Save our post office

[LoisR]

Did you know that the USPS delivers over 472 million pieces of mail daily. Yes, that's no mistake. More than 472 million pieces of mail are delivered every day.
Did you also know that some of our elected officials (specifically one ) have withheld funding from the USPS because they believe it can be run more efficiently run if it were privatized?
Why not privatize our armed forces? Wasn't it the reserves and national guard who were first called up during the last several wars because our armed forces had not yet been fully trained or supplied to effectively respond?
Please consider calling your elected official and voice your opinion that the USPS must be saved and properly funded.

[retiredguy123]

Why? If other people get mail like I do, then about 467 million of the 472 million pieces are junk mail that go right into the trash.

In my opinion, funding the Post Office is a waste of money, fuel, and labor.

[asianthree]

Who gets bills, statements in the Post anymore.

Junk mail, free keys to cars, and political Junk is what’s left. What little Snail mail one gets Is just inadequate. Case in point have 3 meds that come USPO. Been floating around for a week at local post office, still MIA. Time for a change

[Stu from NYC]

Get rid of the requirement they have to fund retirement plans 75 years into the future and than lets talk about the economics of the post office.

[retiredguy123]

Get rid of the requirement they have to fund retirement plans 75 years into the future and than lets talk about the economics of the post office.
But, the Post Office will tell you that they shouldn't have to include retirement expenses in their budget, because those are not "operating expenses". When an employee retires, the hundreds of thousands of dollars they collect in retirement and health care should be paid from someone else's budget, and not counted against the Post Office.

[Schaumburger]

Why? If other people get mail like I do, then about 467 million of the 472 million pieces are junk mail that go right into the trash.

In my opinion, funding the Post Office is a waste of money, fuel, and labor.

Here is some food for thought in defense of the USPS, which does need reform, instead of being abolished.

My elderly dad, along with 20% of Americans, gets maintenance medication delivered by the USPS. In 2019, the USPS delivered 1.2 billion prescriptions, including almost 100% of the prescriptions delivered by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

The USPS is mandated to deliver to all addresses in the U.S. Fed Ex and UPS do not have this mandate; if it is not profitable for Fed Ex and UPS to deliver to a rural area, they are not required to. So how will Americans living in remote areas get their packages and mail? How will veterans living in remote areas get their maintenance medication shipped to them if the USPS is abolished?

One requirement that needs reform regarding the USPS is the requirement that USPS is required to pre-pay health benefits for retirees 75 years into the future. This requirement has been a major factor in the USPS' operating losses since 2006.

Please note: the statistics are from CNBC and The American Prospect.

[Schaumburger]

Who gets bills, statements in the Post anymore.

Junk mail, free keys to cars, and political Junk is what’s left. What little Snail mail one gets Is just inadequate. Time for a change

I still get some bills and statements in the mail, and I have no issue with online banking and using the internet. There are still people (like my elderly father) who do not use the internet and still get all their statements and bills in the mail. What solution would you propose for these people?

[retiredguy123]

I still get some bills and statements in the mail, and I have no issue with online banking and using the internet. There are still people (like my elderly father) who do not use the internet and still get all their statements and bills in the mail. What solution would you propose for these people?
I would propose that people should have the option to cancel their Post Office account and remove their mailbox, but your father could keep his account. If a letter or junk mail is sent to someone who has cancelled their account, the mail would be returned, and the sender would need to use UPS, FedEx, or another private delivery service. But, the current system requires every person to have a USPS account, and if the IRS, a bank, or a lawyer sends you a letter, the courts will rule that you have received the letter. Also, you cannot stop junk mail from being deposited into you mailbox until it overflows.

[retiredguy123]

Here is some food for thought in defense of the USPS, which does need reform, instead of being abolished.

My elderly dad, along with 20% of Americans, gets maintenance medication delivered by the USPS. In 2019, the USPS delivered 1.2 billion prescriptions, including almost 100% of the prescriptions delivered by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

The USPS is mandated to deliver to all addresses in the U.S. Fed Ex and UPS do not have this mandate; if it is not profitable for Fed Ex and UPS to deliver to a rural area, they are not required to. So how will Americans living in remote areas get their packages and mail? How will veterans living in remote areas get their maintenance medication shipped to them if the USPS is abolished?

One requirement that needs reform regarding the USPS is the requirement that USPS is required to pre-pay health benefits for retirees 75 years into the future. This requirement has been a major factor in the USPS' operating losses since 2006.

Please note: the statistics are from CNBC and The American Prospect.
Of course retirement and health benefit costs are a major factor in the Post Office losing money. But, who else should pay those costs? The Post Office hired the employees and promised them the benefits. If they don't want to fund the benefits, then hire more contract employees, who don't get the same generous benefits. But, I believe that another factor in the Post Office losing money is that they don't charge enough to deliver junk mail. If junk mail is profitable, why don't UPS and FedEx deliver any of it? More than 95 percent of my mail is trash, and the Post Office expects someone else to dispose of it.

[Schaumburger]

Of course retirement and health benefit costs are a major factor in the Post Office losing money. But, who else should pay those costs? The Post Office hired the employees and promised them the benefits. If they don't want to fund the benefits, then hire more contract employees, who don't get the same generous benefits. But, I believe that another factor in the Post Office losing money is that they don't charge enough to deliver junk mail. If junk mail is profitable, why don't UPS and FedEx deliver any of it? More than 95 percent of my mail is trash, and the Post Office expects someone else to dispose of it.

I will agree that much of my mail also ends up in the recycling container. USPS should charge more to deliver junk mail. As far as paying for health care benefits, is it necessary for the USPS to prepay 75 years in the future...how about USPS prepaying 20 to 30 years in the future as a compromise?

[Buckeyephan]

The post office delivers millions of pieces of junk mail that end up in land fills. That doesn’t take into consideration the trees that are cut down to provide paper for junk people don’t want/need. Those sending them pay a very small percentage of what you and I would need to spend to send that same piece of trash. Sounds like a make-work scheme to keep people on the payroll and union roster.

