Hello Mike. My name is Robert Lopez. I am a relatively new listener having started listening to your show when you started the current podcast. I first came across your show when I followed Big O and Dukes when they left Phoenix, AZ where I live. Although it wasn’t until you left CBS that I started listening to you I do wish I came onboard earlier so I could have listed to your radio show.
I enjoy your show everyday at work. I am a postal worker on the night shift and listening to your podcast helps to get me through the night. I can’t tell you how many times I have almost busted a gut listening to the show while my coworkers look on wondering if I am about to go “postal”.
I am actually writing you in response to a recent show in which you discussed the current state of the Postal Service. As a Postal Worker I was a little taken aback at your stance as far as the Postal Services future goes. Mike although I respect your opinion I felt compelled to respond. As you well know the media is notorious at being extremely one-sided and not reporting the full story. What they are not reporting is that the largest part of the financial hardship the USPS is going through is due to the $5.5 billion payment to prefund our future retirees each year. This came about in 2006 when congress passed the postal accountability and enhancement act. Since then the Postal Service has overpaid billions of dollars ito the retiement fund. What other business is saddled with this kind of financial responsibility? Were it not for this $5.5 billion payment each year the Postal Service would actually be a profitable business. By the way all of that money is now gone because congress has spent all of it. H.R. bill 1351 would basically stop these payments so that the Postal Service would be able to fullfil its financial obligations. This is no way a government bailout as the Postal Service does not rely on public tax monies. It is a self relying quasi-government agency which solely relies on the sale of postage to function.
To layoff over a hundred thousand people and lower employee wages to near minimum wage at this time would be catastrophic to this country’s already reeling economy.
Mike the Postal Service delivers everywhere, although in rural areas it is to a P.O. box. If some in congress have it their way that will go away. We deliver social security checks, medicine, free matter for the blind, provide free mail service for the military, provide 6 day mail service, is cheaper and more efficient than any other postal service in the world. We will deliver a letter from Juneau Alaska to Miami Florida for 44cents. Most of the time in 3 days. You would not believe how many greeting cards still go through the service during the holidays. Not everyone uses e-mail.
In short Mike were the Postal Service to go away it would negatively affect this country and could hit hundreds of thousands of people by taking their livelyhood away.
Mike I love your show and hope you continue to bring the funny. Thank you four your time