andrew Cuomo suggested an alternative to the USPS: dropboxes. Like what NJ recently used.

“Why couldn’t you have a box … that you drop your ballot into the box and the box is a board of elections box?" said Cuomo. "Either at a polling site or in front of a polling site so you don’t have to walk into the school. Why not?”

 

[Crowcause]

As I'm in final stage COPD, I'm getting my meds from the VA, so I now am dependent on two federal agencies the are both under major attack. I put in another order for two of my meds earlier this week. I have about a three week supply of both. Normally, I get them about 7 days after ordering. I'm not sure what I'll do if I don't have them yet when nearly out. Reordering can be sticky when the prescription has already been "filled".
Will anyone be keeping a body count for this fiasco?

 

[Ruth Harris]

As I'm in final stage COPD, I'm getting my meds from the VA, so I now am dependent on two federal agencies the are both under major attack. I put in another order for two of my meds earlier this week. I have about a three week supply of both. Normally, I get them about 7 days after ordering. I'm not sure what I'll do if I don't have them yet when nearly out. Reordering can be sticky when the prescription has already been "filled".
Will anyone be keeping a body count for this fiasco?

I am so sorry. It makes my problems look small in comparison to yours. I do hope that you get your needed medications on time. You are the perfect example of why this is such a bad situation.

Ruth

 

[bilby]

View attachment 28954

That this is an overlay of two maps that are fundamentally measuring proxies for population density.

Which is a very popular trick on both sides of US politics to spread disinformation.

There may well be something nefarious going down; But this map isn't capable of demonstrating that that's happening. It's just indicating that both democrat voters and mail sorting are more concentrated in cities, and less concentrated in rural areas. Which should surprise nobody.

 

[Jarhyn]

View attachment 28954

That this is an overlay of two maps that are fundamentally measuring proxies for population density.

Which is a very popular trick on both sides of US politics to spread disinformation.

There may well be something nefarious going down; But this map isn't capable of demonstrating that that's happening. It's just indicating that both democrat voters and mail sorting are more concentrated in cities, and less concentrated in rural areas. Which should surprise nobody.

The difference is, using that proxy to target a reduction in capabilities would absolutely effectively swing an election. Something nefarious is already going on even if population density were the only thing they used to target a reduction.

It isn't disinformation. It's just straight up "information".

 

[bilby]

View attachment 28954

That this is an overlay of two maps that are fundamentally measuring proxies for population density.

Which is a very popular trick on both sides of US politics to spread disinformation.

There may well be something nefarious going down; But this map isn't capable of demonstrating that that's happening. It's just indicating that both democrat voters and mail sorting are more concentrated in cities, and less concentrated in rural areas. Which should surprise nobody.

The difference is, using that proxy to target a reduction in capabilities would absolutely effectively swing an election. Something nefarious is already going on even if population density were the only thing they used to target a reduction.

It isn't disinformation. It's just straight up "information".

But this map isn't capable of demonstrating that that's happening. So it's not "information".

If I say that gravity accelerates things on Earth's surface downwards at 9.8m.s^-2, and that this is proven by the "evidence" that the sun falls towards the horizon every evening, then my claim is true, but my evidence is bogus and irrelevant.

That's the case with this map. There's certainly something going on, but this map neither indicates what that is, nor why it's bad.

The "somebody" who overlaid the maps either didn't know what he was doing, or did know, but didn't care that it didn't support his point, as long as it could fool others into thinking that it did.

Bad arguments and bogus evidence are not necessary.

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[ZiprHead]

The difference is, using that proxy to target a reduction in capabilities would absolutely effectively swing an election. Something nefarious is already going on even if population density were the only thing they used to target a reduction.

It isn't disinformation. It's just straight up "information".

But this map isn't capable of demonstrating that that's happening. So it's not "information".