The help we are giving Amazon is another issue. I ordered a rug for my grandson that included free shipping. By mistake, I had it sent to me. The post office charged $40 to mail it to Virginia. That was outrageous! Why are we subsidizing such a huge corporation? I know some have claimed the taxpayer isn’t underwriting this. I haven been convinced. Other companies such as Kohl’s claim they are sending via UPS, but the final delivery comes from USPS.

Should we discuss the Christmas card I received in February or my granddaughter’s birthday party invitation that arrived after her thank you note did? Inefficient and overpriced. Privatizing would certainly provide some healthy competition.

[Schaumburger]

The post office delivers millions of pieces of junk mail that end up in land fills. That doesn’t take into consideration the trees that are cut down to provide paper for junk people don’t want/need. Those sending them pay a very small percentage of what you and I would need to spend to send that same piece of trash. Sounds like a make-work scheme to keep people on the payroll and union roster.

The help we are giving Amazon is another issue. I ordered a rug for my grandson that included free shipping. By mistake, I had it sent to me. The post office charged $40 to mail it to Virginia. That was outrageous! Why are we subsidizing such a huge corporation? I know some have claimed the taxpayer isn’t underwriting this. I haven been convinced. Other companies such as Kohl’s claim they are sending via UPS, but the final delivery comes from USPS.

Should we discuss the Christmas card I received in February or my granddaughter’s birthday party invitation that arrived after her thank you note did? Inefficient and overpriced. Privatizing would certainly provide some healthy competition.

But would a private entity deliver to remote locations in say Alaska, some of the other Western states or rural America which would not be profitable? Or don't those Americans deserve to get their mail and packages delivered to them.? Thinking of my sister and her husband who live about 5 miles outside of a town with a population of 2,480 in rural Wisconsin.

[retiredguy123]

I will agree that much of my mail also ends up in the recycling container. USPS should charge more to deliver junk mail. As far as paying for health care benefits, is it necessary for the USPS to prepay 75 years in the future...how about USPS prepaying 20 to 30 years in the future as a compromise?
I don't know the actual cost figures, but I believe the 75 year rule has been modified. But, a compromise would be for the Post Office to fund an amount that is based on the real projected cost for the benefits they promise to their employees. A postal employee who starts working at age 25 can retire at age 55, and then receive retirement and health benefits for the next 30 years or longer while producing no work for the Post Office. That is a real cost to the taxpayers that will typically amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per employee.

[Stu from NYC]

But, the Post Office will tell you that they shouldn't have to include retirement expenses in their budget, because those are not "operating expenses". When an employee retires, the hundreds of thousands of dollars they collect in retirement and health care should be paid from someone else's budget, and not counted against the Post Office.

Post office hired these people and employed them and should be responsible for their pensions if that is the agreement. 75 years into the future though is nuts.

Also they must be losing a fortune delivering for Amazon. They should charge enough to cover their costs and do not believe they are doing so now.

[Topspinmo]

Did you know that the USPS delivers over 472 million pieces of mail daily. Yes, that's no mistake. More than 472 million pieces of mail are delivered every day.
Did you also know that some of our elected officials (specifically one ) have withheld funding from the USPS because they believe it can be run more efficiently run if it were privatized?
Why not privatize our armed forces? Wasn't it the reserves and national guard who were first called up during the last several wars because our armed forces had not yet been fully trained or supplied to effectively respond?
Please consider calling your elected official and voice your opinion that the USPS must be saved and properly funded.

The problem With USPS as other federal agencies they have more mangers, supervisors, and directors than they do employees actually doing the work. Bloated and ineffective. Private companies don’t have this problem, I’d they do there not in business very long.

[retiredguy123]

Post office hired these people and employed them and should be responsible for their pensions if that is the agreement. 75 years into the future though is nuts.

Also they must be losing a fortune delivering for Amazon. They should charge enough to cover their costs and do not believe they are doing so now.
But, why single out Amazon? Why shouldn't they charge all customers enough to pay their costs? I think their biggest cost is for the junk mail that most people don't want. If they can't compete, then they should shut down and let the private companies deliver everything.

[Stu from NYC]

But, why single out Amazon? Why shouldn't they charge all customers enough to pay their costs? I think their biggest cost is for the junk mail that most people don't want. If they can't compete, then they should shut down and let the private companies deliver everything.

Amazon was just one example. They should charge enough to cover their costs for all of their customers or drop the customer.

[Gpsma]

USPS,....THE PONY EXPRESS NOW.

get rid of it..privatize now

[queasy27]

I would not be in favor of privatizing the post office but would love bulk mail prices to be the same as first class. That might negatively affect those who enjoy getting mail offers/coupons and don't have access to online resources, but companies could still reach those folks if they're willing to pay a fair price.

I've stopped catalogs, credit card offers, Val Pak ads, and every other consumer opt-out provision I can find. The Villages magazine and AARP, however, are relentless!

[davem4616]

the USPS totally blew it when they didn't see the uptick in shipping and allowed UPS and FedEx to take that money maker
away from them....then after the fact they've tried too little to late be competitive with those shipping companies

then electronic mail arrived which further eroded their business volume...and no one sends out Christmas cards like they did
in the 50's early '60's....another volume loss that they never saw coming

poor management on the part of USPS...they've had their head in the sand for decades....they never thought that they could be
challenged

guess what...some one moved your cheese and ate your lunch...you are toast and eventually will be replaced by a non government company that will make a profit

[retiredguy123]

I would not be in favor of privatizing the post office but would love bulk mail prices to be the same as first class. That might negatively affect those who enjoy getting mail offers/coupons and don't have access to online resources, but companies could still reach those folks if they're willing to pay a fair price.

I've stopped catalogs, credit card offers, Val Pak ads, and every other consumer opt-out provision I can find. The Villages magazine and AARP, however, are relentless!
I agree with the bulk mail pricing. But, if you don't want to privitize the Post Office, I think what you are suggesting would effectively put them out of business anyway. Companies that send junk mail are not going to pay first class prices.

