Fox's Latest Example Of Taxpayer Waste Is Not Financed By Taxpayer Money

Written by Ellie Sandmeyer

Published

Fox NewsFox News host Ainsley Earhardt misled viewers to believe that the U.S. Postal Service used taxpayer dollars to provide upscale accommodations and activities for a leadership conference, even though the USPS does not receive taxpayer funds for operational costs, and conference attendees have to finance their own entertainment.

In an effort to deal with budget shortfalls, the USPS has used its annual National Postal Forum Conference as “a revenue-generating opportunity,” Postal Service spokeswoman Zy Richardson told Government Executive. The agency said that last year's conference brought in about $160 million in revenue from new sales.

But Fox hosts highlighted the conference as a waste of taxpayer dollars, focusing on the supposed extravagance of the event and mocking its stated goal of developing “sales leads”:  

STEVE DOOCY: Because let's face it, it's so depressing, demoralizing, working at the Postal Service these days. Don't you think those guys should just be able to go out and, you know, blow a bunch of dough, and blow off some steam?

[buzzer sounds]

BRIAN KILMEADE: Not really.

EARHARDT: Your money, your tax dollars.

According to the USPS website, the agency does not receive any taxpayer dollars to cover its operational costs. Like other expenses, the National Postal Forum Conference is funded by the agency's $65 billion in annual revenue from the sale of postage, products, and services.

The National Postal Forum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the responsiveness and efficiency of the U.S. mail system, designed the conference “to find innovative solutions and learn about the latest technologies that are shaping the mailing industry's future.” Richardson emphasized that the conference “is a public event that anyone can attend. It's not a secret, internal event.”

Doocy's suggestion that the conference's cost covers expensive activities like golf is also incorrect. As Government Executive reported:

[T]he golfing is not included in the registration fees for the conference and any Postal Service employee participating must pay his or her own way to participate.