Notes on Bob Levi’s presentation
Write your congressman about convention leave.
Come to D.C. in March 2010.
He coined the current financial situation “The Great Recession”
8% of the Gross Domestic Product is postal related.
The President sets the tone of the debate.
Obama has a 60% approval, 30% disapproval rating.
Congress has a 38% approval, 50% disapproval rating.
The old congress had an 80% disapproval rating.
FERS Sick Leave
HR.1256 and S.982
Credit unused sick leave to retirement in equity with CSRS.
GPO/WEP
HR.235 and S.484 - There are 282 sponsors in the House, 27 sponsors in the Senate
Has a $90 billion price tag.
The SS trust fund will be out of money in 15 years; this would shorten that.
Vote by Mail
HR.1604 sponsored by Susan Davis (D-CA)
USPS favorability rating of 98%, highest of all governmental agencies.
$2.7 billion loss YTD, volume is down 14%, revenue is down 8%, expenses are down 3%. No economic recovery is expected this year.
Sustaining technology vs. Disruptive technology – How can we benefit from the disruptive technology?
Consumer confidence is rising. If volume does not come back 12 months after the economic recover, big changes will happen. This discussion has not yet been engaged.
USPS in ND:
1965 employees
$81 million in salaries
333 facilities
$2.7 million I rent (USPS is not being diligent in renewing leases)
HR 22 background:
In 2009, the USPS will have to pay $7.7 billion for health benefits,$2.3 billion for the current employees, and $5.4 billion to prefund the health benefit premiums for employees who have not retired yet. We are the only agency required to do this.
HR 22 seeks to pay the current $2.3 billion out of the $5.4 prefunding requirement, so that the prefunding amounts to $3.1 billion.
There is also a prefunding flaw that the USPS is seeking to have revisited: Prefunding was based on a stable workforce of 800,000 employees, with 7% healthcare inflation. It follows that the FEHBP will be overfunded.
Contact your congressman to expedite HR 22.