Postal Closures All Political

On March 7, 2012, Ed O’ Keefe of the Washington Post reported a blog titled The Postal Serviceto Suspend Closures During the Election Season.  Ed O’ Keefe writes a blog covering new from across the federal government.  His blogs are supposed to go behind the scenes to report on the personality, turf wars, traditions, triumphs, failures, etc. across the government.  The blog gives a broad overview of one situation with the post office.  It does not give detailed insight. 

                They fail to mention some of the real reasons why the Post Office is closing so many facilities.  The Post Office generates all of its own revenue, (the same as a privatized company) yet it is still controlled and scrutinize by Congress.  Closing down the selected facilities will reduce jobs by 120,000.  Since congress is directly related to the post office, they do not want postal facilities to close because a lost job may be one less vote.  If the facilities remain open the officials may be voted in for another term.  While Congress is obtaining their votes, the post office will continue to lose billions every quarter, because of the mismanagement and politicians who stand to gain something from the Post Office.  This article fails to mention the pre-fund into retirement that only the Post Office is obligated to pay.  The $75 billion that Congress has received in an overpayment and refuses to refund back to the Post Office would be a big help in coming out of the red for the lost every quarter.   The article mentions closing of facilities in rural areas.  Some of the facilities on the list for closing are not in rural areas.  An example would be the main distribution plant in New Orleans, LA. 

                The article is informative in that the Post Office will not be closing any facilities in the next few months but it lacks essential information that is needed when Ed O’ Keefe is supposedly reporting the behind the scenes things going on in our government.  What will happen when the elections are over?  Congress is not worried about the American people who look forward to their checks or medicine in the mail every month.  Seems to me they are concerned more with winning the elections than the American people.