A Congressionally Created Crisis

Congress - not the internet or the recession - has ruined postal finances to the brink of causing postal closures, service slowdowns and inconvenience to customers.

A 2006 law mandates that the US Postal Service transfer $5.5 billion annuallyinto the federal budget, supposedly to "pre-fund" retiree health benefits for the next 75 years. Nearly 10% of the postal budget annually goes to a fund for future retirees, some of whom haven't even been born.

The House has failed to even consider bills that would undo the law that has drained close to $22 billion and nearly bankrupted the Post Office.

In addition, the US Postal Service is not allowed to touch over $10 billion in pension overfunding without the ok from Congress. The House, again, has failed to act. 

A non-partisan journal, the Federal Times, editorialized: "The House's failure to act is disgraceful. Through their inaction, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Governmental Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., are demonstrating contempt for the Postal Service and a lack of respect for the law and for the obligation of their own institution."

We need to elect candidates who will support the USPS. Our next representatives can ask House leadership to schedule a vote to restore postal financial recovery and preserve service.

A Bunch of Hot Air

Out of literally several hundred calls to union members in this county and the county immediately south of us, how many people do you think volunteered to work a two hour shift at a phone bank for the labor friendly candidates in our local and state races? One. A retired 75 year old gentleman who is on his second bout of lung cancer.

How have we as a nation and as union members become so apathetic? It's astonishing that people will preach from their bully pulpits behind their computers, saying that President Obama is the most "ungodly and antichristian" president this country has ever seen. If their convictions, however strongly I disagree with them, is so strong, then why not do something more than spout off on Facebook about politics. And what does the President's faith have to do with his ability to lead our nation anyway?

I know that President Obama is not the perfect president. I know he isn't my savior or the savior of this nation. I feel strongly that he is, however, the best choice we have for president. I believe it strongly enough that I am spending my time, my energy, my money and my efforts to see that he and other labor friendly candidates are elected. Yes, I post political things on my Facebook page, yes, I have signs in my yard, yes, I wear buttons and tshirts. But I do a lot more. So do many other people I know. Yet by and large people tend to be apathetic about being active.

I don't want to hear another word about politics or the candidates from anyone who isn't willing to put their time, energy, money, or efforts into seeing their candidates elected. If someone isn't willing to act on their convictions, then they must not believe very strongly in their convictions, and their words are only so much hot air.