1 in 5 measures passed by the current Congress approved post office names. How equipped are lawmakers to deal with our problems?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Here's all you need to know about how worthless Congress is:
Of the thousands of measures introduced in the current Congress - only 132 passed.
And about 1 in 5 of those was to approve official names for post offices.
This country is circling the drain when it comes to runaway government spending and deficits - and 20% of the bills that got through Congress were to name post offices.
What's more: a CNN analysis of Congressional records shows that the current Congress has worked just as many days as previous Congresses - they just have a lot less to show for it.
This gridlock means that the important things that need doing are in limbo. We haven't had a budget in forever. There has been no action on the fiscal cliff that is fast approaching at the end of the year. The debt ceiling is going to have to be raised. The national debt and deficits are out of control. And they spend their time naming post offices.
Experts say it hasn't always been this way. They call the 111th Congress "exceedingly productive." That was when the Democrats passed Obamacare.
Of course that was also the spark that started the fire that was the tea party. Republicans swept into power in the house in 2010 - promising to repeal health care reform and crack down on government waste and abuse.
But what they've mostly done is slow the pace of government and turned this Congress into one of the least productive in modern history.
Congress still has 6 months left to redeem themselves. But don't count on it.
Between vacation time and campaigning for re-election, it's unlikely they'll deal with any of the critical issues facing the U.S. today.
Here’s my question to you: One in five measures passed by the current Congress approved post office names. How equipped are lawmakers to deal with our problems?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What should happen to the U.S. Postal Service?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Barack Obama is throwing the U.S. Postal Service a lifeline. But maybe he shouldn't.
It's all part of the president's larger plan to cut $3 trillion from deficits over the next 10 years.
First, the president would allow the postal service to raid $7 billion from an overfunded pension account to avoid financial collapse.
The agency is facing a serious cash crunch and is expected to hit its $15 billion borrowing limit in a couple of weeks.
That is why Obama also wants to give the postal service more time to make a $5.5 billion payment to a health care retiree fund that's due at the end of this month.
The White House plan would allow the Postal Service to end Saturday mail delivery and raise the price of a first-class stamp another 2 cents to 46 cents.
Obama is against letting the Postal Service void union contracts to lay off 120,000 postal workers. The Postal Service itself proposed layoffs in its own cost-cutting plan.
Republicans are slamming the White House plan - especially the part about using $7 billion from its extra contributions to the pension plan. They say instead of fundamental reform, this plan uses "accounting gimmicks."
The Postmaster General has acknowledged that the agency faces a "new reality." He's looking to cut $3 billion a year by closing hundreds of processing facilities, cutting equipment in half and slowing mail delivery.
With the use of e-mail and other electronic communication, it's clear the Postal Service has become a dinosaur: There are 43 billion fewer pieces of mail sent now than four years ago.
Yet our government is intent on throwing more taxpayer dollars down the drain.
Here’s my question to you: What should happen to the U.S. Postal Service?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How much do you rely on the U.S. postal service?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The post office is in big trouble, and today the United States Postal Service announced it's planning to close nearly 3,700 post offices in 50 states and in Washington. The closings will occur mostly in rural areas and involve outlets that don't get a lot of foot traffic. The closings would save $200 million.
The move shouldn't come as a surprise. The postal system has been bleeding cash for years. The volume of first-class mail has dropped 28% in the past four years as more Americans send e-mails and pay their bills online. Last year, the U.S. Postal Service had an $8.5 billion loss, that's compared with a loss of just $3.8 billion in 2009. Things aren't looking any brighter this year. Last quarter, the U.S. Postal Service lost $2.2 billion.
But many people in the communities set to lose their post offices are up in arms. The postal service says "village post office" kiosks will be created in grocery and convenience stores in the next year to fill the voids in these towns. You'd be able to buy stamps and mail packages there. And that may be the future of post offices. The postal service plans to review half of its existing 32,000 post offices over the next 10 years for possible closure just to stay afloat.
Legislation proposed in Congress could provide more help to the ailing agency. It would relieve the agency of paying into a retirement fund for future retirees' health benefits, and it would reduce mail delivery to five days from six. That would save an additional $3 billion annually. But that still may not be enough.
Here’s my question to you: How much do you rely on the U.S. postal service?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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