[Malsua]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Amazon chooses to use the USPS for some of their deliveries because of a monumental savings in shipping fees. That is WHY you can get 2-day delivery free if you're a Prime member. The cost for their UPS, FedEx, and Amazon-owned deliveries is offset by the low price of USPS deliveries.

If they didn't have USPS deliver much of their envelopes and small packages, there would be NO free delivery at all for MOST packages shipped by Amazon.

Also, FedEx, UPS, and DHL services don't ship to certain locations at all. USPS is required to ship to every single address in the USA. People living in rural areas where FedEx doesn't cover - rely on USPS to get things to them.

So you're saying that running a business at a loss distorts the actual cost across the market for other players? Now we are getting somewhere. If people actually paid the actual costs for things, maybe the USPS wouldn't be in such a hole.

If rural delivery is such an issue, maybe people wouldn't live in a mud hut on the side of a hill in rural bumfoot and at least move closer to the hard road.

[Gizemo33]

Barry D, your article about the history of USPS and the current attempt to dismantle it, is a great explanation of what it used to be, what it presently is, and the disaster that it could become in the future.

Thank you!!!

[KRM0614]

Not true the USPS loses money every year much due to inefficiency the unions and mismanagement. Most taxpayers don’t realize that for every piece of junk mail they get the mail carrier gets a bonus. The postmaster general gets over a million dollar bonus every year. Most companies do not reward management for losing money. They have a fantastic benefit package amazing healthcare and as usual the taxpayers Foot the
bill.
Ironically with volume down huge my mail has been lost delivered sent to neighbors etc

The reason it’s a joke is it’s run like part of the govt, when they exceed their budget the general fund kicks in more.

[chrissy2231]

It's outdated . SS cks can be direct deposit into checking/savings, RX will come UPS or FedEx ground, my legal documents were emailed. Mailing checks to pay bills is dangerous - it can lead to stolen identity. Set up auto bill pay or pay by phone.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I wish people would stop saying that the USPS delivers Social Security checks. They don't. All payments are made by direct deposit. It's mandatory.

"Facts: Do Social Security Checks Still Go Through the Mail?
Less than 1% of Social Security recipients still receive their benefits through the USPS.
The Treasury announced in 2010 that they would begin phasing out the practice of sending physical checks through the mail. In 2013, the Social Security Administration announced they would begin the process of moving everyone to an electronic system.
As you can imagine, the federal government is so inefficient, that process is not fully completed. However, the number of checks that still go through the mail represent a very small percentage of recipients.
Nearly 550,000 people are receiving paper Social Security checks in August, according to Social Security Administration data,”
FACT-CHECK: Do Seniors Receive Social Security Checks In the Mail?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Pedrocarrasco01@yahoo.com

the Post Office is the most inefficiently run business in Government, why do you think made UPS, FedEx, and others successful, better faster delivery And a much better business model. Remember at one time they did not exist, a good business person would not allow it and would become more competitive and efficient.
USPS is inefficient and loaded with PORK, in any town you have several post offices, reduce them, pay mail carriers a per mile allowance for use of their vehicles, Instead of paying $45,000 plus for the vehicles it uses, new sorting equipment, eliminate double staffing at some of the Post Offices and staff the reduced offices right, stop the vacation (after 5 years they get one week per week of service) I had a mail carrier in Virginia that had 27 weeks of vacation. Congress has failed our Country in so many ways, they have done nothing for the last 3 years except work against our Country success. Finally it’s impossible to fire or demote an employee for anything, including destroying mail, this Union is killing their own employees by failing to negotiate for a better business model to compete with the others, remember the others were born out of the inefficiencies of the Post Office.
God Bless America

Most of what you said applies to the entire Federal Government. I'm not a fan of the Post Office, but, I don't think it is anywhere close to being the most inefficient agency. Medicare loses $60 billion per year just to fraud alone. The Medicare budget of about $660 billion makes the Post Office budget look like pocket change. Another part of the Government that, is hugely inefficient, although popular, is the military.

[tvbound]

Originally Posted by Malsua

So you're saying that running a business at a loss distorts the actual cost across the market for other players? Now we are getting somewhere. If people actually paid the actual costs for things, maybe the USPS wouldn't be in such a hole.

If rural delivery is such an issue, maybe people wouldn't live in a mud hut on the side of a hill in rural bumfoot and at least move closer to the hard road.

"If rural delivery is such an issue, maybe people wouldn't live in a mud hut on the side of a hill in rural bumfoot and at least move closer to the hard road."

