BY: CLAIRE KIM
As a result of the impending coronavirus pandemic, businesses across the United States have filed for bankruptcy or lost federal support. It’s not shocking that mainstream businesses such as Home Goods, California Pizza Kitchen, J.Crew, and Sur La Table have filed for bankruptcy within the past few months as consumerism has dropped to an all-time low due to minimal outdoor retail experiences. Yet, how come USPS has the chance of getting defunded? Isn’t USPS projecting an upward trajectory in business profit/sales because of the online ordering mayhem that has flourished due to COVID-19?
Well, sadly the reality is that USPS is at risk of financially collapsing because of a new “cost-cutting effort.” Initiated by several executives, this policy is something we should all be concerned about as it directly affects both us and those 97,000 employees that rely on this service as their source of income.
For one, lowering costs to fund the USPS system will undermine the ability for postal employees to deliver mail, even ballots, on time, suggesting a phenomenon of voter suppression as a result. It’s been reported that one of the executives involved in such policy change is a Trump donor, which if sensible, should read very off to you. Trump and voter suppression? This seems a little suspicious.
We all know how important this November election is for us as citizens but also for President Trump and his administration. Don’t deny USPS defunding, fight for it, so that all of us will have a fair chance to vote in this year’s election.
Aside from potential voter suppression, why else do we have to prevent the USPS from getting defunded?
Well, the reason is simple. Over 97,000 veterans and over 7.3 million people rely on the USPS as their main source of income. Without the USPS, these individuals have nowhere to go, no money to finance everyday costs, and no means to sustain a decent living. This is a problem.
Tomorrow, I will be uploading a blog post describing ways we can help fight against this ridiculous policy, hopefully allowing the USPS to run smoothly once again.
claire kim. 