Here is how controlling the post office can steal the election

[HomerJS]

I don't share your attitude. Trump throws that shit out as a precursor to actually doing it. To imagine that it will be ignored completely, whatever the order might say, or that it won't be effective because it is unconstitutional is missing huge danger for further degrading our democracy.

He could have his Postmaster stooge shutdown the post office for the 10 days before the election. I don't think that would be unconstitutional but not sure about legality.

 

[Muse]

all i know is that i bought something on ebay three weeks ago, it was put in the mail thursday two and a half weeks ago, was supposed to be delivered monday two weeks ago, and tracking hasn't been updated from the "your shit is delayed and in transit to the next facility" entry from two weeks ago. i went to the post office last week and they said it's still in california. the post office hasn't been this late on other shit during coronatime so i'm blaming the new chucklefuck in charge.

I had a package sent to me from the east coast USPS around 3-4 months ago that was shown as delivered but to a tiny town I'd never heard of more than 200 mi. from me. Went through incredibly complicated and drawn out affair having the seller ship me a new package, and I never got that. Eventually, maybe 6-8 weeks later I was refunded. Always a good idea to have your purchases on a credit card. My experience is that they have your back if you don't receive what you paid for.

 

[iRONic]

If you are concerned about the election, then I suggest you man up and vote in person. And tell everyone else to do the same.

I'm concerned about the election.

Sure, I'll roll in to a haphazardly thrown together polling place manned by confused election volunteers. Will social distance protocols be in place? Enforced? Masks required? Enforced?

I'm 60 years old in a wheelchair due to my MS.

I'm also very concerned about NOT DYING FROM COVID-19.

 

[Jhhnn]

If you are concerned about the election, then I suggest you man up and vote in person. And tell everyone else to do the same.

Or take your mail in ballot to one of many drop off boxes provided for the purpose.

 

[interchange]

He could have his Postmaster stooge shutdown the post office for the 10 days before the election. I don't think that would be unconstitutional but not sure about legality.

It would still be unconstitutional being a clear intent to hamper the state's constitutional role in overseeing the election.

But the point is, it doesn't matter how flagrantly illegal something Trump does if the courts can't act quickly enough and Congress isn't willing to kick his ass to the curb.

 

[Lanyap]

We don't if the mail in votes caused this. This is an poinion piece not results of an investigation. There were plenty of primaries that were screwed up that had nothing to do with mail in ballots.

Why do Republicans constantly try to suppress the vote with bullshit claims that ultimately are proven false?

Oh this is why...

Here is a link I found in the article that @Jhhnn posted that explains some of the issues.

New York District Could Throw Out 1 in 5 Mail Ballots

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is being urged to stop the disenfranchisement, which may affect the outcomes of several races.

theintercept.com

Return mail that is postage-paid, like a ballot, is generally not postmarked — the mark is used to make sure a stamp isn’t re-used, but since there’s no stamp, the postal service doesn’t need to mark it — but postal service employees are instructed to postmark ballots so that they can comply with the state rules. Still, sometimes a clerk forgets, and sometimes an entire post office forgets for days. Something like that appears to have happened in Brooklyn.

In the 12th Congressional District, Manhattan voters requested 77,453 ballots and returned 47,365: a 61 percent rate of return. (Many of the ballots requested simply never arrived at people’s homes.)

Of those that were mailed in by Manhattan voters, 8,939 ballots were invalidated for a variety of reasons by the staff review. That represents a 19 percent rejection rate. The leading cause of invalidations appears to be a failure by the voter to have signed and dated the ballot, according to several campaigns who have been monitoring the process. Election officials can fix that problem next election by making it clear where it needs to be signed, but for this primary, there’s little that can be done.

 

[K1052]

Apparently one of the side effects of not taking care of the Postal Service is that GOP politicians are getting squirmy because their own constituents are getting pissed about mail delays. Rural citizens are especially reliant on the postal system and so very sensitive to things not working right. Not what you want if you think an even remotely close race is at hand.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...tal-service-undo-changes-are-slowing-n1236086

 

[ElFenix]

no tomfoolery here

https://twitter.com/x/status/1291917044351479809

 

[JEDIYoda]

We should have a barcode on the inside envelope that is scanned when outer envelope is opened. The voter copies the UPC number and checks online to verify ballot received.

