Postal Service - Death Imminent

Fear mongering? Try studying history. It's already happened once in our country's history, starting about 150 years ago.

They will be able to compete once the playing field is leveled, and the way to do that is to tax the hell out of businesses importing products to the United States, with an extra tariff penalty on products that originate from an American company that shipped American jobs overseas. What you advocate is nothing short of letting the kids on the playground call the shots instead of having teachers there to oversee things to make sure that things aren't getting out of hand.

Because big business has paid up our government to allow them to get away with this kind of thing, you will see it continue. You think it will stop without government regulation and taxes? Don't be silly. The last time that was tried in this country, the Progressive movement was forced to be born in response to huge corporate greed and manipulation that was NOT benefiting most Americans. In fact, the entire "the government is horrible and will kill all your jobs" line was used constantly back then, yet the 20th century when income tax and government regulation was introduced is collectively known as the American century. The people on top DON'T need additional help.

 

Then poverty isnt a problem? Got it.

 

Of course it will be affected. Nobody is pretending it won't.

 

Our government has disincentivized local, usa investment.

 

If the postal service had to swim on it's own all postal rates would have to be increased dramatically. At that point private companies would then be much more competitive.

Let's face it, today's postal service is an analog entity trying to be relevant in a digital world.

I believe there may be a future for the postal service, but it will be dramatically different.

 

I would like something a bit more substantive than Daryll Issa's word for this. And please don't impugn my conservative reputation simply because I won't march in lockstep with dimwits.

Well let me expand my statement: You cannot privatize the national mail service without greatly increasing the cost of processing and delivering mail and simultaneously lowering greatly the quality of service and security of your mail. And in addition it's a given that large parts of the country, perhaps the majority of our nation geographically, will not get mail service at all because no business can make money delivering mail to the sticks.

Now if that's okay with you just say so. Or you can admit that there are some things that cannot be measured by a simpleton's profit/loss point of view. Still waiting for you to comment on nationalizing our national defense.

I believe I already said bureaucratic bloat was something that had to be addressed. You don't cut off your hand because one of your fingers is crooked, however (unless you are a black or white thinking fool).

It IS cheap when you compare it (the cost of first class postage) to the alternatives (total cost and all).
To think you can come up with a business plan to replace the P.O. and do things cheaper is absurd. You still have to collect, process and deliver billions of pieces of mail per day all over the nation. You still have soaring energy prices to contend with also.

And I'm not the one that thinks you can get something for nothing. I agree reforms are needed in the Post Office but
I don't agree that it should be dissolved because there is nothing that can replace this service...no businesses that WANT to replace this service because you can't make a profit delivering billions of pieces of mail everyday, everywhere.

But you probably never considered this. You probably just amble out on your porch in the afternoon, in your unfastened robe,
and stick your grubby hand out when the mailman shows up (in the snow or heat) and then go back inside b!tching about the
d#mned wasteful Post Office never ONCE considering what it took to get that mail in your ungrateful hand.

Because there is no profit incentive.
Incredible you still fail to grasp this.

In part this is true.

This is what I mean about your shameful ignorance on the subject. The Post Office has downsized it's workforce (and continues to do so) and has shut down mail processing facilities and closed post offices all around the country.
Yet you blather on like you know what you're talking about.

Do you think I think that?

The fact is, considering ALL costs of collecting, processing and delivering mail throughout the nation (labor costs, energy costs, the costs of buying and maintaining the actual physical buildings and facilities needed to run your business, the cost of vehicles, planes, processing machinery, etc and a million other things you would never even consider) the Post Office is doing much better than you give them credit for (not that they can't improve).

And not only that but it also makes it highly improbable that ANY business would consider committing billions of dollars to go into the mail delivery business because the profit margin just isn't there! Not unless you jack up the cost of postage so high that
no one uses your services anyway, thereby killing your own business.

But like most simplistic ideologues, you've never considered any of this, have you. Has it ever occurred to you that there are some governmental services that don't operate like a hamburger stand or a gas station? Apparently not.

I have no interest whatsoever in seeing this thing, whatever it is. I'm convinced you just don't get it.

 

First thing. Get rid of the actual mail men. Provide a local box. You want mail? Go get it.

Slim and trim.

 

The only thing that needs to be done is to repeal the idiotic republican legislation that was forced on the USPO to fully fund their retirement program.
Correct that one stupid partisan piece of bad legislation designed to bankrupt the post office and it will be back on it's feet.

Once again conservatism costs the nation tons of money and fails to deliver.

 

No it won't. The cost will skyrocket.

 

I agree, they need to bail on that too.

 

They also burn out in an average of 5 years and move on.
The stress at UPS is HUGE.

 

Cheaper?
Seriously. explain how you can pick up and deliver to EVERY door in the nation 6 days a week, prefund the pension fund and move a piece of mail for under 45 cents.
Explain how you can do that.

 

Stop doing it that way.

 

Examples?
Show us one time where privatization has worked.

 

Who gets to define if it worked or not?

 

Retirement at UPS is relatively rare and a delivery driver even in his forties is a rare sight indeed.

 

Seriously how are you going to do it.

 

Private police???!!
Are you kidding!!??

 

Poverty is far less of a problem than it was 50 yrs ago.

 

You got it.

 

Just some ideas.

1) Privatize the delivery to homes. (bid by companies in a precinct, state, city, etc)
2) Get rid of the mailman. You really want your mail? Go get it at your local distribution center.
3) Tax deduction for paying for home delivery service.

Lots of things.

 

I'm amazed at the number of people that just think, "Oh, Fed Ex could step in and do the job just as well." It's incredible ignorance. People should educate themselves...http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/five-things/the-u-s-postal-service/11433/
The post office does not use government funds for it's business (self supporting)...without the congressionally mandated retirement funding the Post Office would have a net gain of one billion dollars, as it would every year without the mandate (which no other agency has to contend with)....instituting five day service alone would save the P.O. about $3 billion per year.

 

You also doubted that Obama would be re-elected.

 

I'm fine with 5 day a week service.
To think the private sector even wants the business is the laughable part!

I noticed that no matter how many times I ask for examples of privatization working......I never get any.

 

It doesn't sound like it coming from the left. You'd think poverty is problem #1.