Kucinich: Postal Service Privatization Plan Will Hurt Business, Workers and the Economy
Today’s Announcement will Drive Customers to Private Competitors
Washington, Dec 5 – Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), a long-time proponent of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and senior member of the Congressional committee that oversees the agency, today released the following statement after plans were announced to significantly degrade service and drive customers to private competitors.
“This privatization plan is bad for Americans, bad for businesses, bad for the economy and bad for workers. We can do better than to dismantle the Postal Service and privatize its operations,” said Kucinich.
The plan from Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe would make extreme cuts including the elimination of over 100,000 jobs, lengthening the delivery time for periodicals up to 9 days, and closing thousands of neighborhood post offices.
“These draconian cuts were proposed under the false pretense that the Postal Service is headed towards bankruptcy. We could easily protect the Postal Service if Congress would address the agency’s overpayment into its Retiree Health Benefits program, and allow the USPS to generate revenue in other ways that take advantage of their existing infrastructure and dedicated workers.”
Under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006, the USPS is required to prepay retirement benefits for future employees, a requirement that no other government agency has. This will cost the USPS $5.5 billion this year.
“The Postal Service employs the greatest number of veterans outside of the Department of Defense. It provides a living wage and decent benefits for the middle-class. It is a service to be protected, not a resource to be exploited for private profits. As a Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has jurisdiction of the Post Office, I will fight this proposal,” said Kucinich.
god bless u and god bless america way to go kucinich hooyahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bravo Congressman!
Another issue is the top 25% of the Postal Service gets regular bonus’s and they keep people on the payroll with exorbident wages who push paper! Cut your aides and secretaries Mr. Donohue! Refuse your bonus…etc. If management at that level wants to keep thier jobs, quit asking your workers to do without when you make little of your own! We don’t need someone telling us to be careful everyday in an email….we suffer the consequences, not the six figure pencil pusher!