[Stu from NYC]

the USPS totally blew it when they didn't see the uptick in shipping and allowed UPS and FedEx to take that money maker
away from them....then after the fact they've tried too little to late be competitive with those shipping companies

then electronic mail arrived which further eroded their business volume...and no one sends out Christmas cards like they did
in the 50's early '60's....another volume loss that they never saw coming

poor management on the part of USPS...they've had their head in the sand for decades....they never thought that they could be
challenged

guess what...some one moved your cheese and ate your lunch...you are toast and eventually will be replaced by a non government company that will make a profit

good points they blew it when they could not compete with others in the parcel business.

[Cheapbas]

I have a small business and the usps is the fastest, cheapest reliable way to get purchases to consumers. To me their services are invaluable.

Comparable ground services by the 2 major Delivery co’s are slow and far more money.

It costs 2.86 to 3.09 to get an item to the buyer, affords some sellers to offer free shipping.

It’s one of the best deals going. Presuming many of you are purchasing online nowadays you can get your items delivered cheaper and preserves your disposable income.

I would prefer they fix it and not eliminate.

[coalminer]

I agree. Save the post office

[dewilson58]

I agree. Save the post office


Why??

[stadry]

even the usps realizes their services lack customer satisfaction especially when they have fedex drop boxes on the property,,, personally i wish the behind-the-counter personnel were more customer-friendly rather than their '-i'm-doing-you-a-favor' attitude so prevalent among those who, w/o a soft overpaid job, would probably be collecting public$ benefits,,, have noticed that customers often display/adopt a kiss-their-*** demeanor both in the post office & dmv's,,, we're timid when expressing 'you work for us !'
ah, sweet diversity - letting those who can't decently spell sort mail

[iht2209]

Spoken like a true business men. If you work for me for 40 years why should I owe you a pension. You should work till you die. Now you know why I buy everything online and don’t support local business men.

[J1ceasar]

The only smart reply so far .

[J1ceasar]

Wher3 do you go? I have found the lake DMV very nice! The fruitlands park post office.. great people .

[greenflash245]

right!

[Windguy]

I would not be in favor of privatizing the post office but would love bulk mail prices to be the same as first class.
Why should it cost the same as first class? It is bulk mail after all. It’s not a bunch of individual letters going from one random location to another random location that have to be carefully sorted. It’s a bulk quantity all coming from the same location to a bunch of sequential locations. No sorting is required. The USPS makes money on bulk mail. That and Amazon are what keep them afloat.

I really hate junk mail, but if getting it is the price I have to pay to get my prescriptions delivered, it’s worth it.

[Bay Kid]

Could the problem be with the PO be that it is government run?

[4557Spahr]

Having worked in management at both UPS and FedEx, I can speak from experience. The USPS is bidding against these companies and delivering packages at a loss. Why not bid actual cost? Why are they are delivering my stupid Amazon packages on Sunday? They need to run the USPS more efficiently. I agree with you but they need a good cleaning out. They need to stop paying to advertise on TV and go back to what the USPS was supposed to be doing.

[oneclickplus]

Did you know that the USPS delivers over 472 million pieces of mail daily. Yes, that's no mistake. More than 472 million pieces of mail are delivered every day.
Did you also know that some of our elected officials (specifically one ) have withheld funding from the USPS because they believe it can be run more efficiently run if it were privatized?
Why not privatize our armed forces? Wasn't it the reserves and national guard who were first called up during the last several wars because our armed forces had not yet been fully trained or supplied to effectively respond?
Please consider calling your elected official and voice your opinion that the USPS must be saved and properly funded.

Someone is misinformed. You can't withhold funds when no funds are being provided in the first place. The USPS is entirely self-funded by products and services.

The following text is from a URL I can't post. It looks something like:
hxxps://facts [dot] usps [dot] com/top-facts/

Notice the last one at the bottom.

---------------------------------------------

From facilitating the nation’s largest one day food drive, to working with customers to prevent dog bites, to educating customers on consumer protection, to delivering holiday cheer to those in need, the Postal Service supports communities nationwide.

12
Veterans. The Postal Service employs more than 97,000 military veterans and is one of the largest employers of veterans in the country. Learn more

11
All heart. The Postal Service is at the core of the $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry that employs more than 7.3 million people. Learn more

10
Heroes. Postal employees regularly go beyond the call of duty to protect the lives of customers they serve, including older and disabled customers through the Carrier Alert Program. In fiscal year 2019, the Postal Service recognized 232 heroic employees.

9
Greener than you think. Free Priority Mail boxes meet Sustainable Forestry initiative and Forest Stewardship Council certification standards. This means the paper for those boxes comes from well-managed forests. In addition, the boxes include at least 30-percent recycled content.

8
Retail giant. The Postal Service has the nation's largest retail network — bigger than McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart combined, domestically.

7
Global business. The Postal Service processes and delivers 48 percent of the world's mail and is constantly innovating to make customer experiences better.

6
Vehicles. The Postal Service has more than 228,000 vehicles, one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. New next-generation vehicles will have improved ergonomics, safety features, fuel efficiency and design flexibility.

5
Competition and collaboration. The Postal Service both competes and collaborates with the private sector. UPS and FedEx pay the Postal Service to deliver hundreds of millions of their ground packages, and USPS pays UPS and FedEx for air transportation.

4
Affordability. For 55 cents, anyone can send a letter, regardless of geographic location, to anywhere in the United States.

3
Dependable. The Postal Service is the only organization in the country that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to regularly deliver to every residential and business address in the nation.

2
Security. U.S. Mail is protected by more than 200 federal laws enforced by the Postal Inspection Service, one of the nation's oldest law enforcement agencies.

And most importantly...

1
Zero tax dollars used. The Postal Service receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

[Tom2172]

472 million pieces of mail Of which
470 million junk mail

Charge more for junk mail
Post office will make more money, less land fill paper and less mail to deliver

[mk1126]

Amazing all these, expert, succinct critiques and analyses of the Postal Service. Basic is this country could not get along without it, just considering all the rural, remote addresses it must connect to. For years, it had always been the 'least' expensive of all the Postal Services in the world while it certainly is the largest.
Some legislators are trying to modify the "75 years' into the future requirement which was passed in 2006 by Baby Bush's regime and Susan Collins of Maine.
Does anyone really know where the money was funneled to? (Begins with an I )!

