Only 50% strongly disapprove?
Miriam
Published on
Friday, August 21, 2020
byCommon Dreams
Nearly 700 Protests Planned for Saturday at Post Offices Across Country as
DeJoy Slammed for Defense of Mail Sabotage
"From the most remote village in the Alaskan tundra to the tiniest island in
the Everglades, there's one connection we've always depended on: the mail."
byJulia Conley, staff writer
Sergio Escobar, and his sister, Mariana Escobar, join about 100 other
protesters during a Harley Rouda rally against changes to the United States
Postal Service in Newport Beach, California, on August 18, 2020. The event
was organized by Indivisible OC. (Photo: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews
Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
As of Friday afternoon, more than 650 demonstrations were planned as part of
"Save the Post Office Saturday," a national day of action in which people
across the U.S. will demand that President Donald Trump and Postmaster
General Louis DeJoy end their assault on the U.S. Postal Service.
Demonstrations will begin at 11:00 am local time.
The number of planned protests at hundreds of post offices grew as DeJoy
testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee on Friday, telling lawmakers he has "no intention" of returning
hundreds of mail sorting machines that have been decommissioned in recent
weeks, severely cutting postal workers' ability to deliver mail quickly. The
postmaster general claimed the machines are not needed.
The removal of machines in battleground states including Florida,
Pennsylvania, and Michigan will have serious implications for the general
election in November, civil rights advocates have warned, as many
Americans-particularly Democratic voters-plan to vote by mail due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
This week, DeJoy announced he was suspending changes to mail operations
until after the November election to "avoid even the appearance of any
impact on election mail," but made clear that he has no plans to return
mailboxes and sorting machines that were removed or restore overtime hours
that he cut.
The president has also said he would block emergency funding for the Postal
Service and for election assistance, saying that the funding would allow for
"universal mail-in voting," which he has falsely claimed would result in a
fraudulent election.
MoveOn, which is joining with the NAACP, SEIU, the Working Families Party,
and other advocacy groups to organize the day of action, said people across
the country are rejecting Trump's attack on the election and the Postal
Service.
"From the most remote village in the Alaskan tundra to the tiniest island in
the Everglades, there's one connection we've always depended on: the mail.
Together, we're coming together to support a beloved system that every
American relies on," said Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn.
A poll released this week by Yahoo News and YouGov showed strong opposition
to Trump's blocking of Postal Service funding, with 50% of respondents
saying they "strongly" disapprove and only 28% saying they approve. Nearly
two-thirds of voters surveyed said they feared they would be prevented from
voting due to Trump and DeJoy's actions.
"The mail shapes our lives and our livelihoods. It's how millions get our
medicines, send holiday greetings, and receive the resources we depend on,"
said Epting. "And, in this pandemic, the mail is how millions of us will
deliver our democracy. We reject these attacks on the USPS. We demand full
restoration of machines and personnel plus full funding for the post office.
We will fight until every vote is counted."
MoveOn and other organizers are offering print-at-home signs for attendees
to bring to the protests, emblazoned with phrases including, "Stamp Out
Fascism," "Roll Back DeJoy, Restore the Machines," and "4 Million
Prescriptions Delivered Daily."
Participants will be urged to wear face coverings at the socially distanced
demonstrations, MoveOn said.