Trump sabotaging the postal service to stop voting by mail is having alarming consequences

[EleanorR]

Paging The Lincoln Project and members of congress.

Link to tweet

Neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region are experiencing significant delays in receiving their mail, with some residents going upwards of three weeks without packages and letters, leaving them without medication, paychecks, and bills.

The delays come at a time when the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing significant changes. The new Postmaster General’s policies eliminate overtime, order carriers to leave mail behind to speed up their workdays, and slash office hours, which — coupled with staffing shortages amid previous budget cuts and coronavirus absences — are causing extensive delivery delays.

[rainy]

1. How does he get way with this and why

do we just sit back and take it?

[BamaRefugee]

6. Why do we keep calling him STUPID? apparently he can think rings around anything us "SMART" people

come up with to fight him.
I've hated his guts since the 70s when I lived in Manhattan, don't get me wrong, but I haven't seen any Democrat outsmart him on ANYTHING yet.

And even if Biden wins, he is going to have all of November, December and a chunk of January to go absolutely out of control, while still IN control.

[Mike 03]

7. This is devious, no doubt.

But I wonder how many of his "smart" ideas actually come from people like Stephen Miller, Barr and other advisors.

I'm reading a book called The Cult of Trump that makes a good case Trump has, intentionally or accidentally, mastered techniques of persuasion and also techniques like Neuro Linguistic Programming, so he does have a vile skill set that makes him dangerous.

[BamaRefugee]

11. He's had no problem coming up with his own ideas before he got to the White House.

Like demanding the execution of the Central Park 5 AFTER they were EXONERATED.

[erronis]

22. He's been in cahoots with billionaire Americans and foreign dictators before the election.

Most of his real-estate is based on foreign bribes / russian oligarch loans.

[DSandra]

16. This is why it's DANGEROUS to just think of him as a stupid idiot

Trump may be incredibly dumb on many things, but intelligence is a complicated thing, as one can be a genius on some things and dumb on others (just think of the Sheldon character from The Big Bang, or in real life, Ben Carson)

In addition, Trump maybe also be getting help from genius strategists and/or the Russians of course.

[Peregrine Took]

52. Cunning is the word that aptly describes our national nightmare behemoth.. n/t

[Delmette2.0]

55. His advisors have had their wish list ready since August 2016.

Steve Bannon is still working with him, Stephen Miller is whispering daily, Bill Barr is researching in advance and twisting the law (or his conscience) to conform.
Jared has his own set of advisors funneling ideas.

This is just my opinion not other sources.

[uponit7771]

24. "Trump is effectively steeling the election, we'll wait till the election to hear America's voice"

... is why.

That logic is horrible.

Do the impeachments , EVERY FREAKIN TIME !!! , along with the procedures to get court rulings QUICKLY

[ecstatic]

58. +1000. nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

40. In a pandemic, the ease of voting by mail should be a #1 priority

And the Post Office should be given MORE (along with Trump and his buddies) to deal with it. Not less.

That seems to me just common sense. Even IF cutting service and workers was some kind of logical goal in order to save the taxpayer money, at least wait until the election is over. Its so blatantly voter suppression.

In any other democratic country they would never get away with this transparent subversion. Conservative parties in other countries would be too embarrassed and ridiculed and demonized by the pubic and press to even attempt it. The problem with America seems to be that its so divided, and its win at all costs for Republican voters to the point where they now don't even care if their own party suppresses the vote, cheats, even commits fraud, as long as "their" party wins.

[C_U_L8R]

2. Every polling station should have a secure drop-off box.

Municipalities need to protect their citizens’ vote from Trump’s corruption. By any means necessary.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Our county installed secure drop-off boxes at every City Hall in the county....

years ago. I've used it to mail my ballot in the past, and was able to track it online: "Received", then "Authenticated"

[sanatanadharma]

17. Totally! Secure lock boxes like US PO boxes (collection) along curbs

When living in Oregon for a couple of recent decades, I always brought my ballot to the secure lock box (like US PO boxes) at the nearby county election headquarters.

Such boxes can be secured (lights, cameras) in place in locations at (near) polling sites. They could be numerous (post offices, police stations, libraries, town halls, etc); opened and collected by election officials and brought to election headquarters.

Just like the PO would. Leave the mail system to the rural. In city and town and suburb voting is a walk or ride to the collection box; much easier than lines and time. Provide drive-up polling-place drop-off boxes for the diehards who want to be out on election day.