[KSSunshine]

I don't know the actual cost figures, but I believe the 75 year rule has been modified. But, a compromise would be for the Post Office to fund an amount that is based on the real projected cost for the benefits they promise to their employees. A postal employee who starts working at age 25 can retire at age 55, and then receive retirement and health benefits for the next 30 years or longer while producing no work for the Post Office. That is a real cost to the taxpayers that will typically amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per employee.

Not true, Retired Guy 123, My parents both worked for USPS; took the USPS retirement in Lieu of Social Security and PAID for their health insurance outside of Medicare.

[retiredguy123]

To those who say that the Post Office uses zero tax dollars, why did Congress recently pass a new stimulus bill that would have provided $25 million in additional Post Office funding? The bill was killed in the Senate.

And, if the Post Office makes money on bulk mail, why doesn't UPS and FedEx ever deliver any bulk mail? I thought they were in business to make money.

[SuzyQtoo]

I thought postage paid that. Also, quit delivering on Saturdays. I can wait an extra day for junk mail.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Fed Ex, UPS and other services operate a profit while USPS continues to leak money every year and demand more money and higher rates.

Privatizing would be a great idea.

A comparison to the military is absurd.

[Mikec041]

I can see why the USPS is losing customers. I've had 4 packages returned to sender in as many months. Tracking information shows "out for delivery" at say 7:00 am and returned to sender undeliverables at 7:20 am. Really? Post Office said they can't comment since the package has left the building. Mean while never had same experience with UPS or FedEx. Want to really get annoyed sign up for "informed delivery" with the Post Office and see how much of your mail actually never reaches you.

[donfey]

Why? If other people get mail like I do, then about 467 million of the 472 million pieces are junk mail that go right into the trash.

In my opinion, funding the Post Office is a waste of money, fuel, and labor.

Junk mail would actually help the USPS IF they were charges the same rate as business mail. We pay 55 cents to mail a bill or to communicate with a politician. The politician or the company that wants out business pays a small fraction of the actual cost. And how about Amazon? It's a big laugh how they're delivering packages using the USPS at a DISCOUNTED rate. Then add everyone else's magazines and store ads.

If all those companies, and there are many others, actually paid the real cost to deliver, the Post Office would be in the black. It can stay a federal "service," so remote locations can stay connected, but RUN IT like a business.

[theruizs]

Here is some food for thought in defense of the USPS, which does need reform, instead of being abolished.

My elderly dad, along with 20% of Americans, gets maintenance medication delivered by the USPS. In 2019, the USPS delivered 1.2 billion prescriptions, including almost 100% of the prescriptions delivered by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

The USPS is mandated to deliver to all addresses in the U.S. Fed Ex and UPS do not have this mandate; if it is not profitable for Fed Ex and UPS to deliver to a rural area, they are not required to. So how will Americans living in remote areas get their packages and mail? How will veterans living in remote areas get their maintenance medication shipped to them if the USPS is abolished?

One requirement that needs reform regarding the USPS is the requirement that USPS is required to pre-pay health benefits for retirees 75 years into the future. This requirement has been a major factor in the USPS' operating losses since 2006.

Please note: the statistics are from CNBC and The American Prospect.

Thanks. Things I had not considered before myself. And they could cut the 75 years to 35-40 and save a bundle. Very few retirees are going to out live that, right?

[Linda Taranto]

I still get my bills by mail! I pay them online, but I'm of the old-school and like the paper for my records. I also get prescriptions by mail. Now, if they could figure out a way to get rid of the JUNK mail, I would be all for that!

[Curtisbwp]

Most people know nothing about the postal SERVICE. YES it is a service. They do not know what the postal RATE commission is. Back in the mid 80s when gas increased from $1.00 to $3.00 and ups & fedx tacked on a 'gas surcharge' to cover the increase in costs CONGRESS would not all the service to charge an extra penny. When i performed an EXTENSIVE return on investement (roi) and an economic determination annalyss on two offices and drtermined that the income from BOTH barely covered the costs of one office. I had strong evidence that a consolidation was needed. I met 3 times with community leasers and residents. Then "THE POLITICAL part kicked in. The senator and congress person said NO NO NO because they may lose a few votes....


Did you know that the USPS delivers over 472 million pieces of mail daily. Yes, that's no mistake. More than 472 million pieces of mail are delivered every day.
Did you also know that some of our elected officials (specifically one ) have withheld funding from the USPS because they believe it can be run more efficiently run if it were privatized?
Why not privatize our armed forces? Wasn't it the reserves and national guard who were first called up during the last several wars because our armed forces had not yet been fully trained or supplied to effectively respond?
Please consider calling your elected official and voice your opinion that the USPS must be saved and properly funded.

[Stu from NYC]

I think if they privatize it with a condition that every address in the US be served it would become much more efficient.

[Scorpyo]

Could the problem be with the PO be that it is government run?
It took till post number 32 to state the obvious. Thanks. There are a lot of pros and cons to going private or to stay governmental. Either get the government to fix the problems (i.e., charge more for junk mail) or negotiate with the private sector. Private sector - If you want this then you've got to take care of this as well. No one says it would be easy.

[Topspinmo]

I have a small business and the usps is the fastest, cheapest reliable way to get purchases to consumers. To me their services are invaluable.

Comparable ground services by the 2 major Delivery co’s are slow and far more money.

It costs 2.86 to 3.09 to get an item to the buyer, affords some sellers to offer free shipping.

It’s one of the best deals going. Presuming many of you are purchasing online nowadays you can get your items delivered cheaper and preserves your disposable income.

I would prefer they fix it and not eliminate.

Why they are so far in the hole. They need to get rid of the layers of management. To offer that at low price they need to be efficient, not just another federal agency.

[jackandbeth]

The USPS is the ONLY US agency that generates money. It does not get money from our taxes, it makes money for our government through postage. Which is why -to me- people in government are trying to get rid of it. This way they can privatize it and make money themselves. Stop them if you care about your rights. Delivering of the mail to every person in America is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

[Sherry8bal]

I would propose that people should have the option to cancel their Post Office account and remove their mailbox, but your father could keep his account. If a letter or junk mail is sent to someone who has cancelled their account, the mail would be returned, and the sender would need to use UPS, FedEx, or another private delivery service. But, the current system requires every person to have a USPS account, and if the IRS, a bank, or a lawyer sends you a letter, the courts will rule that you have received the letter. Also, you cannot stop junk mail from being deposited into you mailbox until it overflows.


