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I'm more than skeptical, still. DeJoy would prefer to scale down operations and privatize as much of mail delivery as possible, as well as raise rates for regu
by kelnos 2y ago
I'm more than skeptical, still. DeJoy would prefer to scale down operations and privatize as much of mail delivery as possible, as well as raise rates for regular mailpieces in (what I consider) a misguided effort to make the USPS more self-sustainable financially. I fundamentally disagree with his basic stance here: the post is a public service, and should not be run like a business. Certainly we should eliminate waste and inefficiency where possible (something most governments could stand to do in many areas), but not at the expense of service, and not by making mail costs more expensive for average people. (Jacking up rates on bulk mail is something I can get behind, though.)
I see his capitulation around EVs and in other areas not as a change of heart, or as a realization of what's actually the right thing, but as resignation (the lawsuits must have been exhausting) and self-preservation. While POTUS can't fire the postmaster general, the board of governors can, and if/when Democrats have a majority on the board, he could be voted out of a job if he's not playing ball. I very much expect that the next time a Republican is in the White House, if he's still in the position, he'll act much like he did when appointed, since he can assume he's relatively safe if board of governors seats open up.
Ultimately, though, it does seem that the USPS is moving in (IMO) the right direction for now, and DeJoy does deserve some credit for that, even if this isn't what he envisioned originally.
- MetaWhirledPeas 2y agoI agree. Considering the old fleet had a measly 150 mile range I would expect the vast majority to be replaced by EVs, not a begrudging 50%. "Rave reviews" was not the bar. Just having AC will get rave reviews from a postal worker. Do we care about electrification or not? Because it really seems like we don't. A huge opportunity wasted by an EV hater, is what it sounds like to me. And to people suggesting it would be difficult: of course it would! You know what else is difficult? Designing a never-before-seen ICE truck. It's all difficult!
- xracy 2y agoI wish we had a metric of "acceptable government waste, because we're providing a public service." When we provide public services the goal needs to be that we provide them to everyone within a reasonable cost-basis. Too many gov't programs are the subject of budget cuts because people cry out "Waste!" when in reality the amount you save by addressing that waste undercuts the impact of the program. There are so many basic programs where we cut people off because of "WASTE!", and we'd be better served trying to offer broad services at a base-level, and addressing individual needs more targeted. Feels like a Mountain vs. Valley approach. Gov't programs should be Mountains that we build up with a wide-base to cover the wide needs and that we can address smaller needs with more targeted approaches. Rather than the valley approach of wide need, and we cut support based on where we think we see waste.
- andrewflnr 2y agoRobustness looks like waste if you're obsessed with efficiency over all else.