[47of74]

46. And have cameras and armed guards nearby in case any Republicans try to fuck with the drop boxes

[greblach]

21. I always use the Drop Box at City Hall....

I want to make sure my vote is tabulated by Election Day, so I always use the drop box at City Hall...

[Cha]

25. I found out where mine is on Thursday.. and I got to Vote

in Person at the Kauai Voters Service Center.. after I had my temperature taken!

[Evolve Dammit]

44. Indeed. Also Congress needs to expose this in hearings. Hopefully some USPS vets are documenting.

[Mme. Defarge]

3. Just wait until people's bills

and bill payments are delayed and all of those credit ratings tank.

[soothsayer]

5. Yep he's going to hurt businesses and they won't be amused

[Mike 03]

8. You'd think angry corporations might be the one thing that could get Trump to alter this

USPS policy. After all, many of them donated to his campaign.

[shanti]

12. It's already happening

I have 3 ebay purchases that have been sitting for 2 weeks, with no known ETA. Ebay is a heavy user of the USPS, so this is undoubtedly hurting them. I'm in CA.

[kimbutgar]

39. Same thing happened to me

I brought a sweat shirt that said it would be delivered in a week. A month pasted and I finally got the short. I’m get the informed delivery and it said I was going to receive the package but it never showed up. I contacted the company they had notification it shipped.


I think businesses need to start complaining it is wrecking their business and will hurt the economy even more. Especially now with the pandemic certain things you can only buy online.

[Rebl2]

49. You are

right it will hurt businesses. Business owners who are receiving a lot of complaints about orders being delayed need to contact the Congress people in their area. They need to say trumps new postmaster idea of slowing down the mail is hurting their business and economy.

[IronLionZion]

72. Already happened

people have received bills so late they were already past due and incurred late fines.

[lastlib]

78. I think this is already happening.

The past two months, I've been dinged with late payment charges on my phone bill, even though I mailed them a WEEK before they were due. The first check didn't clear the bank for nearly three weeks. Still waiting to see what happens with the second. I'm getting seriously p*ssed off at the Orange Shitgibbon (above and beyond what I was before this).

[mr_lebowski]

4. Let me guess ... this is mostly happening in Democratic precincts? (nt)

[Mike 03]

9. I want the answer to this too. I live in a very red district and haven't

noticed anything even close to what is described in the article.

It's really evil, especially in the midst of a pandemic when some people are literally surviving by the Postal Service.

[tinrobot]

23. Possibly, but Democrats can mail their ballots from a GOP precinct.

There's no rule against which mailboxes you can use.

[mr_lebowski]

34. Theoretically true, but a PITA in most cases, not do-able in some cases ...

AND TOTALLY FUCKED UP if true, which is the more important point

[tinrobot]

41. What part of this election is not a PITA?

Voting should be easy, the GOP has made sure that it is not.

Yes, it is fucked up. Vote them out so we can un-fuck it.

[IronLionZion]

73. Many of the reported problems are in cities

so yes, Democratic precincts

[TheBlackAdder]

10. It would behoove Postal Workers to prioritize mail-in ballots, as this might cost them their jobs.

.

Sooner or later, the GOP is coming for the USPS. And it probably would happen during a Trump second term.

.

[genxlib]

13. Oh Great

We get the fascists that can't make the trains run on time.

[IcyPeas]

14. I'm awaiting a small delivery from the P.O. and on the tracking

page where it gets scanned at every destination it says this:

Due to operating conditions, your package may be delayed. / Delivery will be rescheduled.

[Walleye]

18. Another crime against humanity!

Many people get their necessary medicine through the mail.

[Leghorn21]

33. Exactly, Wall - more suffering and possibly death when people don't get their meds

It’s beyond comprehension what these bastards are doing to our fine country and her people - BEYOND

[cayugafalls]

19. This is another criminal act by a criminal president.

There should be additional funding for the USPS right now to help SPEED delivery of medication, PPE, and all other mail due to the pandemic.

Instead he slows it down, just like testing. When will the rethugs get off their asses and do something.

Fucking criminals, excuse my language.

[xxqqqzme]

20. If you think 3rd quarter

numbers were bad......just wait. Covid-19 has increased demand of USPS. I know I'm using the USPS more. This will be a serious blow to king con's precious greatest economy in the history of the country.

Who knew you could destroy a service older than the country for a mere $2 million. Sorry Ben.

[Kaleva]

26. Mail delivery is normal where i live.

[ProfessorGAC]

54. Same Here!

But, I had someone from local SocSec office say their mailings are taking a week to deliver.
Their office is 10 blocks from the main post office in a city of 160,000 and I live 21 miles away.
That's tough to square since we're getting mail everyday with postmarks a day or 2 old.