I used to work for the Post Office and your suggestion would be a logistic nightmare and would not be possible. The biggest problems with the USPS is for many workers who have longevity, they pay is astronomical. They get 10% for any hours after 6:00 pm and an additional 25% for any Sunday pay. I used to work on Sundays and so they could say back then they did away with all Sunday workers, they pushed my hours back to that the majority of them were after 6:00 pm so they could count it as MONDAY pay. Now because of that move, I now got that 10% night pay AND 25% Sunday pay, so I was making my regular wage plus 35% more. And that's how they push the numbers to say they saved money by eliminating Sunday workers.

They also have many bad workers who sit around and do nothing, go to breaks and never come back unless a supervisor gets them and because of the Union, nothing can ever be done. We had a woman who worked the stamp counter so she had a lot of responsibility and got her daughter a job there. The daughter was stealing credit cards out of people's mail and going out and using them to charge stuff and then throw the cards away. Of course the postal inspectors caught her eventually and all they did was ask her to quit. No fine, no prosecution, etc. There are horror stories like this all the time there and nothing can be done about bad workers because of the union. You never hear about these problems.

You can't privatize the system either because the big companies would take the cream of the crop (aka big cities) and leave the small towns and rural routes to somehow get their mail elsewhere.

[retiredguy123]

I used to work for the Post Office and your suggestion would be a logistic nightmare and would not be possible. The biggest problems with the USPS is for many workers who have longevity, they pay is astronomical. They get 10% for any hours after 6:00 pm and an additional 25% for any Sunday pay. I used to work on Sundays and so they could say back then they did away with all Sunday workers, they pushed my hours back to that the majority of them were after 6:00 pm so they could count it as MONDAY pay. Now because of that move, I now got that 10% night pay AND 25% Sunday pay, so I was making my regular wage plus 35% more. And that's how they push the numbers to say they saved money by eliminating Sunday workers.

They also have many bad workers who sit around and do nothing, go to breaks and never come back unless a supervisor gets them and because of the Union, nothing can ever be done. We had a woman who worked the stamp counter so she had a lot of responsibility and got her daughter a job there. The daughter was stealing credit cards out of people's mail and going out and using them to charge stuff and then throw the cards away. Of course the postal inspectors caught her eventually and all they did was ask her to quit. No fine, no prosecution, etc. There are horror stories like this all the time there and nothing can be done about bad workers because of the union. You never hear about these problems.

You can't privatize the system either because the big companies would take the cream of the crop (aka big cities) and leave the small towns and rural routes to somehow get their mail elsewhere.
So, basically there is no solution, but to keep a lousy, corrupt system.

I think that, if I was allowed to remove my mailbox, the Post Office would figure out a way to deal with it, and companies would stop sending me mail, especially if they had to pay for the returned mail postage. Also, people who live in small towns and rural areas receive letters and packages from UPS and FedEx all the time.

[WItjr]

The USPS doesn’t receive any money from the Federal Government. Your tax dollars do not go to the USPS. In fact, the money goes the other way. The USPS is the only Federal agency required to Prefund its post retirement benefits. (No one in private industry does this either.) Everyone else is on a pay-as-you go basis. They have prefunded almost $6 billion per year since 2006. All this money goes back to the Federal budget to reduce deficits. That’s why this requirement was originally saddled on the USPS. It’s also the main reason for their losses.

The US mailing industry consists of 7.3 million jobs, 4.3% of all US jobs. The USPS is only 8.7% of the 7.3 million. The industry contributes $1.6 trillion to the US economy. That’s as big as the US auto and airline industry combined.

There’s been a postal reform bill floating in Congress for years now. It would give the USPS flexibility to solve their problems including the ability to set rates that are now regulated. They just can’t raise rates to Amazon without it being approved by regulators.

[dewilson58]

The USPS is the ONLY US agency that generates money. It does not get money from our taxes, it makes money for our government through postage. .




WRONG.


It runs a deficit.................it does not "generate money."........it burns money.


$160,000,000,000 in debt. Who do you think will have to pay it???

[dewilson58]

Someone is misinformed.

The USPS is entirely self-funded by products and services.

.


Yes......the someone is you. They are self-sinking, not self-funded.


:ohdear:

[cholland]

i vote to privatize it. You'll still get your mail and your prescriptions. Very remote areas will have to drive to a central area and pick up their mail. That's the way it should be. It's ridiculous how much the PO loses and has to be propped up by the taxpayer. One less political football for politicians to play with.

[Stu from NYC]

I used to work for the Post Office and your suggestion would be a logistic nightmare and would not be possible. The biggest problems with the USPS is for many workers who have longevity, they pay is astronomical. They get 10% for any hours after 6:00 pm and an additional 25% for any Sunday pay. I used to work on Sundays and so they could say back then they did away with all Sunday workers, they pushed my hours back to that the majority of them were after 6:00 pm so they could count it as MONDAY pay. Now because of that move, I now got that 10% night pay AND 25% Sunday pay, so I was making my regular wage plus 35% more. And that's how they push the numbers to say they saved money by eliminating Sunday workers.

They also have many bad workers who sit around and do nothing, go to breaks and never come back unless a supervisor gets them and because of the Union, nothing can ever be done. We had a woman who worked the stamp counter so she had a lot of responsibility and got her daughter a job there. The daughter was stealing credit cards out of people's mail and going out and using them to charge stuff and then throw the cards away. Of course the postal inspectors caught her eventually and all they did was ask her to quit. No fine, no prosecution, etc. There are horror stories like this all the time there and nothing can be done about bad workers because of the union. You never hear about these problems.

You can't privatize the system either because the big companies would take the cream of the crop (aka big cities) and leave the small towns and rural routes to somehow get their mail elsewhere.

Would think it could be privatized under conditions that we all have to get our mail.

[ColdNoMore]

Post office hired these people and employed them and should be responsible for their pensions if that is the agreement. 75 years into the future though is nuts.

