Neither Rain Nor Snow.....The USPS and the 2020 Election

I'm sure we've all had stories of mail that we never got, packages that took forever to be delivered, bills that never arrived!

Things have taken a decided turn for the worse.
Since May, the USPS has gone into a tail spin, IMHO. Now, please, I am not saying that most USPS workers aren't doing their jobs.
But, since May, I have had one package sit in New Jersey for two weeks before it came to my home. Another package, clearly labeled live plants, sat in my closest major city for two weeks before it finally arrived at my door. Another package took 3 days to get to my zip code....and another 5 days to get from my zip code to me. And paperwork from my insurer mailed to my address, was then FORWARDED to my address and took two weeks to arrive in my box.

And this USPS is the method the U.S. government is going to use for those Americans who opt for mail in ballots. There have always been absentee ballots in the U.S.....at least in my memory. We've used it in the last couple of years...although we ALWAYS deliver the filled out envelops directly to our city.
But, for various reasons, including the current pandemic, states feel it is easier to do mail in to whoever who wants a mail in ballot...and even for some who would prefer to vote in person.

CBS News decided to run a little test. This story isn't even going to address all the fraud that could happen with mail in ballots, simply the issues of mail delivery...or NOT:
USPS Fails Mail-In Ballot Test

Out of the initial batch mailed a week earlier, 97 out of 100 votes had arrived. Three simulated persons, or 3% of voters, were effectively disenfranchised by mail by giving their ballots a week to arrive. In a close election, 3% could be pivotal.

Four days after mailing the second batch of mock ballots, 21% of the votes hadn’t arrived.

According to Postal Service recommendations, “voters should mail their return ballots at least one week prior to the due date.”

However, nearly half of all states still allow voters to request ballots less than a week before the election.

If you have to do mail in, and you actually receive your ballot in time....fill it out and return it early.
IF possible, return it in person to your City Clerk's Office.
Better yet, if possible, vote in person.

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Color me shocked!

Trump ally named next postmaster general
thehill.com...

Top Trump Donor Tapped As New Postmaster General www.huffpost.com...

Other than "sabotage" What else is there to say?

originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Color me shocked!

Trump ally named next postmaster general
thehill.com...

Top Trump Donor Tapped As New Postmaster General www.huffpost.com...

Other than "sabotage" What else is there to say?

I have a feeling that trump will use the mail in ballot gambit to disallow the voting results if he loses.

originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Color me shocked!

Trump ally named next postmaster general
thehill.com...

Top Trump Donor Tapped As New Postmaster General www.huffpost.com...

Other than "sabotage" What else is there to say?

LOL. Yeah.

Much like the people who have spent 20-30 years in congress blame Trump for the state of America.

The USPS is definitely Trumps fault because he appointed somebody a couple months ago.

a reply to: Ksihkehe

The USPS is definitely Trumps fault because he appointed somebody a couple months ago.

After he fired somebody.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Color me shocked!

Trump ally named next postmaster general
thehill.com...

Top Trump Donor Tapped As New Postmaster General www.huffpost.com...

Other than "sabotage" What else is there to say?

I have a feeling that trump will use the mail in ballot gambit to disallow the voting results if he loses.

If only the founding fathers had set up some kind of system to stop the executive branch from having too much power. Why the hell didn't they have the foresight to prevent that kind of thing from happening?

a reply to: Sookiechacha

The USPS has been dysfunctional for decades. They run multi-billion dollar deficits and can't compete with the rest of the market.

Decades.

How long has Trump been president again?

originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Color me shocked!

Trump ally named next postmaster general
thehill.com...

Top Trump Donor Tapped As New Postmaster General www.huffpost.com...

Other than "sabotage" What else is there to say?

The "sabotage" inside the USPS has been embedded for decades waiting and lurking for the opportunity to attack !!

❌🦇❌

originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: Ksihkehe

The USPS is definitely Trumps fault because he appointed somebody a couple months ago.

After he fired somebody.

Read your own sources, Pinocchio.

From your Huff post article...