On my home planet we vote via telepathy......

 

[pcgeek11]

Why is the US Postal Service Broke?

The stupidest law ever written and passed. And yes it was a Republican Controlled Congess at the time.

Postal Service losing money because of congressional mandate not low prices, expert says

According to James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, the postal ser...

news.nd.edu

But, according to James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, the postal service’s money troubles have little to do with low prices and much more to do with a stifling congressional mandate.


“The Trump administration is mistaken about its claim that the postal service is losing money ‘every time they hand out a package for Amazon and other Internet companies,’” O’Rourke said. “The current agreement with Amazon, and presumably other online merchants, is, at the very least, a break-even arrangement. The reason the postal service is losing money is because of a congressionally mandated retirement healthcare funding program that no other government agency is required to observe. This creates a $6.5 billion annual shortfall that could easily be avoided.”

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

Then there is the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA), which some have taken to calling "the most insane law" ever passed by Congress. The law requires the Postal Service, which receives no taxpayer subsidies, to prefund its retirees' health benefits up to the year 2056. This is a $5 billion per year cost; it is a requirement that no other entity, private or public, has to make. If that doesn't meet the definition of insanity, I don't know what does. Without this obligation, the Post Office actually turns a profit.

Congress needs to fix the Postal Service. Their biggest issue isn't Trump, it's Congress. Screw Fedex and UPS lobbiest and all.

 

[K1052]

I'm still confused as to what Republicans think the political payoff for breaking the postal service will be. It is the most popular thing the government's got even above NASA. I mean eventually people will notice.

 

[Jhhnn]

I'm still confused as to what Republicans think the political payoff for breaking the postal service will be. It is the most popular thing the government's got even above NASA. I mean eventually people will notice.

That's obvious. They're ideologically opposed to anything big govt. Privatize everything & let the investor class beat the cash out of it.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Voting should be online at this point, but you will always have people who do not engage the process no matter how convenient it is made.

 

[Jhhnn]

Voting should be online at this point, but you will always have people who do not engage the process no matter how convenient it is made.

That's duh-version, right?

 

[Starbuck1975]

That's duh-version, right?

For some

 

[cytg111]

It gets even better

'Friday Night Massacre' at US Postal Service as Postmaster General--a Major Trump Donor--Ousts Top Officials | Common Dreams

"America is in a dead sprint to authoritarianism. The man is pulling out all the stops to prevent the citizens of this country from holding a legitimate election in which he might face removal from office."

www.commondreams.org

 

[HomerJS]

I'm still confused as to what Republicans think the political payoff for breaking the postal service will be. It is the most popular thing the government's got even above NASA. I mean eventually people will notice.

To STEAL the election. They want to hamstring the USPS so ballots show up late and they are not counted.

He's already admitted in public the more people vote the less likely Republicans can win anything.

He's conditioned his people not to take the virus seriously so they will show up unmasked.

Mostly retired seniors work the polls. Their no show numbers are up because of the virus and it's causing long line especially in the more densely populated minority districts.

 

[K1052]

That's obvious. They're ideologically opposed to anything big govt. Privatize everything & let the investor class beat the cash out of it.

Yes, as an ideological consideration sure but nuking something so broadly popular is bad retail politics. People are noticing now and asking Rs questions about it when they're not doing so hot electorally.

 

[K1052]

To STEAL the election. They want to hamstring the USPS so ballots show up late and they are not counted.

He's already admitted in public the more people vote the less likely Republicans can win anything.

He's conditioned his people not to take the virus seriously so they will show up unmasked.

Mostly retired seniors work the polls. Their no show numbers are up because of the virus and it's causing long line especially in the more densely populated minority districts.

Telling people about the conspiracy however somewhat defeats the purpose. Every time he opens his yap about this there is an hours long news cycle about the situation at the postal service. It will just make people send in their ballots sooner or drop them at the boxes some states are using.

Similarly I'm voting on the very first day of early voting here in case some in person shenanigans happen.