I don't think you really understand the definition of "rural." All of the farmers in our area, and for that matter any I have ever known, live in (by definition) "rural areas." If the postal service wasn't mandated to deliver to these locations, including even a lot of small towns that are rural also, they could immediately reduce costs substantially. We can't have it both ways in that the USPS must be self-sufficient, while also being mandated to deliver to everyone. For those that don't want to accept that our postal system is actually a national service and should instead be treated more like a business, be careful of what you wish. It would certainly be interesting to watch the national ramifications and attitudes, if all of a sudden the "Heartland of America" no longer received reasonably priced postal services.

[markhollis]

USPS service is a service that provides an amenity that adds to the quality of life of all Americans. It makes an essential service available at a cost that all Americans can afford, one of very few services that does not not discriminate.

Yes it is more essential to some people's lives than others. Unlike the military, NSA, CIA, FBI, Treasury, IRS, Congress, administration, etc., all of which also provide necessary services to us as citizens, it generates revenue that offsets much if not all its expenses. Taxpayers pay the cost of the rest, and according to every survey, they are grateful for and highly satisfied with the service (until it was sabotaged). Many if not most Americans say they 'love' the Post Office and Postal workers.

I am confident many Americans that know today, as a result of the outrage created by this assault, that hundreds of thousands of veterans are dedicated and proud employees. They love USPS even more than before. USPS employees are proud and dedicated to the responsibility of providing and care taking this essential service for their fellow citizens. I think many Americans envy their pride of work and sense of personal responsibility. The assault with its supposedly 'unintended' consequences is an attack on the USPS, the dedicated employees of the USPS, and all Americans, including service men and women at home and abroad, vets, and seniors, to name just a few.

I think we should stand up and defend our citizens and our country, no matter what the motivations were, no matter who is responsible. Whoever is responsible has placed themselves above American citizens, and they have made America weaker, instead of stronger. I hope Congress will stand up for us and Fire and prosecute everyone who is responsible. We need to insist upon it.

That is my opinion, for what it is worth.

P.S. America's enemies, Russia, China, N. Korea and Iran being the best know, are targeting America and Americans and our institutions including banks with which we have entrusted our life savings, and our online and offline identity, and our personal computers. NSA directors do not bank online nor do they pay their bills online to avoid vulnerability. All of your data and your identity can be hacked and held hostage by Windows and Linux ransomware. Paper ballots cannot be hacked by Russia and creates a backup that assures of a credible election. Without the USPS, we would all be climbing without a safety line. Many IT professionals minimize their online exposure to minimize their risk.

[njbchbum]

Doesn't Sports Illustrated still get delivered by the USPS?

[Malsua]

Originally Posted by tvbound

"If rural delivery is such an issue, maybe people wouldn't live in a mud hut on the side of a hill in rural bumfoot and at least move closer to the hard road."

I don't think you really understand the definition of "rural." All of the farmers in our area, and for that matter any I have ever known, live in (by definition) "rural areas." If the postal service wasn't mandated to deliver to these locations, including even a lot of small towns that are rural also, they could immediately reduce costs substantially. We can't have it both ways in that the USPS must be self-sufficient, while also being mandated to deliver to everyone. For those that don't want to accept that our postal system is actually a national service and should instead be treated more like a business, be careful of what you wish. It would certainly be interesting to watch the national ramifications and attitudes, if all of a sudden the "Heartland of America" no longer received reasonably priced postal services.

I grew up very rural. We were 25 minutes to the nearest grocery store. Back then, the mail was important.

I know people who live 15 minutes off the hard road today. They aren't using a land line only. They have modern cell phones just like everyone else. In the 80s at some point, everyone of them, us included had a 15 foot satellite dish for TV. Today? The dishes are gone for the most part excepting the occasional Dish/direct TV. They all have internet connections and not just dial up either. If you can have electricity, someone has come along and strung communication cables further down the pole.

If you can use even a dial-up, you really don't need the postal service. To your point, the USPS should charge actual costs. If it's $12 a package to deliver to the middle of nowhere, people will drive to town and pickup/drop off. In fact, in the 70s, the mail carrier did NOT come out to our house. There was a rural box farm a couple miles away. It had about 50 boxes or so. The house delivery started in the 80s at some point, I don't recall when. Probably when they paved our road.

[BarryD]

Please get your facts straight before making claims.
Some people still receive their benefits the old fashioned way, thanks to mail delivery.

Nearly 550,000 people are receiving paper Social Security checks in August, according to Social Security Administration data. That number goes up to about 848,000 if you include Supplemental Security Income.

But the vast majority — over 63 million — access their benefits via direct deposit.

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Millions of people who don't have internet service. Thousands of people who don't have electricity (and therefore no method of powering their devices or even charging them).

Maybe a visit to the Ocala Forest would do you some good. You'll learn something new.

I'm sure those that live in the Ocala Forest have bills to pay and a local postal box available...........
No electricity, but maybe a new car payment?

