Summary

Donald Trump is considering privatizing the US Postal Service due to its financial losses, a move that could disrupt shipping and push hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of government.

Citing the USPS’s financial losses, Trump argued the agency should not rely on government subsidies.

While his specific privatization plans remain unclear, Trump previously clashed with the USPS during his first term, attempting to shift control of key functions like labor relations and rate-setting to the Treasury Department.

This move could significantly alter the structure and operations of the USPS if implemented.

  • PenguinMage@lemmy.world
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    25 days ago

    Every thing the gop has done to the usps had hurt it more… but everytime I hear “it doesn’t make money” well it did before the absolutely idiotic idea to make sure pensions were super funded forward. Ontop of that. Why the fuck does a government organization need to make money? I hate this whole “run a country like a business” bullshit so much. Money makes everything worse.

    • tb_@lemmy.world
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      24 days ago

      Same for public transit.

      A bit of compensation isn’t a crazy idea, but it doesn’t have to break even with the money it does bring in. It’s not like we have a ton of toll roads either, it’s not an issue to spend billions on another lane or two.

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
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      25 days ago

      USPS doesn’t lose a dime. It’s a service. It costs money to run.

      You know, like a government office does.

    • buttfarts@lemy.lol
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      23 days ago

      The GOP exists to oppose anything that serves the common good. They exist to transfer public wealth to private interests. That is their entire mandate

      • PenguinMage@lemmy.world
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        23 days ago

        Which is why they want to privatize everything… easier to grift from. I just find it hilarious that they take full power, fuck everything up, lose power and point to things saying “see it doesn’t work!” And their lapdogs just eat it up. Yes when you cripple something it will fail, and then you blame it or the dems and hey you get to do it again!

  • Th4tGuyII@fedia.io
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    25 days ago

    For fuck’s sake, it’s not meant to make money, it’s a public service - it’s literally in the name!

    I wish more countries governments would get their head out of their capitalistic arses and understand that the services they run aren’t meant to be profitable - that’s what taxes are meant to be for!

    • rumba@lemmy.zip
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      25 days ago

      You’re going to have to get with the times. Everything has to make money or it’s scrapped including us.

      • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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        25 days ago

        I’m no economist but at some point doesn’t that fall apart? If everything needs to be generating then aren’t we creating a vacuum at the bottom or whatever? Money has to come in and go out equally in the end, no?

        • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyz
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          25 days ago

          It does, and that’s manifested in increasing labour requirements, and consumer spending.

          The US solves it by using slaves and debt.

        • rumba@lemmy.zip
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          25 days ago

          The model has to change once you reach the vacuum state. Usually via violent implosion.

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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    25 days ago

    the conservative push to destroy this incredibly successful organization continues. its already been punished more than any other entity by requiring things no other business anywhere is required to.

    starve the beast. theyve forced it to make financial considerations that now put it in pretend financial trouble so they can point at it as a failure.

    if the USPS was allowed to run as any other business today it would be far more successful on paper than it already is, but conservatives just cant live with that.

    • lewdian69@lemmy.world
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      25 days ago

      Good thing the Democratic administration replaced DeJoy and passed some protections while they were in charge… oh. wait

        • electricyarn@lemmy.world
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          25 days ago

          There were empty seats on the board that would have tipped the balance, sitting vacant for the entirety of Biden’s term.

          • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyz
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            25 days ago

            Not to excuse Biden, because he has fucked up on multiple fronts, but aren’t those appointments dependent on Senate confirmations and thus sitting mostly empty under Obama, which let the Cheeto Bandito take over in the first place? And IDK if the Senate would have confirmed any Biden nominees. Wouldn’t have hurt to try though.

            • grue@lemmy.world
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              25 days ago

              Biden appointed, and the Senate confirmed, enough postal board members to get rid of DeJoy if Biden wanted.

              But DeJoy is still there, and it’s 1000% because Biden did not want to get rid of him.

  • Laurel Raven@lemmy.zip
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    25 days ago

    Oh, the financial losses that can be directly linked back to Louis DeJoy’s actions while in charge to actively sabotage the service, the same DeJoy that Trump appointed to sabotage the service?

    They murdered it so they could sell it off, don’t let them claim otherwise

      • teamevil@lemmy.world
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        24 days ago

        In 06 the Republican Congress decided USPS was too profitable and they imposed funding pensions out for 75 years.

      • Stern@lemmy.world
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        24 days ago

        USPS is obligated to deliver everywhere. Uncle Steve who lives out in the middle of buttfuck nowhere gets mail service just like Cousin Roger who lives in the middle of town. Shocking literally no one, having to deliver to multiple Uncle Steve’s costs way more money then it brings in.

        Then there’s inflation, and also just less folks sending mail as a general thing because e-mail is instantaneous and free.