Also they must be losing a fortune delivering for Amazon. They should charge enough to cover their costs and do not believe they are doing so now.

A quick search of fact-checking sites...would show this to be patently untrue.

I can't link any of them, for obvious reasons (re: the folks spreading this false rumor), but in the immortal words of the X-Files...the truth is out there. :ho:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71cyAJfBxoL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[ColdNoMore]

The USPS is the ONLY US agency that generates money. It does not get money from our taxes, it makes money for our government through postage. Which is why -to me- people in government are trying to get rid of it. This way they can privatize it and make money themselves. Stop them if you care about your rights. Delivering of the mail to every person in America is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

You have went right to the heart...of the argument/issue. :thumbup:

[Two Bills]

USPS compared to our Royal Mail is so much cheaper.
We always bring all our Christmas and New Years Cards with us from UK to post to all our friends and family abroad when we come over.
At least 50% cheaper!

[theruizs]

The USPS is the ONLY US agency that generates money. It does not get money from our taxes, it makes money for our government through postage. Which is why -to me- people in government are trying to get rid of it. This way they can privatize it and make money themselves. Stop them if you care about your rights. Delivering of the mail to every person in America is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights? Well, either way, the Gov’t is already taking money from the revenue the USPS generates. Much of the money from the future 75 years of retirement funds is being used by the Gov’t in their own budgets. Also, if a private company had to provide everything the USPS does (including delivery to every address in the nation), it would constantly have to be bailed out or it would fail. Seems to me that we are better off figuring out how to fix some of the bigger problems instead of throwing out the baby with the bath water.

[Stu from NYC]

A quick search of fact-checking sites...would show this to be patently untrue.

I can't link any of them, for obvious reasons (re: the folks spreading this false rumor), but in the immortal words of the X-Files...the truth is out there. :ho:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71cyAJfBxoL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

You are totally wrong. Buy something from Amazon for say $ 8 and it is shipped by air cross country for the same price. How can the post office make money on their share of the sale?

[Timeweaver1]

I believe most of the "mail" is packages like Amazon and Kohl's. These companies should be supporting the mail system and not taxes.

[Larry Poling]

After reading the thread, mostly negative, I looked up "Is the postal service a government agency?" The answer is normal government confusion but the postal service is an independent agency of the executive branch. It receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and service to fund its operation. However it also is protected by 200 federal laws enforced by the Postal Inspection Service. So what the devil is it? The govt requires it to provide retirees funds for what 75 years but its not a true government agency (this changed many years ago). But when it fails to properly fund itself it calls on the taxpayers to bale it out? By the way, lets talk about fake news. A few weeks ago there was an ad on Facebook recruiting all levels of postal workers. At the beginning of the ad it stated that entry level salary was just over $72,000 a year (yes, 72k) but then at the end of the ad it said $17 an hour. Perhaps this is why its so messed up. They can't multiply. $17 an hour for a full year is $35,360 not $72,000. I'm sure we can all gone on about our experiences. Meanwhile lets throw away those pieces of junk mail. Discussions are very difficult on how to fix the system.

[Incoblack1]

The postal service does a great job at a fair price. Leave it alone!

[John41]

The postal service does a great job at a fair price. Leave it alone!

I second that. !!!

[Investment Painting Contractors]

The problem With USPS as other federal agencies they have more mangers, supervisors, and directors than they do employees actually doing the work. Bloated and ineffective. Private companies don’t have this problem, I’d they do there not in business very long.

I had a contract for painting 3 Post Offices in the 90s. There was a least 3 people sitting on their A$$ for every person working. The most supervisors per worker I had ever seen. The Moral was in the Dumps. We completed our contract and turned down all future offers from the Company that owned the buildings. The management has spent the Pension Money and the Federal Government has been supporting them every since. The workers were nice but it was still the most depressing place with the most miserable management of any place I've ever worked. At least a Private company makes sure management has more than seniority. Ask your mail carrier in the Villages if the have Retirement? The answer in No. This has been a poorly run business for decades. These are my OPINIONS from experience and are not to be construed as POLITICAL.

[Bridget Staunton]

Cut out the government pensions like corporate america did.

[boobear51751]

First there is absolutely no need for Saturday delivery. Look at the millions that would be saved. Stick to two day delivery on important matters and not overnight. That could go to one of the other shippers. There isn't a lot of money to be made because there isn't that much shipped overnight. Make the responsibilities of retirement totally an employees business. No federal backing. A good majority of big industry no longer supplies retirement to its' employees. Most of the mail people here in TV are independents and is what it should be. They too should be paid a decent wage which I know they are not.

[Decadeofdave]

If you have been in a large facility that sorts and distributes mail you would see a lot of people not working. Some employees of these f postal facilities have side gigs they run while on the job. It's not like Miracle on 34th street anymore. I have more than a few stories about the inefficiency on the PO. (Relative was a postmaster)

[Topspinmo]

I don't know the actual cost figures, but I believe the 75 year rule has been modified. But, a compromise would be for the Post Office to fund an amount that is based on the real projected cost for the benefits they promise to their employees. A postal employee who starts working at age 25 can retire at age 55, and then receive retirement and health benefits for the next 30 years or longer while producing no work for the Post Office. That is a real cost to the taxpayers that will typically amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per employee.

You sure you’re not taking about teachers union retirement plan?

[Neils]

Did you know that the USPS delivers over 472 million pieces of mail daily. Yes, that's no mistake. More than 472 million pieces of mail are delivered every day.
Did you also know that some of our elected officials (specifically one ) have withheld funding from the USPS because they believe it can be run more efficiently run if it were privatized?
Why not privatize our armed forces? Wasn't it the reserves and national guard who were first called up during the last several wars because our armed forces had not yet been fully trained or supplied to effectively respond?
Please consider calling your elected official and voice your opinion that the USPS must be saved and properly funded.

Privatize the policy

All the good officers are requesting retirement or resigning.

[dewilson58]

The postal service does a great job at a fair price. Leave it alone!


That's what was said about the stage coach.


:1rotfl:

[stadry]

we're starting the last life end of month in tv so will delay opinion of fl's local dmv til then,,, have to admit fruitland's p/o personnel were pleasant,,, however, what i express mail'd to my office took 8d to arrive,,, rather slow, eh ?

