A former official of the Postal Regulatory Commission criticizes the Trump administration’s demand that the U.S.P.S. raise its rates. Ruth Y. Goldway was a member of the Postal Regulatory Commission, and served as its chairman from 2009-2014. She was first appointed by President Bill Clinton in April 1998, and reappointed in 2002 and 2008 by President George W. Bush to serve until 2014. She was selected as chairman by President Barack Obama on August 6, 2009
To the Editor:
I served on the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission, the agency that regulates the United States Postal Service, from 1998 to 2015, including five years as chairwoman.
The Postal Service is a remarkable government success story. It has supported and/or survived dozens of technical revolutions, has been the steppingstone for millions to move up into decent middle-class jobs, has had virtually no graft or corruption, and has maintained and expanded service to every corner of the country. Moreover, it has contributed billions to the assets of the country in the form of properties and fully funded pensions.
Conservatives have long been critical of the Postal Service and sought to limit its abilities to operate. They have consistently worked to give private delivery services such as U.P.S. and FedEx more leverage. And they have even more adamantly fought against the power of the strong, unionized work force of the Postal Service.
The policies of the current Republican administration are not new, just more heavy-handed and less concerned with its constituents in rural America who love and rely on the Postal Service.
Now, rather than help the Postal Service so that it can continue to offer vote by mail and census counts, and deliver necessities of medicines and goods to people who can’t get out, the Trump administration wants to strangle its package operations by imposing price increases that will be uncompetitive, leading to reduced services for the very people who need it most, and giving unfair advantages to private companies that support it.
The reform that the Postal Service needs is capital to build a new fleet of electric vehicles and upgrade post offices, plus legislative support so that it can provide low-cost banking and improvements to vote by mail systems.
There is no way to take politics out of this debate. It is one of the important issues we will have to consider when we vote in November.
Ruth Y. Goldway
Venice, Calif.
I love on how the Mr. Idiot supporters believe any criticism of their Mr. wonderful is ” Fake News”. I suppose when their pal said to the American public ” Inject bleach and Lysol to clean out your lungs” that is “Fake News”. His supporters sound like parrots. Time they make up their own words.
No one cares about the Post Office.
If your a Trump fan you hate us.
If your not you probably hate us.
Management hates us.
Hard to really care any more.
new york times goldway a clinton appointee lets you know this is another purely political hack job designed to undermine potus shes fake news
Our “great leader has seen coal, oil, finance co’s. and his supporters have received cash hand outs,he even wants to give the Danish island of Greenland $12.1 million, but he wants the Postal service to go under. the tax payer has, so far, given $970,000 to the Trump hotels to pay hotel bills for Secret Service agents protecting our pal while staying at his over priced hotels. The Secret Service signed a contract to pay $1790,000 to lease golf carts for use at a trump golf course in N.J.. Much tax dollars wasted on our leader, nothing for a Federal agency. Why is it that the Postal Service must prepay their health care costs, while no one else in the world must? Why isn’t the Trump Corp. required to pre fund health care costs? The Postal employees that support our “great” leader will love having their retirement, health care, and labor contract cut! The Ratpublicans have bills to allow employees to be fired at will. S. 3348 and H.R.1898 . The bills would force the O.P.M. to hear the removal hearings in 30 days. If the hearing doesn’t happen in 30 days, the removal takes affect. There are over 2,500 cases now to be heard. Our pal wants to end the union contracts with the four unions so any employment problems would go to O.P.M. Be careful of what you ask for, you may get what you want!