So much this.  Manufactured crisis for an essential govermental agency. 

They were actually profitable before the Republicans voted in a rule that required them to fund retirement accounts for 75 years. That put them in the red real quick.

THIS. The requirement has vastly inflated the USPS deficit that’s listed in the post. Congress could fix that, but then, when was the last time Congress really fixed anything they fucked up to begin with.

It’s almost as if the GOP designed a system that only gets them elected and only works for them...

It’s a crime that this one and every other article that ever discusses USPS financials don’t immediately acknowledge this fact.

“Congress has to do it” is the Right’s favorite trick now. Vaccine mandates? Can’t be OSHA. Has to be Congress. Less awful postal vehicles? USPS can’t do that, it’s on Congress. Protecting minority voting rights? Courts are powerless. Go ask Congress.

It’s a bit more complicated than that. The Post Office runs at a profit. The on paper losses have to do with some weird ass funding requirements where they need to pre-fund the pensions of employees they haven’t even hired yet for 75 years in the future.

Oh, wow, only $78 million for a fighter jet no one wants which barely works? What a deal!

whoosh

It’s also worth noting that some of the USPS’ financial woes were inflicted by Republicans in Congress with the PAEA in 2006, which requires the USPS to prefund medical benefits 75 years into the future; something other companies are NOT required to do:

Not saying we shouldn’t buy the electric USPS trucks (we should!) but the $1.5 trillion cost for the F-35 is the total lifetime costs (until 2070!) of the entire program. An individual F-35 costs about $78 million.

It’s almost like reaping record profits isn’t the sole actual purpose of the Post Office or something.

Alternative title: Joe Manchin says gas guzzling mail trucks are here to stay.

“That drastic belt-tightening comes after the agency has reported a net loss of $100 billion since 2007,”

Wow, having daily door-to-door delivery to every single address in the United States only costs about $7 billion per year on average? That’s a great deal.   

“This is all a fun mob justice idea. But you know who isn’t on the no-fly list? Murderers. Rapists. Jan. 6 coup participants. Drunk drivers who killed people. Michael Flynn. Bernie Madoff (dead, I know). Deadbeat dads. The list goes on.”

You are dangerously, perhaps wilfully, incorrect.

Except it still sucks to get sick. Sure- the word is that Omicron is “Milder” but I know people who got it and were bedridden for a week. That sounds pretty shitty and can be easily avoided if people simply masked up.

Putting these people on a no-fly list wouldn’t be denying them transportation. They could still drive, take a bus, or take a train to distant destinations.

This would be fine if we had proof of vaccination to fly, but otherwise it’s one half of a solution. My opinion is that if your freedoms prevent you from receiving the vaccine, then you’re free to use your car and experience America’s many miles of beautiful roadways.

I remember when Steam was called a scam because Valve could go out of business along with your entire library of games.