"America is in a dead sprint to authoritarianism. The man is pulling out all the stops to prevent the citizens of this country from holding a legitimate election in which he might face removal from office"—Common Dreams
"Government watchdogs, Democratic lawmakers, and pro-democracy advocates declared it a 'Friday Night Massacre' for the U.S. Postal Service after news broke in a classic end-of-the-week dump that Louis DeJoy—a major GOP donor to President Donald Trump and the recently appointed Postmaster General—had issued a sweeping overhaul of the agency, including the ouster of top executives from key posts and the reshuffling of more than two dozen other officials and operational managers.
"According to the Washington Post:
"The shake-up came as congressional Democrats called
for an investigation of DeJoy and the cost-cutting measures that have slowed
mail delivery and ensnared ballots in recent primary elections.
"Twenty-three postal executives were reassigned or
displaced, the new organizational chart shows. Analysts say the structure
centralizes power around DeJoy, a former logistics executive and major ally of
President Trump, and de-emphasizes decades of institutional postal knowledge.
All told, 33 staffers included in the old postal hierarchy either kept their
jobs or were reassigned in the restructuring, with five more staffers joining
the leadership from other roles.
"Already under fire for recent policy changes at the USPS that mail carriers from within and outside critics have denounced
as a sabotage effort to undermine the Postal Service broadly as well as disrupt
efforts to carry out mail-in voting for November's election amid the Covid-19
pandemic, the moves unveiled late Friday were viewed as an overt assault on
democracy and a calculated opportunity to boost Republicans' long-held dream of
undercutting or privatizing the government-run mail service while also boosting
their election prospects in the process.
"'Another
Friday night massacre by this administration—and this time dealing another
devastating blow to our postal service,' said Rep.
Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) 'The American people deserve answers and we're
going to keep fighting for them.'
"Scanlon
was among more than 80 congressional lawmakers who sent a letter to DeJoy earlier
in the day expressing 'deep concerns' about operational changes he
has made for mail carriers that have delayed deliveries and lowered
standards.
"'It
is vital that the U.S. Postal Service not reduce mail delivery times, which
could harm rural communities, seniors, small businesses, and millions of
Americans who rely on the mail for critical letters and packages,' the
letter stated. 'Eliminating overtime and directing postal workers to leave
mail on the floor of postal facilities will erode confidence in the Postal
Service and drive customers away, resulting in even worse financial conditions
in the future.'
"Kristen
Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil
Rights Under Law, warned what occurred Friday is designed to weak the Postal
Service, slow vote-by-mail, and disrupt the 2020 Census.
"'We are sounding an alarm regarding personnel changes,
policy shifts and service disruptions happening inside the U.S. Postal Service
on Louis DeJoy's watch,' Clarke said in a statement. 'The postal
service lies at the heart of our democracy and is critical to the success of an
unprecedented vote-by-mail system that is needed for a fair and effective 2020
election season. The postal service helps ensure that our nation's most
vulnerable communities are receiving medications and resources during the
pandemic. It is also critical to the efforts to achieve a full and accurate
2020 Census.'
"Clarke
said the administration's intentions are clear: 'DeJoy, a Trump donor with
no experience inside the postal service, has been installed to cause chaos and
disruption at a time when the timely delivery of mail could not be more critical.'
"As Common Dreams reported earlier Friday, Sen.
Elizabeth Warren was among those who signed the letter and also called for
DeJoy's efforts to be investigated by the Inspector General of the USPS. Since
2016 alone, DeJoy has donated more than $2.5 million
to the Republican Party and candidates. In 2020, prior to his appointment as
Postmaster General by the GOP-controlled board of governors, DeJoy had already
given approximately $360,000 to a
Super PAC supporting Trump's reelection.
"As
the Post notes in its reporting, the reshuffling of
top managers and executives—as well as a hiring freeze and push for early
retirements—'worried postal analysts, who say the tone of DeJoy's first
eight weeks and his restructuring have recast the nation's mail service as a
for-profit arm of the government, rather than an essential service.'
"In
a video posted to Twitter, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oreg.) characterized DeJoy as
a 'political crony' of the president's and also denounced the brazen
efforts now on display as a 'Friday Night Massacre' scenario:
"Appearing Friday afternoon on Capitol Hill, DeJoy brushed off accusations that
he is acting as a political bag man for Trump. 'While I certainly have a
good relationship with the president of the United States, the notion that I
would ever make decisions concerning the Postal Service at the direction of the
president or anyone else in the administration is wholly off-base,' DeJoy said.
"But
outside critics like Walter Shaub, former head of the Office of Government
Ethics and a fierce critic of Trump's behavior as president, said the latest
move should be seen as nothing less than a direct effort by DeJoy to exploit
his authority at the Postal Service to further the president's political
interests and reelection prospects.
"According to Brian Tyler Cohen, a liberal commentator and podcast host, 'Congressional Democrats need to do something about this' immediately.
"'If
we wait until October/November, it'll be too late,' said Cohen. 'Trump is
actively sabotaging the election under our noses—this isn't theoretical, it's
happening RIGHT NOW.' Cohen said this situation should be treated like a 'fucking five-alarm fire' and said action must be taken by both
lawmakers and the U.S. public without delay.
"Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), chair of the House subcommittee which has
oversight for the USPS, said what DeJoy is trying to pass off as simple
organizational restructuring is actually 'a Trojan Horse' designed to
destroy one of the nation's most trusted and valued institutions from within.
"Connolly
on Friday night called it, 'Deliberate
sabotage to disrupt mail service on the eve of the election—an election that
hinges on mail-in ballots'" (Friday Night Massacre at US Postal Service as Postmaster General—a Major Trump Donor—Ousts Top Officials,
Common Dreams, August 7).
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