Brennan, who in February 2015 became the first woman to lead the Postal Service, announced her retirement last year but has remained in the post until a replacement could be found. 

a reply to: olaru12
a reply to: Sookiechacha

I purposely did not put this in the Mud PIt, so please keep the mud out.
This story is about the shortcomings of the USPS in regards to mail voting, not about the POTUS.

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

Fine. I'll butt out of your thread. But, I don't see how you can separate the fact that POTUS has been using the USPS as a scapegoat for more than one of his pet peeves, not to mention this new found ability of the USPS to sabotage mail in voting, now that he has his deddicated donor installed.

Carry on...
I'm gone.


a reply to: Ksihkehe

Postmaster general who was target of Trump’s ire announces retirement www.washingtonpost.com... 1a5224_story.html

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe
The USPS has become a joke what use to take two-three days for priority mail now takes a good week at least.

a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

And one-day first class mail for short distances in now two days....at least.

With all the people shopping online due to the pandemic, you'd think they would use this golden opportunity to ramp up efficiency, and create new customers, but nope.

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
a reply to: olaru12
a reply to: Sookiechacha

I purposely did not put this in the Mud PIt, so please keep the mud out.
This story is about the shortcomings of the USPS in regards to mail voting, not about the POTUS.

I use USPS in a business application. If it gets shut down, what are the options.

a reply to: olaru12

I don't want it shutdown.
I want it to be efficient.

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

And one-day first class mail for short distances in now two days....at least.

With all the people shopping online due to the pandemic, you'd think they would use this golden opportunity to ramp up efficiency, and create new customers, but nope.

This began immediately before the big online push.What use to take a few days to clear a distrabution center now takes a week, who ever is running things has their head up their butts, case in point if I order something from Texas and I live in Kansas they send it clear up to Kansas city I live closer to the Oklahoma border If it comes from the West they send it to St. Lewis rather than Wichita which the largest city in Kansas and it is closer.

originally posted by: Sookiechacha
a reply to: Ksihkehe

The USPS is definitely Trumps fault because he appointed somebody a couple months ago.

After he fired somebody.

Judging by the performance, or lack thereof, of the USPS, it probably should have happened a long time ago.

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

And one-day first class mail for short distances in now two days....at least.

With all the people shopping online due to the pandemic, you'd think they would use this golden opportunity to ramp up efficiency, and create new customers, but nope.

This began immediately before the big online push.What use to take a few days to clear a distrabution center now takes a week, who ever is running things has their head up their butts, case in point if I order something from Texas and I live in Kansas they send it clear up to Kansas city I live closer to the Oklahoma border If it comes from the West they send it to St. Lewis rather than Wichita which the largest city in Kansas and it is closer.

I had a package sitting in the Detroit depot week before last that sat there for five days. I asked our local about it and she said they are still struggling with people out with Covid so it's taking several days to clear things.

That's fine, but it's not the first time and it's certainly not atypical performance from them.

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

And one-day first class mail for short distances in now two days....at least.

With all the people shopping online due to the pandemic, you'd think they would use this golden opportunity to ramp up efficiency, and create new customers, but nope.

This began immediately before the big online push.What use to take a few days to clear a distrabution center now takes a week, who ever is running things has their head up their butts, case in point if I order something from Texas and I live in Kansas they send it clear up to Kansas city I live closer to the Oklahoma border If it comes from the West they send it to St. Lewis rather than Wichita wich is closer.

My guess would be the cost of sorting centers is prohibitively expensive for an agency that doesn't make enough as is.

Amazon is convenient, but it's a burden on carriers.

When I was an Amazon seller they forced me to cover the difference between their shipping cost, which they reimbursed me for, and the cost I paid at the counter. Small to medium boxes had a massive difference, upwards to 40% different in some cases, that I ate the cost of.

Obviously Amazon has done quite well and the discounts aren't a make or break thing for them. They further capitalize on the low cost of shipping by offering Prime. When I pay for Prime I essentially am paying twice for a shipping discount. Once annually to Amazon and then again to cover USPS overhead.

I hear it said that Amazon helps keep the USPS afloat, but the USPS shouldn't be footing the bill through tax payers to give deep discounts to Bezos.