        The pension funding requirement was the overwhelming majority of their losses, but that’s been resolved as of 2022.

        https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/06/politics/biden-postal-service-reform-law-signing/index.html

  • skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de
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    25 days ago

    doesn’t USPS have some special legal status? how are supposed to be things like court orders delivered if not by national mail carrier?

  • CitricBase@lemmy.world
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    25 days ago

    The postal service doesn’t lose money, it costs money.

    By this logic, the interstate highway system and the military both lose billions! Is Trump going to privatize them too?

    • MyPornViewingAccount@lemmy.world
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      25 days ago

      Thats not even a true statement.

      The postal service makes money, but any surpless is automatically taken by Congress.

      In the early 2000s the GOP passed a law requiring the postal service to upfront load the retirement funds of new employees, creating a massive debt burden.

      Also, Congress has removed their ability to modernize equipment and fleets, forcing them to continue repairing aged equipment.

      Not to mention, DeJoy, Trump’s installment during his first term, has done everything he can to dismantle any modernization because he wants the Post Office sold at rock bottom prices so he can buy it, get this, because he owns competing companies.

  • djsoren19@yiffit.net
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    25 days ago

    Wow, so wild that the agency you crippled with a nonsensical pension funding requirement is no longer running as efficiently as you demand! what a huge surprise, no one could have seen this coming!

    Super cool that the Democrats didn’t reverse that insane requirement btw.

    • TheRealKuni@lemmy.world
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      24 days ago

      Super cool that the Democrats didn’t reverse that insane requirement btw.

      The Democrats did reverse that insane requirement. In 2022.

  • Nougat@fedia.io
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    25 days ago

    Citing the USPS’s financial losses, Trump argued the agency should not rely on government subsidies.

    It already doesn’t. USPS is entirely internally funded. What a fucking idiot.

  • kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    25 days ago

    Its almost funny how cartoonishly evil the Republicans are. They literally are shutting down all public utilities, giving contracts to the rich, spending trillions in the name of “cutting spending”, kicking out random people, and im pretty sure a Republican has openly decared friendship to be his greatest enemy (because “woke” or smth). If this was a simulation the developers are getting extremely lazy with this plotline, the villans are literally just evil.

  • Hatshepsut@lemmy.world
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    25 days ago

    The Postal Service is in the United States Constitution, Article I:

    Section. 8.

    The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

    Clause 7:

    To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

    US Constitution text / archive.gov

  • yesman@lemmy.world
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    25 days ago

    I’m not an accelerationist, but what’s left to do now except bathe in the worm glow of our country burning down?

    There is no arguing that America doesn’t deserve all the bad things, and maybe a good old fashioned conflagration would straighten the survivors out for a generation or two.

    • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
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      25 days ago

      Because a lot of mostly innocent people get hurt the most when it all collapses around us, and most likely you’ll also be hit by the effects of the collapse. It’s why it’s so important we work to fix the broken things and change what is wrong, and to be there for other people when things do break down rather than just wipe our hands and let the whole thing fall uncontrolled and unprepared.

    • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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      25 days ago

      I’m not an accelerationist, but what’s left to do now except bathe in the worm glow of our country burning down?

      Well it’s certainly not enough to just luxuriate in the chaos. Every time Trump makes things worse it’s our job to point it out and explain why he’s doing it. People won’t radicalize on their own! They’ll just blame immigrants and woke and DEI etc etc.

      • yesman@lemmy.world
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        25 days ago

        Do you hear yourself? You want revolution through explaining?

        Trump supporters are not confused progressives. Trump is what America wants, He’s what America is. He’s what America deserves. Trump is more American than bullets and ground beef. He hasn’t overthrown the founders, he’s fulfilled their vision. We’re not going to change that by scolding people on the internet.

        I understand, I used to think just like you. I used to be a patriot. I’ve voted for every Democrat presidential nominee from Gore to Harris. But these days I’m writing to the State to take my name off those goddam rolls. I suppose you’ll take a dim view of that, but no bullshit about civic duty, democracy, or engagement could ever compare to the tangible material benefit of avoiding jury duty.

        I don’t wanna save America anymore. In fact I think her decline is funny and I’m tired of pretending it’s not.

        • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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          25 days ago

          Who gives a shit about Trump supporters? The vast majority didn’t vote for Trump if you count non-voters.

          Also don’t dare call me a patriot. Death to America!

          No arguments that the internet is a worthless place to educate people, though. This is just for fun.

  • toast@retrolemmy.com
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    25 days ago

    Given the country’s current mood, is it really wise for the oligarchs to threaten the livelihoods of the very group that gave us the expression going postal?

  • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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    25 days ago

    Meh. The usps delivers mostly junk mail. Occasionally they deliver a bill. The packages they deliver could be covered by others. There will be gaps in rural areas of course. But those are the people who steadfastly vote for smaller government. So they most be okay with it. I say, let it go. Junk mail will cease because a private business would have to charge to much. Bills and such would go electronic… like the denial letter from anthem that they rufused to tell me the contents of. That all sounds good to me.