APWU Web News Article 56-2012, May 9, 2012
Fox News may have set a new record for inaccurate reporting this week in a story about the Postal Service.
The story, which was broadcast on May 8 and posted on Fox’s Web site, frantically warns viewers and visitors that because of a bill approved by the Senate, “taxpayers may be on the hook for Postal Service losses.” The Web posting even has a handy “taxpayer calculator” that shows visitors “how much the bailout will cost you.”
There’s just one problem: As Fox admits, taxpayers don’t pay a dime to support the Postal Service. And nothing in the Senate bill would require them to start.
The piece is clearly designed to drum up support for a discredited House bill (H.R. 2309) sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), and to undermine support for a bill approved by the Senate on April 25.
Fox’s Fiction:
“The U.S. Senate passed a $34 billion bailout bill last month that actually forces the Postmaster to accept taxpayer money for jobs he doesn’t need and buildings he doesn’t want.”
Fact:
The Senate approved S. 1789, which would return to the Postal Service approximately $11 billion that postal customers, postal employees and the USPS itself overpaid to the federal government. No taxpayer money is involved.
What about the rest of the $23 billion? It’s not clear where Fox got the $34 billion figure, but the bill doesn’t appropriate any money from the federal government — or taxpayers — to the Postal Service.
Fox’s Fiction:
“The subsidy also fully funds the union retirement fund.”
Fact:
There is no subsidy. Only the Postal Service and postal employees fund postal retirements. Furthermore, postal retirement funds are overfunded by billions of dollars.
Fox’s Fiction:
“The bill prohibits the Service from closing 250 mail processing centers and 3,000 mostly rural post offices.”
Fact:
The bill wouldn’t prohibit the Postal Service from closing mail processing centers or post offices. It would provide for greater community input into decisions about closings and would allow the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to reverse improper USPS decisions on these matters.
Worst Fiction of All:
Fox neglected to mention the primary cause of the USPS financial crisis: The provision of the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act that requires the USPS to pre-fund healthcare benefits for future retirees — a burden no other government agency or private company bears. The mandate, which forces the Postal Service to pay a 75-year liability in just 10 years, costs the USPS approximately $5.5 billion per year, and is responsible for most of the Postal Service’s deficits. Without the pre-funding requirement, the USPS would have accumulated a modest surplus in the four years from 2006-2010 — during the worst recession in 80 years.
Fox ,CNN nor any network will tell the truth. The media is controlled by military industrial complex and they need more revenue to kill Afghan babies so they won;t fly 12,000 miles and kill us. If you still think 9/11 was caused by 19 illiterate towel heads then you deserve the news and government you have. WAKE THE FUC& UP PEOPLE!!!
Fox News is very seldom this far from the truth, and I doubt they are now. This article offers no specific documented rebuttal, only political rhetoric. Most of us realise that no one employed by the Federal Government is in love with Fox News.
Fox remains number one in the ratings. They are fair and balanced. All news services are reporting this. They aren’t lying at anything. The $23 Billion the PO owes in debt will be deferred and the govt will absorb the debt. That my friend, is a bailout. Fox did a great job of reporting this, as others. The Liberal Press has left this alone, which is no surprise.
Diligis Da’alzhin
Ya no queda leche en la teta y’all !
Righty Whitey’s necktie is too tightey! Fox news is actual NEWS?? I thought it was a reality show based on some psychiatric ward! Ain’t it amazing that in this land of the First Amendment, such “santorum” can spray forth & stink up the place? Yeah… keep hiding behind Amendment 1 & preaching to the party of Tea. Fair & Balanced? More like False & Biased. Y’know Fox, you give real Burkeians NIGHTMARES with what’s happened to conservatism…Hey Murdoch, how much longer you got pal? 2 – 3 years? That’ll be a death day to celebrate, right up there with OBL!!
This is an awakening for me because I used to like Fox news. But being an insider on the correct info…..and seeing them distort what I know to be true….makes me wonder how many other things they have distorted? Can anyone suggest an unbiased news source or am I just outta luck? …..and don’t even suggest socialist CNN or MSNBC etc.. Looks like we may as well be listening to PRAVDA
It’s not just FOX that’s reporting this. News services and newspapers around the country are reporting this $34 Billion Dollar amount. Also, it’s all over the internet. The ones that are most accurate are reporting it as this: The USPS will receive $11 Billion from their over-payment to the FERS Healthcare retirement fund and then another $23 Billion of their debt will be deferred and the government will absorb the debt until it is paid back. That’s where they get the $34 Billion figuere. Apparently, the public see’s this as a bail out. I guess the $23 Billion could be construed as one, but now $34 Billion, because $11 Billion was the PO’s own money.