If I say that gravity accelerates things on Earth's surface downwards at 9.8m.s^-2, and that this is proven by the "evidence" that the sun falls towards the horizon every evening, then my claim is true, but my evidence is bogus and irrelevant.

That's the case with this map. There's certainly something going on, but this map neither indicates what that is, nor why it's bad.

The "somebody" who overlaid the maps either didn't know what he was doing, or did know, but didn't care that it didn't support his point, as long as it could fool others into thinking that it did.

Bad arguments and bogus evidence are not necessary.

What the map is demonstrating is that they are focusing on blue districts and not red.

 

[bilby]

The difference is, using that proxy to target a reduction in capabilities would absolutely effectively swing an election. Something nefarious is already going on even if population density were the only thing they used to target a reduction.

It isn't disinformation. It's just straight up "information".

But this map isn't capable of demonstrating that that's happening. So it's not "information".

If I say that gravity accelerates things on Earth's surface downwards at 9.8m.s^-2, and that this is proven by the "evidence" that the sun falls towards the horizon every evening, then my claim is true, but my evidence is bogus and irrelevant.

That's the case with this map. There's certainly something going on, but this map neither indicates what that is, nor why it's bad.

The "somebody" who overlaid the maps either didn't know what he was doing, or did know, but didn't care that it didn't support his point, as long as it could fool others into thinking that it did.

Bad arguments and bogus evidence are not necessary.

What the map is demonstrating is that they are focusing on blue districts and not red.

See, that's my entire point.

The map demonstrates nothing of the kind.

It simply indicates that sorting machines were located in places with lots of people, rather than in the middle of nowhere.

And (an unrelated fact) that places with lots of people tend to vote Democratic.

Its two crude population density maps. That they show significant correlation is inevitable and unavoidable.

 

[laughing dog]

I predict messing with the USPS will backfire big time on Trump and the GOP, especially in rural communities. The USPS was operating just fine in terms of deliveries until the Trump appointed Postmaster General decided to deliberately reduce operations. People who depends on the USPS for their medicine and important deliveries will suffer. In rural and small communities, postal workers are their neighbors - people will hold Trump responsible.

 

[lpetrich]

Oversight Committee on Twitter: " BREAKING
Chair @RepMaloney just called on @USPS PMG DeJoy to testify at an urgent Oversight Cmte hearing on Aug. 24 to examine his sweeping changes and their impact on mail-in voting. #SavetheUSPS
Read more here: (links)" / Twitter
then
Oversight Committee on Twitter: "The Aug. 24 hearing will follow a deadline of Aug. 21 for @USPS PMG DeJoy to produce docs in response to a 10-page letter sent on Friday by Chair @RepMaloney, @SpeakerPelosi, @SenSchumer & more.
Read Friday’s doc request: (link)" / Twitter
noting
Oversight Committee Calls Postmaster General to Testify at “Urgent” Hearing on Sweeping Operational and Organizational Changes | House Committee on Oversight and Reform

“Over the past several weeks, there have been startling new revelations about the scope and gravity of operational changes you are implementing at hundreds of postal facilities without consulting adequately with Congress, the Postal Regulatory Commission, or the Board of Governors,” Chairwoman Maloney wrote. “Your testimony is particularly urgent given the troubling influx of reports of widespread delays at postal facilities across the country—as well as President Trump’s explicit admission last week that he has been blocking critical coronavirus funding for the Postal Service in order to impair mail-in voting efforts for the upcoming elections in November.”

and
20200814_Letter_JointPelosiSchumerLofgrenKlobucharCBMPeterstoPMGreElectionPrep.pdf - signed by Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and four Congresspeople in committee leadership positions, including Carolyn Maloney herself

Where I learned of this:
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Rep. Ocasio-Cortez will return to D.C. next week to participate in this emergency hearing on the Postal Service." / Twitter
and
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "See you there. #SaveThePostOffice" / Twitter

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I predict messing with the USPS will backfire big time on Trump and the GOP, especially in rural communities. The USPS was operating just fine in terms of deliveries until the Trump appointed Postmaster General decided to deliberately reduce operations. People who depends on the USPS for their medicine and important deliveries will suffer. In rural and small communities, postal workers are their neighbors - people will hold Trump responsible.

