Postal Service In Desperate Need Of Flexibility, Says Chief

While addressing an audience at the National Press Club on Monday, Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe was interrupted by social activists demanding that the Postal Service not be privatized.

“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donahoe has got to go,” demonstrators chanted in the middle of Donhoe’s speech. As they demanded that postal workers maintain their jobs and benefits, they continued to chant, “We are the 99 percent.”

“Well the good thing is they’ve definitely been paying attention to this situation,” Donahoe commented as the demonstrators were escorted out of the room by security guards. He then continued with his speech and advocated for the passage of new legislation to enable more postal service flexibility.

“While we have the mandate to operate like a business, the reality is that we don’t have the flexibility under current law to function like a business,” Donahoe remarked.

While the U.S Postal Service is a government institution, it receives no funding from the government and generates its revenue solely from the sale of postal products and services. The postal service must compete for its customers in the marketplace but cannot make decisions without government regulations.

“We’re in a deep financial crisis today because we have a business model that is tied to the past,” Donahoe related. “Most businesses make product and pricing decisions quickly based on market demand. We still have to go through a cumbersome process to price our products. Our competition can make these changes on a moment’s notice.”

“Most companies don’t pre-fund retiree health benefits,” Donahoe continued. “Not only does the postal service require to pre-fund, [but] we’re required by law to fully fund an entire 40 year obligation in 10 years.”

The Postal Service ended its 2011 fiscal year with a $5.1 billion net loss. According to Donahoe, the loss would have been around $10.6 billion if not for the passage of legislation that postponed a congressionally mandated payment of $5.5 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits.

Currently, a pair of bipartsan Postal Service reform bills are curently awaiting votes in both the House and Senate. If the bills are passed, the Postal Service’s operations and network would be structurally remodeled, resulting in workforce, benefit and service cuts. Donahoe, however, said that neither bill contains the type of reforms he would support.

“Both bills have elements that delay tough decisions and impose greater constraints on our business model,” he said. “Taken as they are, they do not come close to enabling the cost reductions.”

Donahoe later called on Congress to pass “comprehensive legislation to provide us with a more flexible business model so we can respond better to a changing marketplace.”

Ron Paul Reports $8 Million In Third Quarter

Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Presidential Candidate Ron Paul (R-Texas) expressed optimism about his presidential campaign, announcing that over the past three months his campaign has collected more than $8 million and gathered over 100,000 campaign donors.

“We are very pleased with that and believe that will give us the energy to keep the campaign moving right along,” Paul stated.

In contrast, Texas Governor Rick Perry, a fellow presidential hopeful, raised more than $17 million from only 22,000 donors.

“If you get $8 million, half as much, and you get it from small individual donors who are fervently engaged in campaigning for you, that’s a lot different than getting money that more than likely might have come, for the other candidates, from special interests,” Paul enumerated. “All donors are not equal. I will take my small donations, with the enthusiasm of the people who send me the money.”

Paul continued his address and explained that much of his donations come from military troops since he is consistently advocating to bring the troops home and end war. 

“If you add up all the donations for all of the Republican candidates from military active duty people, I get twice as much because they are sick and tired of these wars and know it is not working out,” Paul exclaimed.

While Paul expressed discontent that his campaign has not recieved the same level of media attention as fellow candidates, Paul stated that his campaign faced an “uphill battle.”

“I will continue to do the campaigning and quite frankly I feel pretty optimistic about how the campaign is going,” Paul concluded.

Click here to see photos from today’s luncheon

Long-Shot GOP Candidate Decries Anonymous Contributions

GOP presidential candidate Buddy Roemer lashed out Monday against large, anonymous campaign donations and special-interest money saying that they are at the root of corrupt politics.

“It’s a valid job to be a lobbyist but not when all you do is bring a check. A registered lobbyer should not be allowed to both lobby and fundraise,” Roemer said at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. 

Roemer, a businessman and former Louisiana governor, claimed that presidential candidates make their political stances based solely off of who is providing them with more money.

To ward off such influences from special interest groups, Roemer suggested full disclosure of all such funds for presidential candidates. 

“Every nickel needs to be exposed so we can be free to lead,” Roemer said. 

Roemer announced his candidacy three and a half weeks ago but has had a very slow start. He has yet to participate in a GOP primary debate and was not involved in the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa on Saturday. 

He emphasized that his campaign efforts will be focused on New Hampshire.

“I hope to make the next debate,” Roemer said just before acknowledging his slim chances at winning the nomination. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be a major candidate.” 

Congress Must Focus On Child Nutrition, Says Former World Bank Official

By Samira Sadeque - Talk Radio News Service

The Rev. David Beckmann, president of the organization Bread for the World, says Congress must reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, as well as take other steps to end poverty.

During a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Monday, Beckmann said that although poverty levels in the U.S. have slightly decreased over the last 30 years, more must be done.

“If countries as different as Bangladesh, Brazil and Britain can reduce poverty, it’s clearly possible in the USA.”

Noting the correlation between poverty and malnourishment, Beckmann implored the House to pass a child nutrition reauthorization bill. The bill, which passed through the Senate last month, would extend national child nutrition programs that are on track to expire at the end of this month.

The Reverend, an economist and ordained Lutheran Minister who has earned a reputation as being one the world’s most well-known advocates for hungry and poor people, lamented the fact that both bills contain flaws, but said the government has an obligation to improve children’s nutrition.

“We do not now have enough political oomph to achieve the changes for hungry and poor people that we should,” Beckmann said. “So I am calling on people, especially people who believe in God, to help change the politics of hunger.”

Beckmann and other supporters of the two bills have a powerful ally in Washington: First Lady Michelle Obama. As part of her “Let’s Move” campaign, Mrs. Obama has put forth a comprehensive plan for child nutrition that includes reforming school lunch menus nationwide.

The House is not scheduled to vote on the bill this week.

Single Payer Advocates Ask Congress To Start Over On Healthcare Reform

Travis Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Single payer health insurance advocates are calling on Congress to scrap its healthcare reform bills, and start over using a single payer model.

Single Payer Action President Russell Mokhiber, Dr. Margaret Flowers and Dr. Carol Paris of Physicians for a National Health Program, opposed both the Senate and House's reform plans during a press conference on Wednesday.

“It’s unfair to call this health care reform. This is an insurance industry and pharmaceutical industry bailout,” said Mokhiber. Health care is a human right. Everybody in, nobody out. Join with us in this historic movement to defeat the Democratic bill.”

Flowers questioned how favorably Congress's bills would stack up against a single payer system.

“It’s designed to fail. If our goal for this country is to provide health care for every person in a way that is financially sustainable and have it be both universal and cost-efficient, this is not the way to do it,” she said.

The plan advocated for by the panelists would ensure that all Americans obtain health care coverage through one national insurance program. In 2005 Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) introduced H.R. 676, legislation that would have created a single payer system by using existing government revenues to insure people and increasing personal income tax on the top five percent of income earners - including a tax on stock and bond transactions.

Earlier this year, the four panelists from Wednesday's discussion were ordered out of the Senate Finance Committee hearings after the committee rejected a single payer amendment. Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) had all four arrested in the hearing room. They later pleaded not guilty and were ordered to refrain from protesting on Capitol Hill for one year.