[Markers333]

UPS and FedEx do NOT deliver to rural the packages are passed on to the Usps who delivers what’s called “ The Last Mile” they don’t go anywhere outside of big city where they can make a profit - if the Postal Service went private, they too would only deliver to the “cream at the top” and you may start paying over 100 to mail a package!! Right now USPS is mandated to deliver to every American, goods and services.

[Jima64]

just how many hundreds of millions of pieces of mail is junk make that goes directly into the shredder or trashcan every day without being read? My dad retired from the PO in the 70's, I left PO employment in the mid 70's after deciding turning into an alcoholic to endure the stupid management wasn't worth the job. This was a time when the main Jax post office at west bay annex was not air conditioned at all and the parcel post was manhandled on the top floor. But I am still on the side of funding the PO with the hope that changes might occure but the union needs to tune down their demands.

[mark100]

How much of it was junk main?
I recently spoke with a postal employee at Lady Lake PO. I was complaining about my desire to stop some of the garbage mail I get. She summed it up this way, "That junk mail keeps us in business.

[Stu from NYC]

just how many hundreds of millions of pieces of mail is junk make that goes directly into the shredder or trashcan every day without being read? My dad retired from the PO in the 70's, I left PO employment in the mid 70's after deciding turning into an alcoholic to endure the stupid management wasn't worth the job. This was a time when the main Jax post office at west bay annex was not air conditioned at all and the parcel post was manhandled on the top floor. But I am still on the side of funding the PO with the hope that changes might occure but the union needs to tune down their demands.

If it was privatized with the requirement that all mail must be handled at a profit and delivered to all address in the US posts office might have a shot

[Alaska Butch]

Obviously a poor analogy. The USPS flounders in red ink every year. There are several healthy private companies that would likely keep prices low. Ditch the USPS!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Why? If other people get mail like I do, then about 467 million of the 472 million pieces are junk mail that go right into the trash.

In my opinion, funding the Post Office is a waste of money, fuel, and labor.
Man, if I could hit that thumbs up button a hundred times...

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Here is some food for thought in defense of the USPS, which does need reform, instead of being abolished.

My elderly dad, along with 20% of Americans, gets maintenance medication delivered by the USPS. In 2019, the USPS delivered 1.2 billion prescriptions, including almost 100% of the prescriptions delivered by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

The USPS is mandated to deliver to all addresses in the U.S. Fed Ex and UPS do not have this mandate; if it is not profitable for Fed Ex and UPS to deliver to a rural area, they are not required to. So how will Americans living in remote areas get their packages and mail? How will veterans living in remote areas get their maintenance medication shipped to them if the USPS is abolished?

One requirement that needs reform regarding the USPS is the requirement that USPS is required to pre-pay health benefits for retirees 75 years into the future. This requirement has been a major factor in the USPS' operating losses since 2006.

Please note: the statistics are from CNBC and The American Prospect.

It's very simple. You create a contract with Fed EX, UPS and other private carriers that mandate that they deliver to every address in the country.

There is very little that the government does that private industry doesn't do better, less expensively and more efficiently.

There are somethings that need to be handled by government but they are few and far between. Police, fire and military are the basics.

Many of the other programs have been established to give more power to elected officials.

[retiredguy123]

How much of it was junk main?
I recently spoke with a postal employee at Lady Lake PO. I was complaining about my desire to stop some of the garbage mail I get. She summed it up this way, "That junk mail keeps us in business.
How sad. Basically, the only way that woman could answer your complaint was to say that she delivers junk as mail to you and you are required by Federal law to accept it and to dispose of it, so she can keep her job.

[retiredguy123]

It's very simple. You create a contract with Fed EX, UPS and other private carriers that mandate that they deliver to every address in the country.

There is very little that the government does that private industry doesn't do better, less expensively and more efficiently.

There are somethings that need to be handled by government but they are few and far between. Police, fire and military are the basics.

Many of the other programs have been established to give more power to elected officials.
Yes. And, that would not be much different from the Federal laws that require telephone and cable TV companies to offer basic low cost services for people who cannot afford the higher priced services.

[Stu from NYC]

It's very simple. You create a contract with Fed EX, UPS and other private carriers that mandate that they deliver to every address in the country.

There is very little that the government does that private industry doesn't do better, less expensively and more efficiently.

There are somethings that need to be handled by government but they are few and far between. Police, fire and military are the basics.

Many of the other programs have been established to give more power to elected officials.

Right on

[Neils]

Charge 1st class rates for anything mailed. No bulk discounts, magazine rates, company special discounts. Low delivery fees to Amazon or Walmart.

Problem solved.

[Dahabs]

I would propose that people should have the option to cancel their Post Office account and remove their mailbox, but your father could keep his account. If a letter or junk mail is sent to someone who has cancelled their account, the mail would be returned, and the sender would need to use UPS, FedEx, or another private delivery service. But, the current system requires every person to have a USPS account, and if the IRS, a bank, or a lawyer sends you a letter, the courts will rule that you have received the letter. Also, you cannot stop junk mail from being deposited into you mailbox until it overflows.

Why is it not an option to request no "junk Mail" or unaddressed mail. I gather other countries have that option.

[Stu from NYC]

Why is it not an option to request no "junk Mail" or unaddressed mail. I gather other countries have that option.

Because the powers to be have said no.

[dewilson58]

Why is it not an option to request no "junk Mail" or unaddressed mail. I gather other countries have that option.


Because it pays the bills (not all of the bills, but a lot).

[retiredguy123]

It's absurd. If every time you went to a store, other business, or a public place, someone handed you junk advertising, most people would probably just say "no thanks" and hand it back or refuse to take it. But, the Post Office does the same thing every day, and you are required to accept it.

[dewilson58]

It's absurd. If every time you went to a store, other business, or a public place, someone handed you junk advertising, most people would probably just say "no thanks" and hand it back or refuse to take it. But, the Post Office does the same thing every day, and you are required to accept it.


refer to post #86


$$$$$

[Bwolf1]

Thanks for a great post.

[Stu from NYC]

Because it pays the bills (not all of the bills, but a lot).