[Kaleva]

60. I live in Upper Michigan & and i haven't heard anyone local complain about mail

I wouldn't have known anything about this supposed slowdown if I had not read it here on DU.

[ProfessorGAC]

65. That SocSec Call...

...was the first I've heard personally.
I'm not sure I believe it. They may be setting up folks, and if it shows up sooner, well everybody's happy.

[Hip2bSquare]

27. This will backfire

Like all the ideas from the complete ignoramus, this will also backfire. The so called brilliant idea from kushner, let the blue states suffer from covid, not thinking that it would eventually hit the red states and much worse, why because of them following the ignoramus. This will backfire too, like the men's wearhouse slogan, I guarantee it. This will hit the red districts as well, and they won't have a plan.

We blues KNOW this is coming... it's been coming. Voter suppression on steroids. Walk, bike, carpool, roller skates, or by carrier pigeon are votes are getting counted!!

[Jimvanhise]

28. Where is the union?

One of the reasons Republicans hate the post office is because the PO and the teachers union are the only two large unions left, and they tend to support Democratic candidates. So why is the union not challenging the illegal actions of the Postmaster General? By trying to undercut the post office the PG is threatening the livelihood of tens of thousands of workers.

[Evolve Dammit]

42. Really good question. They should do a press release/ interviews, etc. This is deadly serious.

[mr_lebowski]

50. THIS! Well said ... nt

[bucolic_frolic]

29. I don't doubt this, I mailed a package Saturday

it's not been scanned into the system yet.

[dalton99a]

30. Why are there no Congressional hearings?

Trump and his gang are destroying an essential government service for millions

[OMGWTF]

48. They're on vacation. Again.

[CottonBear]

31. I'm in a blue place in a red state. Recently I only get mail about twice a week

I used to get some sort of mail 4-6 days per week.

[Tommymac]

32. I believe that the majority of USPS workers are Veterans...

It's now their time to shine.

Exec's can say anything...it's up to the boots on the ground to say fuck the brass...let's GET IT DONE!

HooYAAA!

[moondust]

35. $$$$$$$$$$$$

New guy DeJoy running it has no prior USPS experience. Since January he's donated $360,000 to Trump's re-election campaign and $70,000 to the RNC. He has investments in USPS contractors and competitors such as UPS and trucking company J.B. Hunt.

I had a USPS package delivered recently that looks like it sat in my local post office for about 20 days before being delivered.

It's not just the danger to mail-in ballots. Toady DeJoy may be assuming that if he slows down delivery of regular mail then more people will pay more for faster delivery and that will mean more revenues. Or they'll just send it UPS, J.B. Hunt, FedEx, etc. and that will boost business profits and perhaps his own investments.

[patphil]

36. This will hurt rural America as much or more than the cities.

It will hurt red and blue states alike. It's going to create a huge backlash with elderly voters, shut-in's...all sorts of people who rely on the USPS to deliver needed mail and packages.
Much of this can't be picked up by UPS or FedEx; certainly not at the cost the postal service charges.
I think this will blow up in the President's face, and it could tip the balance in battleground states.

Trump's going to lose a lot of votes over this; probably as many as he hopes to cost the Democrats with their blocking of mail-in votes.

Does Trump think that only Democrats are planning to do mail-in voting?

This election is going to be a shit show, the like of which these nation has never seen before.

[Elwood P Dowd]

37. And our congress critters start a month long recess this week

so don't expect any hearings on what is becoming a national disaster until late September or October. The little darlings have to go home for over a month to get some R&R from their back-breaking jobs.

[Traildogbob]

38. Important mail is getting rare

But the wasted paper junk promotions keep filling the box. Does anyone think the GOP election flyers will slow down. Or that the democratic flyers won’t get lost. Multi page fast food flyers fir coupons need to get lost, as well as the Medicare advantage scam flyers every day.

[bucolic_frolic]

43. Complain to AMAzon and eBay, they will make a little noise

once it impacts their business. I mean call them up. Complain. They'll ding sellers first, then see there's a pattern, then ignore it if we don't complain.

[Rebl2]

45. I am

experiencing this in Kansas City, MO. Never got one of my bills and a couple of packages that I should have gotten last week, still have not arrived.

