Hawaii representatives score card

[terracore]

When I found out that the stimulus bill included TEN BILLION DOLLARS for the USPS I sent our representatives Brian Schatz, Mazie Hirono, Ed Case, and Tusli Gabbard an email asking why I should be getting taxed for this when the USPS does not service rural Hawaii.

Here were the responses:

Ed Case:

You're message was forwarded to me as I handle USPS issues for Congressman Ed Case's district office.

The USPS has certain policies which restrict it from offering residential mail delivery to certain rural locales. If you would like, I can take down your address and have USPS respond as to why residential mail delivery is not available in your area and provide some options available for you and others.

Mahalo,
Chad


Brian Schatz:

UPDATE: PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Updated guidance for this program is available here.
Updated information includes:
• Loans are available through June 30, 2020. To have the full 8-weeks of allowable costs forgiven, you should apply before May 5, 2020, so that all of your forgivable costs are incurred before June 30, 2020.
• Small businesses and sole proprietorships can begin applying for loans on April 3, 2020.
• Independent contractors and those who are self-employed can begin applying on April 10, 2020.
• Contact your lender to begin the application process. Additional guidance, including a copy of the borrower application, can be accessed here.
• For any loan amounts not forgiven, the term is two years and the interest rate is set at 0.5 percent. There are no loan fees and no prepayment fee. The terms for all PPP loans will be the same for every borrower.

--------- end responses

That is what I have received so far. Two non-answers.

[Jeremy Lutes]

Do you use USPS ?
Do you want to continue using USPS ?

A moments' google-fu might have save you the trouble of your email:

[url]https://federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2020/03/rep-connolly-postal-unions-back-usps-coronavirus-stimulus-funding-to-maintain-essential-service/
[/url]

And I'm curious - how, precisely, are you being taxed for this ?

[1voyager1]

We're in LE section 2.
LE-2, Nanawale and some others do have mail delivery to the homes.
They are subdivisions, but are rural.
They do have paved roads.
HA, OL, and others do not have home mail delivery nor paved roads.
HPP has some paved roads with some mail box locations near the highway accesses.

Not sure where you're located t-c, but could that apply for you?

USPS has recently stopped all package delivery where they need to go up a driveway, then make a turnaround to get out.
USPS drivers are generally not skilled drivers.
Generally they're clerks, that have opted to move into a better paying opening due to seniority.
I've seen this also with school bus drivers not being allowed to do backups.

[leilanidude]

Since when do we rely upon unions to tell us how to run the post office?
This pretty much explains it all...


"The two-year emergency funding for USPS is just part of a five-point stimulus plan from the American Postal Workers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and the National Postal Mailhandlers Union that would help USPS “survive the coming recession.”

[terracore]

There is a small mailbox cluster in OLE but the wait list to get a box is several years, maybe indefinite. Even if you could get one there are only a few parcel lockers so one would still be driving to Keaau to get their packages.

"how, precisely, are you being taxed for this"

Good question since most of the federal budget is being borrowed into existence at this point but I pay a lot of federal taxes and the federal government is giving money to the post office for a service they do not provide to my subdivision.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution empowers congress "To establish Post Offices and Post Roads" so it would be up to our elected federal representatives to fix this problem of "taxation without representation".

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I pay a lot of federal taxes and the federal government is giving money to the post office for a service they do not provide to my subdivision.

I once had to use the computers at the Hawaii County real estate tax office to look up info that’s not available on their website. I walked in. I had used the system before, but forgot the steps involved in accessing the records I needed. I was the only person at the counter. 12 people sat at their desks The “workers” looked around at each other for about 30 seconds because apparently no one wanted to walk 20 feet and help a taxpayer. One of them finally gave in and begrudgingly scuffed her way to the front. I explained what I needed, she told me I couldn’t do that. I explained I had already used the system the prior year (several computers are in the public area for our use). She said, “ahhh, no since then we’ve upgraded our security and ahhhh, changed the access to the public.”

At that moment another worker walked in, saw the look of confusion on my face and asked, “what did you need?” In two clicks I was in. The original “worker” looked far more pissed at getting caught in a lie than embarrassed.

Then, because I enjoyed the experience so much I asked her, “one more thing, what does my real estate tax pay for, how is it used in Hawaii County?” She rattled off a list of services and resources, to which I replied, “I don’t use any of those things.”

My implication was, the only service I might have received for my tax dollars was her potential assistance. I don’t think she got it.

We pay taxes, but we don’t get everything our tax dollars pay for.

[Guest]

We pay taxes, but we don’t get everything our tax dollars pay for.

Hahaha.. sometimes you're funny mr edge. I am not sure now's one of them, but hey, we gotta find humor wherever we can these days.

You used the roads to get to the tax office, you used the machines provided by the office, and I suspect every human being you interacted with went to school. All paid, to one extent of another, by your taxes.

And that cop, oops you may have not seen him, who kept that guy from breaking into your car, and all the other's the casts of thousands, who have in a myriad of other ways touched your life.

To hear you say it makes one wonder, should we do away with taxes and just put a toll system in their place? Would you rather be 'taxed' every time you travel from Pahoa to Keaau? Will you be one of that holds up the line as you give the billy goat gruff for the fee he demands? Or per chance will you cower in your car and fulfillment his demand so the guy behind you can get on with is day?

I'd say, especially at a time like this, your taxes, and thank you for them, are being spent to hold us together, keep us from falling in to chaos. We live in a society, and thankfully one that is today trying to hold the line, trying its damndest to keep the boogieman away.

And if that line slips even a little.. are you ready to say we don't need the police? And if not for our taxes, who's paying them?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

You used the roads ...

hoku,
Perhaps you could ask me whether I used county roads, or the assistance of invisible police watching over me like equally invisible guardian angels. Instead of making assumptions.

Otherwise how would you take into account that HPP has private roads which connect with state Highway 130, which connects to state Highway 11...

If you read my post, I said she rattled off a long list. I didn’t say what was on her list. Nor did I say I don’t use any County services. But go ahead, don’t let me stop you from telling me what actually took place or was said. Perhaps, like the Hawaii County Invisible Police Force, you're also invisible and as luck would have it, you heard every word because you were also in the right place at the right time? If so, please be careful, I hear they're getting the gang back together for Ghostbusters 3.

“the only service I might have received for my tax dollars was her potential assistance”
Again, as far as she knew, the only service I might have received...

[Guest]

All I was saying edge is tax dollars go to pay for society. You're part of it. Thank you.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

All I was saying edge is tax dollars go to pay for society.
They certainly do! I never said otherwise

You're part of it.
Indeed!

Thank you.
You’re welcome.