 

[Jhhnn]

Yes, as an ideological consideration sure but nuking something so broadly popular is bad retail politics. People are noticing now and asking Rs questions about it when they're not doing so hot electorally.

If Trump wins, they win. If Trump loses, it's all his fault. The winners write the History & they're all in.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Why is the US Postal Service Broke?

The stupidest law ever written and passed. And yes it was a Republican Controlled Congess at the time.

Postal Service losing money because of congressional mandate not low prices, expert says

According to James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, the postal ser...

news.nd.edu

But, according to James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, the postal service’s money troubles have little to do with low prices and much more to do with a stifling congressional mandate.


“The Trump administration is mistaken about its claim that the postal service is losing money ‘every time they hand out a package for Amazon and other Internet companies,’” O’Rourke said. “The current agreement with Amazon, and presumably other online merchants, is, at the very least, a break-even arrangement. The reason the postal service is losing money is because of a congressionally mandated retirement healthcare funding program that no other government agency is required to observe. This creates a $6.5 billion annual shortfall that could easily be avoided.”

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

Then there is the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA), which some have taken to calling "the most insane law" ever passed by Congress. The law requires the Postal Service, which receives no taxpayer subsidies, to prefund its retirees' health benefits up to the year 2056. This is a $5 billion per year cost; it is a requirement that no other entity, private or public, has to make. If that doesn't meet the definition of insanity, I don't know what does. Without this obligation, the Post Office actually turns a profit.

Congress needs to fix the Postal Service. Their biggest issue isn't Trump, it's Congress. Screw Fedex and UPS lobbiest and all.

Yeah I agree the fact that the Postal Service is *I believe* the only institution or business on the planet that has to fully fund its retirement program to the extent that 80+% could retire at any moment is insane. No business ties up that much money just in case everyone decides to retire during the same year.

 

[K1052]

If Trump wins, they win. If Trump loses, it's all his fault. The winners write the History & they're all in.

They might try to say it's his fault but a lot of Rs will be out of power like 2018. There is also a non-trivial chance this strategy backfires on them as some of the smarter GOPs seem to be worried about.

 

[HomerJS]

More collateral damage from Trump. Seniors not getting their prescription drugs on time

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article242053106.html

 

[pmv]

Why is the US Postal Service Broke?

The stupidest law ever written and passed. And yes it was a Republican Controlled Congess at the time.

Postal Service losing money because of congressional mandate not low prices, expert says

According to James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, the postal ser...

news.nd.edu

But, according to James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, the postal service’s money troubles have little to do with low prices and much more to do with a stifling congressional mandate.


“The Trump administration is mistaken about its claim that the postal service is losing money ‘every time they hand out a package for Amazon and other Internet companies,’” O’Rourke said. “The current agreement with Amazon, and presumably other online merchants, is, at the very least, a break-even arrangement. The reason the postal service is losing money is because of a congressionally mandated retirement healthcare funding program that no other government agency is required to observe. This creates a $6.5 billion annual shortfall that could easily be avoided.”

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

Then there is the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA), which some have taken to calling "the most insane law" ever passed by Congress. The law requires the Postal Service, which receives no taxpayer subsidies, to prefund its retirees' health benefits up to the year 2056. This is a $5 billion per year cost; it is a requirement that no other entity, private or public, has to make. If that doesn't meet the definition of insanity, I don't know what does. Without this obligation, the Post Office actually turns a profit.

Congress needs to fix the Postal Service. Their biggest issue isn't Trump, it's Congress. Screw Fedex and UPS lobbiest and all.

So the issue is they are stuck with the costs of paying for health insurance for their retirees? Sounds like one of the many problems a state-funded comprehensive healthcare system would solve.

 

[HomerJS]

In another naked attempt to steal the election by depressing mail in ballots Trump trying to increase the cost of ballots to 55 cents. The normal bulk rate for these types of mailings is 20 cents.

Are Cost of Stamps for Mail-in Ballots a Poll Tax? | Law & Crime

It has been reported that Donald Trump’s Postmaster General has floated a proposal to increase the price of postage for mail-in ballots from 20 to 55 cents.

lawandcrime.com