Fox News news for Dumb Fux!
FOX News stands up against misinformation on other competing news networks? I thought fans of that piece of shit network that dares to call itself journalism were part of the anti-drug crowd like all right wing wackos who dope themselves with lies and propaganda instead. Idiots who support and believe FOX News don’t want real truth. They want innuendo, false accusations, thinly veiled racism and fawning over the rich bastards running and ruining this country. News is supposed to inform – FOX deforms it. They are in the same league as Nazi Germany’s press machine, TASS or the official Chinese news agency.
And their fans think they’re the ones who understand freedom. There isn’t much you can do about it, because whether the FOX viewer wanted real news or not, they’d be too stupid to understand it.
I work for the USPS and we haven’t had subsidies since 1982. Our income is solely through selling of postage. So FOX News, go fuck yourself, you lying bastards. You get more despicable with every passing day.
The FOX article said that S1789 would appropriate $34 Billion to the PO. I thought the PO was only getting $11 Billion back from the FERS Retirement Health Fund Over-payment. Where is the other $23 Billion coming from?
This wasn’t propaganda. This was an out and out bold face lie but consider the twisted source. Don’t let facts get in the way just tell lies and add more pollution to environment. I think Fox Lies personnel must have been victims have shaken baby syndrome or dropped on their heads. How else can one explain their rabid ignorance and putrid penchant for lying, Britain finally called out Rupert for the liar he is and hopefully America will soon see Fox News Lies for the pathological liars they are, Fruit don’t fall far from the tree. By the way Just Thankfull, this isn’t an off year election. Primary all of you representatives and replace them Teabaggers. Can you say Christine I’m not Witch O’Donnell or Angela 2nd Admendment remedy. Obama may have evolved but Romney just plain LIES like the slick 50’s grecian formula insurance man people him to be.
Thank God for the TEA PARTY!!
What about the liberals, gays and corrupt union propaganda channels like CBS, ABC, CNN, NBC, etc?? At least there is one channel (Fox) that stands-up against the misinformation generated by those other channels!!
This is exactly what ISSA anf his cronies are attempting to do! They aren’t thinking about passing or even voting on the S.1789 bill, that was passed in the Senate two weeks ago! They are concertrating on passing ISSA 2309 bill that will destroy thousands of jobs and do detirment to the universal Postal Service in this country.Congress already is the reason the Postal Service is in the condition it is now, from paying billion of dollars into the employee retirement pre-fund program that no other federral agencyis mandated to do!
gotta love the crazy whackjob teabaggers
Issa…isn’t that the guy APWU supported with COPA funds back in 09?
Better to support TEA PARTY now since they are moving quietly instead of “EVOLVING” with their ideas like this president! hehehehe
not surprised.
This artical was designed to drum up support for a discredited U.S.Senate that pushed through bill 1789 as a purely political move for self preservation in the up coming election,not whats best in the long run for all parties concerned.
Senator Sessions (R-AL) stated before the voting of the amendments to bill 1789, that the approval of Senate Bill 1789 would add $34 billion to the federal deficit and would violate the deficit ceiling that was negotiated sometime in 2011. Maybe that is where FOX NEWS got that figure. Called the Senator’s office shortly after and his minions ignored the facts I presented about the prefunding of the USPS retirement fund and how the taxpayers would not be giving the USPS any money out of their pockets.
AND EVEN IF THE TAXPAYERS WERE ON THE HOOK,
THE MONEY IS USED FOR A VITAL SERVICE,
I DO NOT WATCH FOX NEWS. THEY SHOULD TEAM UP WITH NATIONAL INQUIRER IF THEY NEED SOME ATTENTION. SORRY ASS NEWS COMPANY.
So much for “Fair and Balanced”! I have lost all respect in FoxNews and as a now former Fox News viewer I will be tuning in to CNN were hopefully I can find some Fair and Balanced news!
I’d sooner believe a report from Iran’s pro-gov’t news than Fox these days.
FOX NEWS- aka. Tea Party Propaganda Network
Gee, what a surprise. Fake News is spouting fictional bullsh*t.
Hey all you over there in Fox Fiction news…Blow Me.
Put the Angel games back on At&t u-verse FSN line up. Stop being so fucking wrong wing greedy Fox.
Go Dodgers