Going postal. Getting constructively mad.

When you hear about the sad state of the US Postal Service, the idea to slice down the number of postal workers, the need to shut down post office across the country, and the need to end weekend services, remember 2006. That year Congress placed on the USPS the stressors needed to finally crack and break a perfectly functional government service.

Crooks and Liars:

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Rolando lays out the real root of the problem: "The problem lies elsewhere: the 2006 congressional mandate that the USPS pre-fund future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years, and do so within a decade, an obligation no other public agency or private firm faces. The roughly $5.5 billion annual payments since 2007 — $21 billion total — are the difference between a positive and negative ledger." 

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The Post Office is self-funded, and still keeping down the expense of mail services. But it is government, so conservatives deem it an evil to be purged. Having a healthy union also makes it an easy target.

This is the problem with the conservative movement, government is bad, except for the areas we like and want to bloat and expand. No social security for you or meat inspectors. But we need enough power and operations enough to ensure that no woman has an abortion, that no gay people live together with common legal protections, and so that we can fight off the whole world.

That is the illogical worldview and self-destructive leadership we face in this election year. The country is hurting and conservative politicians don’t want to face or real problems, rather gifting their friends and fighting their phantom battles.

Get active this year, get informed, and get out and make people aware.

Every election is important, but the Senate is at risk of sliding to Republicans eager to push deeper austerity, and the House could stay in the hand of those you have been more concerned with growing tax cuts and shrinking safety nets.

BUT, until electoral changes are possible, stay on the back of what representation and leadership we have now.

• Find your Representative, be sure they know what you are really worried about.
• Find your Senators, and let them know what you expect of them.
• Contact the Executive Branch, and be heard on where the country needs to go.