[Robertnavarre70]

Originally Posted by BarryD

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Many of us have clear childhood memories of that mailman.
People are spewing wildly inaccurate statements. USPS is losing money now, but not for the reasons most often claimed. USPS did not use any tax dollars for years. The steep drop in mail volume and laws/rules from congress are like a python squeezing the air out of USPS. Amazon and Vote-By-Mail are not suddenly spiking a need for capital.
Mail Volume (The Volume Falls but the Fixed Costs Remain)
• Internet banking and email resulted in a massive (-33%) reduction in first class mail, marketing mail (-7.5%) in the past decade (severe revenue loss)
• COVID-19 caused an enormous drop in advertising revenue, including mail for USPS (marketing mail -36.4%) (severe revenue loss)
• Package volume including Amazon helps revenue. By law, USPS cannot offer package discounts at a loss (Amazon and other online sellers are paying their lawful share on the books). Package costs will go up after the next regulatory update of overhead allocations.

Congress/Regulator Laws and Rules (forced USPS to comply with rules no competitor has)
• They require USPS to deliver mail to everybody, rural or not, at the same price.
• USPS cannot just raise or fix prices (regulatory review required). Until 1970 it was a regular, tax supported agency of the federal government.
• There are many cost-saving actions that USPS is not allowed to take. For example, regulations prohibit them from buying and operating their own fleet of airplanes (to save money like FedEx/UPS do), weren’t allowed to cut Saturday deliveries.
• In 2006, USPS was given 10 years to fund retiree healthcare for 40(+) years in advance (NPV). The law took cash that should have funded more automation and efficiencies. No other firm or government agency has to do this. USPS defaults started in 2012.

Postmaster General (PMG) Actions (Making Mail Slower)
• Forbes reports that PMG dismantled and removed over 600 sorting machines, which each process 35,000 pieces of mail per hour. Forget any claim of innocence you may hear.
• PMG prohibited overtime and (replacement) hiring despite staffing shortages from COVID-19.
• Former Attorney General, Eric Holder said that anyone who “willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail” can face fines and imprisonment of up to six months.

Additional Remarks:
• USPS bankruptcy would damage people and businesses. People depend on delivery of prescriptions, social security checks, and legal documents and much more.
• Only USPS is set up to deliver your mail (not FedEx, UPS or anybody else). Almost all countries have government run postal systems. USPS has been with us since Ben Franklin became the first Postmaster General in 1775.

It’s elementary, Dear Watson. We have found the contract killer. Now we must uncover the suborner. Let’s follow the money and see who would profit by privatizing the post office.

I have seen a number of positive comments about USPS efficiency but more negative comments about inefficiency. I did a lot of contract management consulting with USPS over the years and believe that most USPS operations were efficiently performed by good workers. There were, as in all businesses public and private, some slackers and poor managers. But as to processing vote by mail this should be no problem as first class mail moves very fast through almost completely automated processes...unless Mr. T's new PMG has in fact directed removal of automated sorting machines that were seeing reasonable volumes of mail sorting and did so for the sole purpose of slowing mail processing down. Only those inside USPS management could confirm or deny that and I wish that they would speak up....but if not union they would likely be fired or grossly demoted if the facts are critical of the current WH.

[Robertnavarre70]

Originally Posted by Pedrocarrasco01@yahoo.com

the Post Office is the most inefficiently run business in Government, why do you think made UPS, FedEx, and others successful, better faster delivery And a much better business model. Remember at one time they did not exist, a good business person would not allow it and would become more competitive and efficient.
USPS is inefficient and loaded with PORK, in any town you have several post offices, reduce them, pay mail carriers a per mile allowance for use of their vehicles, Instead of paying $45,000 plus for the vehicles it uses, new sorting equipment, eliminate double staffing at some of the Post Offices and staff the reduced offices right, stop the vacation (after 5 years they get one week per week of service) I had a mail carrier in Virginia that had 27 weeks of vacation. Congress has failed our Country in so many ways, they have done nothing for the last 3 years except work against our Country success. Finally it’s impossible to fire or demote an employee for anything, including destroying mail, this Union is killing their own employees by failing to negotiate for a better business model to compete with the others, remember the others were born out of the inefficiencies of the Post Office.
God Bless America

Over my years doing USPS construction and renovation projects I saw small Post Offices closed to be consolidated with other offices in towns just a few miles away and then reopened due to political pressure through congress. So even when USPS tried to improve efficiencies the efforts were often thwarted by political pressure of by the Union. Over the good years the Postal Union negotiated too good contract provisions that now are totally unacceptable in tough times. Those agreements need to be renegotiated just like the UAW contracts were when the auto companies were in serious trouble.

[Dana1963]

Just because your employer fooled you into a 401k doesn’t make it right for everyone. Today we are sitting on a stock market inflated by The FED again buying JUNK BONDS. It’s funny money.