The Democrats did it! Blame them!

[Citation needed]

 

[ideologyhunter]

The blogger who calls himself IQ? None! is all the damn citation I need. The destruction of the P.O. was planned at Comet Ping Pong Pizza to divert the nation from the Benghazi hearings and to provide cash for child abduction and cannibalism. IQ? None! could well be dead by now because there is a deep state (correction: Deeeeep State) plot to kill him. And the hitman is...wait for it...VINCE FOSTER. Not dead. One of Newt Gingrich's aides was ritually killed and put in that park with Foster's briefcase. Bennnnnghaaaaazzzzzi!!!

 

[ZiprHead]

[TWEET]<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maybe every working journalist should go out and interview postal workers in their community to figure out what's going on right now. Here's a conversation I just had with a postal service worker a few minutes ago in Columbus, Ohio: <a href="https://t.co/xPem2W0zg7">pic.twitter.com/xPem2W0zg7</a></p>— Mya Frazier?????? (@myafrazier) <a href="https://twitter.com/myafrazier/status/1294377318740299776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>[/TWEET]

 

[ZiprHead]

I heard today that not only are the sorting machine being taken out of service but they are being destroyed, millions of dollars worth of machinery.

DeJoy happens to have a significant investment in XPO Logistics. Part of what they do is create sorting and routing technology.

These two things couldn't have anything to do with each other, could they?

 

[ideologyhunter]

I just threw out my copy of DeJoy of Sex. It was all about rubbing your bald head in her most erogenous zones. Trust me, you don't need it.

 

[lpetrich]

David Brand on Twitter: "Donella Kandell, a veteran mail carrier, was shopping in Jamaica when she saw @AOC @GregMeeksNYC & @Tom_Suozzi speaking out against Trump @USPS cuts
“I love what I do, but we don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “We already feel the cuts.” https://t.co/QINETTD0US" / Twitter
noting
Ocasio-Cortez, Meeks slam Trump cuts to U.S. Postal Service — Queens Daily Eagle

On Monday, the House Oversight Committee will question Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who announced the suspension of structural changes to the USPS until after the November election while the press conference was taking place.

Ocasio-Cortez said DeJoy’s pledge was meaningless. “He has lost the trust of the American people,” she said. “We need to get him under oath, on a committee letting us know what will happen and we need to undo the damage that has already been done.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks:

“Rain, snow, hail, nothing stops the mail. But here, in this year 2020, you have a president of the United States with the assistance of his political cronies, they’re slowing down the process… across America,” Meeks said.

“We are not going to stand by like they did in the 1930s and let someone endanger our very democracy, our postal service and our mail.”

...
“You talk about mailboxes being removed. You talk about mailboxes being locked. You talk about postal distributors, machines, being taken away,” he said. “That is a continuing acceleration of the deterioration of the postal service as we get closer to the election cycle.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi:

Suozzi pointed out that overtime has been reduced over the past several weeks, causing delays in sorting and delivery.

“This is a fundamental break in our system of democracy,” he said.

 

[Alcoholic Actuary]

What the map is demonstrating is that they are focusing on blue districts and not red.

See, that's my entire point.

The map demonstrates nothing of the kind.

It simply indicates that sorting machines were located in places with lots of people, rather than in the middle of nowhere.

And (an unrelated fact) that places with lots of people tend to vote Democratic.

Its two crude population density maps. That they show significant correlation is inevitable and unavoidable.

But it would at least stand to reason that the sorting machines are more necessary in higher density population areas than in rural ones - yet they appear to be shutting down the machines that are needed the most. It isn't too hard to infer some kind of nefarious causation.

aa