[OMGWTF]

47. It's a federal crime to mess with the mail. Arrest that man!

[Ferrets are Cool]

51. This is affecting me and my family in a very negative way and I am furious

[yaesu]

53. I'm still waiting for a priority package that should be delivered after 8 days wait, its a disgrace

to see such a fine institution destroyed by the fascists.

[Kaleva]

61. Where is it being held up?

[yaesu]

62. it was held up in Wis all week, made the jump to MI

over the weekend & looks like it may make it tomorrow. I had a first class package shipped at the same time from TN & it only took 3 days.

[Kaleva]

67. Much of my mail comes up thru Wi. to Upper Michigan

[pwb]

56. My mail is the same. Great.

This will backfire on trump big time.

[Sapient Donkey]

57. President Biden is going to have a huge mess to clean up in 2021.

[geretogo]

59. This is treason against the Constitution . The Post Office is mandated in the Costitution . Why is

the democratic party not broadcasting to the country what this filty treasonous criminal is doing to our country .

[pamdamonia]

63. Of course it is

That’s exactly why it is critical for each and everyone of us to get those ballots as soon as we can and physically drop them off at our Board Of Election offices if possible or to make sure to mail them as soon as possible so if there were a delay it wouldn’t matter, it would still have plenty of time to arrive. If I may add, there are millions of Americans who do not even vote and if we do not show up to vote Trump out we could very well see the end of our democracy and end up with a Trump dictatorship. We should all be very frightened by this thought, I know I am!

[we can do it]

64. Just gonna drop my suggestion here.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213845785

[milestogo]

66. This happened to me on an order from EBay

Last edited Mon Aug 3, 2020, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

I buy orchids from a grower in my state every year. They are only being shipped about 3 hours distance. 8 days later they are not here... even if they got here tomorrow they would be hard to revive.

The vendor put a trace on it, but what's that going to do? The USPS is not reliable... not just for me but for everyone. Orchids ship very well if you limit the time to 2-3 days. They don't do well when you box them up for a week.

This vendor does not have a storefront; his entire business is online. USPS will put him out of business.

[Grokenstein]

77. Stop blaming USPS. This is Trump's Postmaster General's doing.

While screwing the election is the main goal, another goal is to get the public to attack the USPS, which Republicans have been trying to destroy for ages. Don't do Donny's work for him.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/31/catastrophe-postal-workers-warn-trump-sabotage-usps-could-delay-mail-ballots-and

Letter carriers and voting rights advocates are warning that sabotage of the U.S. Postal Service by the Trump administration and new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy—a major Republican donor to the president—could imperil the agency's ability to deliver mail-in ballots on time, potentially impacting the results of the November elections.

[Blue Owl]

68. Fuck Trump

What a piece of shit.

[CottonBear]

69. My renewed drivers license isn't here after 5 weeks (GA). N/T

[GETPLANING]

70. The Post Office should be a main election issue.

The mail is a life and death matter for many people. Republicans want to eliminate it.

[obamanut2012]

71. I had a Priority Mail package sent from 135 miles away

Same state. I told him just send it "regular," but he wanted to make sure I got it ASAP. This is a guy whose livelihood is making bespoke cosplay parts. He mailed it July 5. I got it Saturday. Priority. Same state. 135 miles. Basically one month.

I emailed him when I received it, and he said folks in Australia are getting the same thing in ten to 14 days, and all he has all day are pissed off customers asking where their stuff is, and accusing him of not mailing their stuff and being a grifter. This guy is well established and well respected, and has made some things for genre TV and movies. They are ruining his business.

[CBHagman]

74. Whatever you do, don't act helpless.

Trump caves when he knows he's got a crapstorm on his hands.

We're in the middle of an effing pandemic, and his donor DeJoy is screwing with mail delivery, which is a multipronged attack on the very survival of individuals, families, businesses, communities across the United States, and we need to raise unadulterated hell about this with every last elected leader and editorial board.

[progree]

75. Why the hell do Republicans have to screw EVERYTHING up? Mussolini got the trains to run on time,

so why does Cheetolini try to mess EVERYTHING up?

Edited to add: (the very next post I read after this one ... sigh, one after another after another) :

Pic Of The Moment: New House Report Reveals More Trump Pandemic Incompetence
Oversight Subcommittee Investigation Reveals How Trump Administration Deprived Country of Needed Ventilators and Squandered More Than $500 Million in Taxpayer Funding
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017597410

(details are even worse than the headline sounds. I think it's worse than mere incompetence)

[louis-t]

76. "So I said to my people, SLOW DOWN THE MAIL, PLEASE!"

That will go over well. Such a shithead.