The real question is does the post office handle junk mail at a profit or a loss?

Than the rest of us pay for the cost of its disposal and dumped in a landfill.

[Mken53]

How much of that mail is junk mail?

[Stu from NYC]

How much of that mail is junk mail?

We moved here about 4 months ago and at first only got stuff we kind of wanted like bills. All of the junk mail we used to get did not get forwarded so life was great.

Over time the junk mail people found us and today about 75% of our mail gets tossed without opening.

Remarkably how many companies who would send us junk mail in Va somehow found our new address here.

[JoMar]

I will agree that much of my mail also ends up in the recycling container. USPS should charge more to deliver junk mail. As far as paying for health care benefits, is it necessary for the USPS to prepay 75 years in the future...how about USPS prepaying 20 to 30 years in the future as a compromise?

USPS should charge more for everything...it is crazy that we pay so little for the service. What we don't get to see is their financials because our politicians have them so convoluted getting to cost plus profit is almost impossible.

[nn0wheremann]

I would propose that people should have the option to cancel their Post Office account and remove their mailbox, but your father could keep his account. If a letter or junk mail is sent to someone who has cancelled their account, the mail would be returned, and the sender would need to use UPS, FedEx, or another private delivery service. But, the current system requires every person to have a USPS account, and if the IRS, a bank, or a lawyer sends you a letter, the courts will rule that you have received the letter. Also, you cannot stop junk mail from being deposited into you mailbox until it overflows.
Anyone can refuse mail. When we were selling our house in Illinois I removed the mailbox. No problems with that. There are some functions of government that are inherently governmental. Fire protection, police protection, regulation of interstate commerce, and postal service are among these. Internet service is privatized, and thirty some years on, it still is either not available or is prohibitively expensive in half of the country. That would have been a good function for the ubiquitous postal service.

[Investment Painting Contractors]

We moved here about 4 months ago and at first only got stuff we kind of wanted like bills. All of the junk mail we used to get did not get forwarded so life was great.

Over time the junk mail people found us and today about 75% of our mail gets tossed without opening.

Remarkably how many companies who would send us junk mail in Va somehow found our new address here.

The US Postal Service sells your name. Before everyone says I'm Wrong I have been getting Junk Mail, Hearing Aid Ads Medicare Offers Etc. in my dead aunt and uncles names. 2 years ago I handled their Estate and started getting this CRAP right after I put a change of address card in to the USPS to handle their affairs. They lived over 25 years in Gainesville, never here. Len

[dewilson58]

The real question is does the post office handle junk mail at a profit or a loss?

Than the rest of us pay for the cost of its disposal and dumped in a landfill.


There is no profit at the USPS.

[Stu from NYC]

The US Postal Service sells your name. Before everyone says I'm Wrong I have been getting Junk Mail, Hearing Aid Ads Medicare Offers Etc. in my dead aunt and uncles names. 2 years ago I handled their Estate and started getting this CRAP right after I put a change of address card in to the USPS to handle their affairs. They lived over 25 years in Gainesville, never here. Len

Interesting. Our son moved out of our home 25 years ago to go to school and never came back home. All the time we lived in Va he would get mail from time to time.

Since we moved to Florida he gets some mail here. Could be the postal service does sell our info.

[retiredguy123]

Anyone can refuse mail. When we were selling our house in Illinois I removed the mailbox. No problems with that. There are some functions of government that are inherently governmental. Fire protection, police protection, regulation of interstate commerce, and postal service are among these. Internet service is privatized, and thirty some years on, it still is either not available or is prohibitively expensive in half of the country. That would have been a good function for the ubiquitous postal service.
You cannot refuse junk mail, and you cannot remove your mailbox in The Villages. If you try send it back using "return to sender", it will probably just show up again in your mailbox, especially if it is not in an envelope. If you live in a house where you have a separate mailbox on your property, you could remove it, but you will still accumulate mail at the Post Office. The problem is that, if you get a jury summons, a letter from the IRS, or any other official notice, the legal system will hold you responsible for having received the letter.

[bpascani]

I still prefer my paper bills, statements, etc, but, YES, I do tire of all of th junk mail

[hifred123]

Privatization of business or leaving it public (govt) should be considered carefully. NEITHER one is automatically better than the other. Self interests seem always to get in the way of evaluation.

Harvard Business Review
Does Privatization Serve the Public Interest?
by John B. Goodman and Gary W. Loveman
From the November-December 1991 Issue

[davem4616]

Privatization of business or leaving it public (govt) should be considered carefully. NEITHER one is automatically better than the other. Self interests seem always to get in the way of evaluation.

Harvard Business Review
Does Privatization Serve the Public Interest?
by John B. Goodman and Gary W. Loveman
From the November-December 1991 Issue


I agree neither is automatically better than the other. IMHO the government shouldn't be running anything...just provide oversight

[JGVillages]

I have a small business and the usps is the fastest, cheapest reliable way to get purchases to consumers. To me their services are invaluable.

Comparable ground services by the 2 major Delivery co’s are slow and far more money.

It costs 2.86 to 3.09 to get an item to the buyer, affords some sellers to offer free shipping.

It’s one of the best deals going. Presuming many of you are purchasing online nowadays you can get your items delivered cheaper and preserves your disposable income.

I would prefer they fix it and not eliminate.

Just a thought but possibly because they are the cheapest is the reason they are not profitable. A business that sells for less than their cost won’t be a business long.

[retiredguy123]

Just a thought but possibly because they are the cheapest is the reason they are not profitable. A business that sells for less than their cost won’t be a business long.
Bingo. You are correct on both counts.

[ficoguy]

out of all that mail maybe 1 percent is meaningful...unless you like lunch and dinner invites for cremation, funerals, annuities as essential.....

[Stu from NYC]

Just a thought but possibly because they are the cheapest is the reason they are not profitable. A business that sells for less than their cost won’t be a business long.

Unless it is govt owned.

[Stu from NYC]

out of all that mail maybe 1 percent is meaningful...unless you like lunch and dinner invites for cremation, funerals, annuities as essential.....

It can be dangerous to go to one of these dinners on cremation with spouse. Some might get the wrong idea.:icon_wink: