possible no more saturday mail delivery?

[diskman]

Debt may do what rain, heat, gloom can’t
Postal service considers cutting one day of mail delivery due to deficit

[Muncle]

On the one hand, I am really frustrated by the managerial and economic incompetence of a quasi government agency. When you think of government health care, remember the post office.

On the other hand, at this stage in my life, I receive no mail that couldn't easily wait for Monday delivery. I mean, I really don't care when I get all those invites to free brunches, lunches, or dinners from Madoff Financial Counseling or Geithner Tax Planning.

[Boomer]

..,,,,,,,,,,,On the other hand, at this stage in my life, I receive no mail that couldn't easily wait for Monday delivery. I mean, I really don't care when I get all those invites to free brunches, lunches, or dinners from Madoff Financial Counseling or Geithner Tax Planning.

Ah, yes, Munc, all that mail, from all those financial counseling types, and they always want to buy you dinner first.

Boomer

[SteveFromNY]

Like buggy whips, paper mail will eventually disappear altogether. It may only come one day a month at some time.
I wonder how much fault lies in the economy for the decline in the number of pieces of mail vs. electronic substitutes.
You can get and pay your bills online, don't need to mail things that can be scanned and emailed, etc, etc. The only positive impact from the internet on the PO would be shopping, where the items purchased get mailed. But there, there is stiff competition with PS and FedEx to name just two. We et almost nothing but junk mail in hte mailbox these days.

[Russ_Boston]

I really think I could get mail just once a week and be fine with it. Almost everything that i actually need is delivered electronically. My paychecks are deposited without any paper, my bills are all deducted automatically when due etc. 99% of everything I get from the USPS is not even opened by me and send directly to the circular file!

I don't see the big deal if they do shut down on Saturday.

[zcaveman]

I need my mail delivery!! I need to get my Blockbuster DVDs so I have something to watch instead of the drivel on TV, Like others, I pay my bills on-line or use direct deposit. but I need my Blockbuster DVDs. And I need to get them back so I can got more.:pepper2::pepper2:

[maybesomeday]

The little problem with cutting the number of deliveries of mail is where to put it while it's waiting to be delivered. It would either have to be stored in bigger facilities or picked up less often (stored at the source). Would we need a whole new fleet of larger trucks? etc. etc.

[zcaveman]

Other than my DVD (see above) most of my mail is junk mail and can be tossed at the mail depot.

If they started charging the "bulk mail" and "catalog" senders double, there would be little mail to hold.

[Villages Kahuna]

When the Postmaster General testified today he said that the day that would be dropped is likely to be Wednesday.

One thing is for sure...if they skip Wednesday there won't be near enough room in my little Villages mail box for all the catalogs that will pile up over two days. I just can't imagine how all those catalog companies caught up with as after we moved from up north. It took awhile, but they did find us!

[Muncle]

When I first heard about dropping a delivery day, I'm sure the news guy said Saturday. I initially thought in preferable to sub a day like Wed to spread the non-deliveries out a bit. Then I considered the impact that snail mail still has on businesses. I expect a lot of them would suffer a tad if they were denied mail service on a normal working day.

[k2at]

My understanding is that they will not be open on Tuesdays. It appears the day closed has not been decided yet.

[Becky]

Is Saturday delivery considered overtime for couriers? Just curious. :icon_wink:

Becky

[Russ_Boston]

I guess i see the point about business delivery (and Netflix!) but even at my business I think we could do with every other day and do the work over two days until the next mail.

I'd be ok with a big increase in first class mail from a personal POV since I send hardly any but with business already struggling I guess that would hurt even more.

[SteveZ]

When I look at the mail I receive, 50% goes into the trash bin immediately, another 25% goes from the mailbox to the shredder without being opened, and the last 25% is actually viewed, but less than half of that has any true value.

Gee, to miss out another day each week on knowing that I've been pre-qualified for another credit card, or an investment counselor is willling to feed me on the hope I'll turn over what's left of the family nest-egg for his speculation, or there are more coupons for driveway treatments and carpet cleaning available to me - how can I possibly live without it all......

[rshoffer]

Don't fret.... this is a perfect example where private industry will fill the void with better and more efficient service.

[MMC24]

Sounds OK with me, I mostly receive junk mail in my post box anyway. 90% of my bills are sent via Internet ebills which are paid thru on-line banking.

This type of bill sending and payment processing plus email is some of the reasons that the post office is in decline.

Currently, a 20 stamp book will last me approx. 2 months except for the Christmas card season.

Technology is passing the USPS by . . . . ..:shrug:

[Boomer]

Yeah. I know all that.

And just when I thought buying those "Forever Stamps" or whatever they are called would give me the best ROI out there right now. Oh well. I'm always on some econ recon mission. I will have to find an investment replacement for those stamps.

So......

Wave goodbye to the junk mail and come ons.

Wave goodbye to the nice lady driving the funny little truck. Wave goodbye to the guy in those most unattractive shorts.

Watch them wave goodbye to their jobs, to their health care coverage.

Who will pay that replacement cost????

I will spare you a big long story this morning. But I do have to throw an allusion up here on this screen.

Remember The Hydra, a monster, from mythology. Hercules had to cut off its head. A seemingly impossible task. Cut off The Hydra's head and two grew back in its place. Cut off both of those. Get four heads. Then eight. You get the picture.

Where is Hercules when you need him? He knew what to do.

Of course, another of Herc's tasks was to clean out the Augean Stables. Those stables had never been cleaned. All full of years and years of you-know-what. I cannot help but draw an analogy to Congress. Herc had to change the courses of two rivers to get that stable cleaning job done. But, now, he would be in trouble for being so ungreen.

(Forgive me. I am snowed and iced in here in Cincinnati. I am starting to sound like some kind of English major. Leaping from the PO to Ancient Greece. I hope Tony does not see this.)

Boomer

[Russ_Boston]

There has to be an analogy hiden somewhere in that story!:laugh:

[ouma1938]

I agree with ZCaveman about Blockbuster. I need the Post Office exclusively for my Netflicks. I love those red envelopes. Aside from that I don't really care if the PO delivers once a week. I receive and pay bills electronically, read most of my newspapers on the net, and most of the snail mail is junk mail. With USP and FedEx anything I buy can be delivered almost as cheaply as USPS>

[Muncle]

Yeah. I know all that.

And just when I thought buying those "Forever Stamps" or whatever they are called would give me the best ROI out there right now. Oh well. I'm always on some econ recon mission. I will have to find an investment replacement for those stamps.

*&********

Watch them wave goodbye to their jobs, to their health care coverage.


***************


Where is Hercules when you need him? He knew what to do.

************

(Forgive me. I am snowed and iced in here in Cincinnati. I am starting to sound like some kind of English major. Leaping from the PO to Ancient Greece. I hope Tony does not see this.)

Boomer

I always used the books of stamps until one of my lovely nieces gave me a beautiful wooden stamp roll holder. So I had to switch to the 100 stamp rolls. Never completed a roll before the price rose, so I've used a lot of 1 and 2 cent stamps. I figured the forever stamps were the answer, only to discover that the didn't come in rolls.

Re USPS cutbacks, those folks have a very strong union. Nobody's going to lose a job. If anything, they'll hire more to handled the change.

I too wish Hercules were back. Don't know about the ancient Greeks, but the Kevin Sorbo version always had scores of beautiful, buxom Kiwi & Aussie girls around. I especially liked it when Callisto, Aphrodite, or Deianeira were on. Maybe this wasn't Aesop, but it was good 90's escapism television.

Sorry Tony.

[diskman]

When the Postmaster General testified today he said that the day that would be dropped is likely to be Wednesday.

One thing is for sure...if they skip Wednesday there won't be near enough room in my little Villages mail box for all the catalogs that will pile up over two days. I just can't imagine how all those catalog companies caught up with as after we moved from up north. It took awhile, but they did find us!

Strange on the tube this morn they said Tuesday is the slowest mail day?:evil6:
Since I started doing and paying for most things on line i figure I am saving approx $120.00 year on postage.
Those of you watching Netflix movies should know for a few dollars you could connect your computer to your television and get you movies on line instead of the mails.:beer3:

[ouma1938]

Really!!!! I never knew that Diskman. I occasionally do wathc movies on my computer but the screen is small and Mr. Ouma (Oupa) can't watch with me. I'll have to try and figure out how to connect my laptop to the TV. That would be fantastic. Thanks for the tip.

[Boomer]

.............................
I too wish Hercules were back. Don't know about the ancient Greeks, but the Kevin Sorbo version always had scores of beautiful, buxom Kiwi & Aussie girls around. I especially liked it when Callisto, Aphrodite, or Deianeira were on. Maybe this wasn't Aesop, but it was good 90's escapism television.

Sorry Tony.

Hey Munc,

I had to look up Deianeira. Rumors that Dionysus, aka Bacchus, was her dad. How could she not have been a party girl. And Aphrodite -- well, everybody knows about her.

Escapism television mythology. That bastardization of Homer. Or was it Edith Hamilton? It sure was fun though. Even if they got it all mixed up.

Munc, I suspect you know something about those Ancient Greeks. Are you down there in TV having toga parties? If so, I hope you will invite the local PO on their day off. To cheer them up.

(Is this where I am supposed to say, "Sorry Tony," like you did?)

Boomer

[zcaveman]

Strange on the tube this morn they said Tuesday is the slowest mail day?:evil6:
Since I started doing and paying for most things on line i figure I am saving approx $120.00 year on postage.
Those of you watching Netflix movies should know for a few dollars you could connect your computer to your television and get you movies on line instead of the mails.:beer3:


Do the downloaded movies have Closed Caption? A necessity in my hacienda.

[diskman]

Do the downloaded movies have Closed Caption? A necessity in my hacienda.

you would need to ask customer service?:shrug::shrug::shrug:

[784caroline]

The news report I heard said saturday or possibly tuesday...never heard wednesday! I know our small mail box would have a big problem with all the "junk" we receive. Someone in our house.... no names mentioned...is a catalogue nut!

Postal service workers have a pretty sweet deal....and it may be time to re-evaluate their contract (especially healthcare)......but then we will need to call in the national guard if there is a strike....opps but they are not available! So now what do we do!

[Becky]

Still wondering if Sat is overtime for delivery people. Anyone know?

Becky

[Halle]

Hi Becky,

I ask my brother who is a Post Master in Nebraska, and he said nope Saturday is regular pay.

Halle

[HMLRHT1]

As a current Letter Carrier for the USPS and part time resident of The Villages I would like u to know that the 6 day delivery is here to stay. If the PMG wanted to go to five days a week it, he would never get approval from congress to do it. They all have told him he has to find another way. So as long as the USPS is in business then there will be 6 day delivery. But they may have to lay off good exprienced help that will add to the rolls of the unemployed. If u have more questions feel free to ask.

[HMLRHT1]

The news report I heard said saturday or possibly tuesday...never heard wednesday! I know our small mail box would have a big problem with all the "junk" we receive. Someone in our house.... no names mentioned...is a catalogue nut!

Postal service workers have a pretty sweet deal....and it may be time to re-evaluate their contract (especially healthcare)......but then we will need to call in the national guard if there is a strike....opps but they are not available! So now what do we do!

No we don't have a sweet deal. If u have never worked for USPS then u would not know all the work that goes on. If your carrier makes it look easy it is because he or she is very good at what they do. And no we can not go on stike...it is against the law. It was against the law in 1971 too and those who did go on strke were arrested. But at that time it change everything and it went from being a government USPO to the quasi government USPS. Health care is a good bargain for us as it is for all federal employees. Talk to Obama about making it the same for everyone else. ;)

[Sidney Lanier]

On the one hand, I am really frustrated by the managerial and economic incompetence of a quasi government agency. When you think of government health care, remember the post office.

Sorry, I disagree. I have family all over the world, and with HB a travel agent and us traveling all over the world, I have to say that our U.S. Postal Service is a joy of efficiency to deal with compared with postal systems throughout the rest of the world. They are not responsible for the rapid growth of technology that has brought us other conveniences mentioned earlier in this thread (e.g., email, online bill pay, and so forth), and yes, they do have to make changes to cover for this enormous drop in usage.

The only day of potential closure that I had ever heard was Tuesday, and I personally would have no problem with that. And why should postal employees not be eligible for the same health benefits as federal employees? It's bad enough the vastly growing number of Americans who don't have health coverage! (Sorry Topicop.) And no, I am not a postal or federal employee and never was, and no one in my family is....

[HMLRHT1]

To all of you who complain about junk mail, understand that the letter carriers deliver this because we are paid to deliver it. The USPS is paid by the mailers to deliver it. There are alot of people who who use the junk mail advertisements to buy their goods at discounted prices or find a certain item they are looking for. As far as the forever stamps that is exactly what they are. You don't need to add any postage to them as long as the letter only weighs 1 ounce or less. Even if the price of the stamp goes up. The unions are not making it harder for the USPS to operate. They are brainstorming with management to find a resolution to these problems. And they won't be hiring career employees any time soon. There are numerous vacancies that are being filled with temporary employees but not career.