Right now, I'm watching President Obama's speech outlining the $450 billion dollar "American Jobs Act" on YouTube. A lot of people accused Obama of not making good use of the "bully pulpit," but in this video, it looks to me he's putting his foot down. It's good to see the man being on point about the current state of the country and how we can move our economy forward again.
Anyone else notice Mr. Orange Julius looking uncomfortable as hell back there? If the man could excuse himself for a 3-martini lunch and a "message" right then and there, he would have.
Meanwhile, the USPS looks to be in dire straits, with a $5.5 billion dollar payment required this month to essentially pre-fund retirees’ future health care benefits. It's the only major organization with a mandate to do this, and if it didn't have to, the USPS would be in the black right about now.
Chances are this mandate won't be rescinded anytime soon, as the GOP can use the manufactured crisis to push the postal service's privatization. For those who want a sneak peek at what the American postal service might look like under a privatized future, read this article. And for those wondering why couldn't UPS or FedEx simply take over, ask yourself why both companies only bother with large parcels and not "first-class" mail. Under a privatized system controlled by UPS or FedEx, the days of grandma sending greeting cards in the mail or the mailman paying a visit 6 days a week will be long gone, in the name of profitability.
