Postal Service - Death Imminent

Yes, occasionally they could.

They don't have to go every freaking day, omg.

 

The people who work for the USPS are part of the leftist coalition. Their pensions are structured as defined benefit pensions. They won't compromise to change their pensions to defined contribution plans. So they are the problem. Screw them. Let them pound sand.

 

You mean like US Postal rural routes.
http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/first-rural-routes.htm
http://www.carrierroutes.com/
http://www.grit.com/Community/USPS-Rural-Delivery-Factoids.aspx

They are considering ending Sat delivery for rural routes, I have no heartburn with that, but they are not charging them extra.

 

The Supreme Court would swiftly declare payment to receive a constitutionally guaranteed service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Clause) unconstitutional.
Any talk about paying more to receive your mail simply based on where you live is nonsense.

Just one more reason why no business could ever hope to take over the job of the post office. You can't make a profit (yet, somehow, the USPS is expected to magically overcome the laws of economics).

 

At a higher price though which is a problem. There are thousands of companies that actually depend on low cost mail services (just check the amount of junk mail we receive) and they send out this mail because it benefits them financially. When that is lost then there will be a lot of jobs lost as well and these won't be post office jobs.

Of course there's a logical way to fix this but I haven't seen it proposed. This is just one option:

Limit home delivery for normal first class and lower mail to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This greatly reduces the number of daily carriers because it's only three days a week and not six. It also eliminates "holiday pay" for those federal holidays that fall on Monday because it's not a scheduled work day. Keep the Post Offices open daily including Saturday even if it's only from noon to 6 PM because people need the post office (more than they need 6-day home delivery). Priority and Express mail would still be delivered 6-days a week because the additional rates pay for that special delivery.

A rough estimate of "savings" would be about 25% of the cost of the Postal Service today because of the reduced requirements for delivery alone.

 

The government is subsidizing corn, rice, soybeans, wheat, milk, beef and others today supposedly to provide less expensive foods to Americans. Not sure how this works when farmers are paid not to grow something; less supply equals higher price?? Regarding the USPS, if the collective we can't let go of the status quo USPS, then no problemo...just hike the taxes on all Americans to pay for the albatross. But it seems kind of stupid for the taxpayer to fund the program yet still be required to pay for USPS services? Unsolicited mail is the huge volume that has forced USPS growth yet receives the lowest postage rates? Yet if we remove unsolicited mail from USPS they will go more broke...so the thing most of us hate is a problem and also a solution. I suspect if the rates are increased on unsolicited mail this alone will solve their current financial woes. But this still leaves a dinosaur to deal with...

 

Private could. They need to stop those deliveries completely.

 

This is not a Supreme Court issue, please keep it in perspective. I agree to charge more is wrong.

 

Hey grow up, just saying, private could, is long in the tooth. You are now redundant.

 

You could make a private profit off those who still wanted home delivery, in areas that could afford it.

Thats what in-home secretaries, delivery drivers, concierge services deliver on a regular basis.

 

Interesting comment;

If you can be correct that the private sector will handle mail delivery where it is PROFITABLE...then why can't the USPS handle mail where it is PROFITABLE? I believe by law the USPS is required to not lose money?

Regarding kissing low-cost privatized mail goodbye...your USPS is bankrupt so kiss it goodbye anyway. The USPS, just like so many other government programs, needs a top to bottom overhaul, and this might include less delivery days, less delivery areas, higher postage prices, less services, etc...all of which means keep an open mind in making the USPS sustainable and efficient...

 

Why could private not make a profit? Why do you assume no one in the usa would be willing to pay an extra few bucks a week to have at home delivery, assuming the postal service stopped providing it?

 

If the USPS is truly $15.9 billion in debt this year...who do you suppose is providing the funding for the $15.9 billion that has already been spent?

 

Hey, if you are going to plan things on a napkin, go right ahead and do it with your post office.

 

In box mentality is whats killing this country.

 

Again, do some research, the only reason the USPS is 'losing' money is the idiotic republican legislation.
How hard is that for some people to grasp?

 

Its because its a talking point, not proven.

 

The bill was passed by the republicans, while they were in control in 2006.
Can't change the facts.

 

Can you fathom the idea that if a USPS needs to drive 10 miles to deliver mail to a rural area...that perhaps instead of driving 10 miles 365 days per year, perhaps mail delivery will be once per week or every two weeks? Nothing wrong with the USPS can ever be changed until people can open their minds and think without bias...

 

You've got to be kidding.
Read the article in the OP and get back to us after you drop off that meat lovers pizza.

 

I am the OP. I read it. It doesn't say that its strictly a pension issue.

 

no private company could snap their fingers and supplant the USPS. I could not even imagine trying to perform due diligence on the USPS to determine which jobs are vital and which are just union hacks. The work rules due to the union is also a deterrent to streamlining.

The USPS could become a lean mean fighting machine but it must be decided if they are there as a quasi govt entity or free marketeers. If the former, then they must streamline work rules and cut fat. If the latter, then unshackle them from the must carry/deliver regulations and treat them like any other private firm including vehicle registration/insurance/parking/traffic regulations.

 

If the bold above could possibly be true...then why does the government stipulate a monopoly to USPS to process 1st and 3rd class mail?

 

People need to think long-term. Many times there are up-front costs to implement change but these are justified by long-term ROI with efficiency and profit improvements. For example, assuming it made any sense, it will cost a (*)(*)(*)(*)-load up front to convert from gasoline vehicles to hybrid/electric and electric or CNG, etc. but in the LONG TERM there might be less maintenance and less fuel costs, etc. The USPS is spending well over $1 billion per year in gasoline cost. Instead of individual mail boxes at each residence just install a pod of mail boxes in one location...costs money up front but saves in the long-term...