Save the Postal Service...and the Promise of America
We here at the DCG World Wide HQ love our Post Office. The convenience and price, as well as the stable service, has made the PO our go to for shipping games and swag all over this great country. There has been a lot of “not good” news and controversy as the Postal Service has been making some drastic changes leading up to this national election in November. The guy at the top, a political appointee, has ordered the removal of sorting machines in some of the largest cities; removal of those blue mailboxes in certain neighborhoods; initiated the blocking of overtime hours for postal workers; and, tried to change hours of operations for local PO locations. All of this…during a PANDEMIC, right before the election to see if the person that appointed him will stay in power another four years. Huh?
In Washington State, we’ve been voting completely by mail for a few cycles now. Millions of votes cast, millions of votes counted. None of the mass fraud has ever been found, as mail in voting, claimed by a few can elicit. Several states do the same. Again, no mass fraud. The most important part of our democracy is the ability to participate in it, plain and simple.
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent.
-Abraham Lincoln
Without the ability to submit a ballot by mail we are, likely, committing people to decide between life & death, and voting. Why would we force, say an elderly person, or a single parent, to poll in person, especially when polling places, in some areas lack poll workers, have closed, have “monitors” to intimidate and are only open for limited hours, unless it is to make it more difficult for people to vote.
As we think about the Postal Service, here are some interesting facts you may not know about how our mail goes from point A to point B, pretty damn seamlessly:
The U.S. postal system was established by the Second Continental Congress, who also made Benjamin Franklin its first postmaster general.
The Federal Government has 200+ laws designed to protect our mail. This makes the USPS one of the most secure government services around.
The USPS has their own “police department”, the United States Postal Inspection Service, charged with protecting the mail and investigating issues.
Those blue neighborhood mailboxes weren’t always blue. They came in many colors, until the standard of blue was established in 1971.
The Postal Service is legally obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of where they are, and at the quality and a uniform price.
The USPS sorts and delivers about 47% of the world’s mail. That’s a lot of envelope licking!
There are about a quarter of a million postal vehicles, making it one of the largest civilian fleets in the world.
The USPS employs about 600,00 people.
The Postal Service is designated as a vital public service and part of this nation’s critical infrastructure.
The Post Office Department was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. His annual salary was $1,000. Before 1971, the PMG was a Cabinet member.
The Postal Service receives NO TAX DOLLARS for operating expenses, instead relying on the sale of postage, products and services.
472.1 million! That’s the number of mail pieces the USPS processes and delivers each day.
The Postal Accountability & Enhancement Act of 2006 required USPS to create a $72 billion fund to pay for the cost of its post retirement health care…75 years into the future! No other federal agency or private corporation has such a burden. Without this burden, the service would have posted a profit 2013-2019.
We like UPS and FedEx, but there is no way they can do what the Postal Service does. And, if we lose the Postal Service to privatization, it loses the ability to be part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Super remote zip codes that are not profitable could be dropped. The first class rate could skyrocket making it too costly for medications to be shipped via this service and mail could slow even further.
Vote early, double check your ballot, don’t forget to sign it. Make sure the elections office received it. Help your family and friends get their ballots in.
THE PROMISE OF AMERICA IS THAT EVERY PERSON HAS A VOICE TO DECIDE WHAT AMERICA MEANS.
We should be making it easier to use that voice instead of resisting it.
Thank a nurse! Wash your hands! Wear a mask! Stay safe…and, as always, play more games…