[justjim]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

My pet peeve about the USPS is that some USPS proponents do not want to count the retiree costs in their budget, but these costs are huge and they cannot be ignored. Also, the other agencies you mentioned do not claim or even try to balance a budget because their functions mostly cannot be performed by corporations. Those that can should be contracted out. But almost all USPS functions could be performed by FedEx, UPS, and others.

Interesting that FedX and “others” have private contractors so as to not pay benefits. Corporations lower their costs to show more profits, pay CEO’S and executives millions and keep the workers on minimum salaries. Isn’t it a great country or what?

[gighilton]

If you d
on't know who it is, they are not your friend!

[jimhoward]

I live in the far south and I know I don't need another post office. If I want to send something express mail, or a package via USPS, then I have at least two convenient choices, Sumterville and Okahumpka. The Leesburg post office is also not too far.

I've never gotten a postage due notice, and didn't know Lady Lake was my post office. But, how many postage due notices are people getting? A couple per year or less? I'm in Lady Lake fairly frequently anyway. Even if it were a wasted trip, its no big deal.

[jojoturf]

USPS should be disbanded altogether. Most people pay bills online or at least, get bills, financial statements online. Cards are becoming electronic as well. Requested mail forwarding in mid-March for seven week visit to the Villages — filled out 2 requests (both online). Result: 23 days, now late April, received 1st piece of mail stamped March 25. Ridiculous! Service stinks! Informed delivery is ok but not always correct. Get rid of driving an envelope to my door! Waste of resources & $$$!

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by mikreb

USPS might be profitable if they'd stop wasting time delivering junk mail. Do you see UPS or FedEx delivering stuff no one wants. I clean out my mailbox once a week and it's packed with all junk/trash.

USPS would actually be less profitable if they delivered less mail that people pay them to be delivered.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by Rsb23

The USPS (United States Postal Service) is primarily funded by its own operations, relying on revenues from the sale of postage, products, and services. It's not funded by taxpayer money, unlike most other federal agencies, and is designed to be self-sufficient. However, Congress can provide supplemental funding, as seen in the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, and the USPS may also receive taxpayer funds during crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

So it is not taxpayer funded except when it is taxpayer funded.
That is like saying you are dry except for when you are wet.

[Carlsondm]

Originally Posted by westernrider75

Take a ride, go to Sam’s Club, stop at Total Wine, have lunch at Miller’s Ale House and go to the post office. It’s not really that bad, I live south of 44 also and go up that way often. It’s not the other side of the world. Enjoy a little, and I recommend the fish and chips at Millers.

Easy to say if you are younger, have good vision, and drive a car.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by justjim

Could Congress be the problem? USPS has proposed a number of times to close many rural offices and make other changes but Congress refuses to take those recommendations.

And that would be 2 hours of driving in many areas.
Rural is where the high costs are, just like telephone service. But we cannot say only cities get mail and phone service.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by jojoturf

USPS should be disbanded altogether. Most people pay bills online or at least, get bills, financial statements online. Cards are becoming electronic as well. Requested mail forwarding in mid-March for seven week visit to the Villages — filled out 2 requests (both online). Result: 23 days, now late April, received 1st piece of mail stamped March 25. Ridiculous! Service stinks! Informed delivery is ok but not always correct. Get rid of driving an envelope to my door! Waste of resources & $$$!

How do farmers get their mail if your demand is implemented? Some live many hours away from any city?
What about people in Wyoming? There are almost asany people in Lancaster County, PA (where the Amish live) than in the entire state of Wyoming.
The US is far more diverse than this tightly knot cluster of people in the Villages.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by justjim

Interesting that FedX and “others” have private contractors so as to not pay benefits. Corporations lower their costs to show more profits, pay CEO’S and executives millions and keep the workers on minimum salaries. Isn’t it a great country or what?

It is a great country. It is so great, people risk their lives to break into it.

What country is better?

[MrLonzo]

Originally Posted by G.R.I.T.S.

Before you place blame on current policies, TV developers offered land for a new post office as they were planning their expansion south when buildout was expected to be 2015. It was declined.

Like I said, TV is much different today than it was 10 years ago.

There's a U.S. post office in Fruitland Park and another in Wildwood. There's no reason I can think of why the Villages doesn't use one of these other branches to serve Villagers in the south. Either would be more convenient than Lady Lake.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Curious: does the Army report their financial shortcomings? When was the last time the Department of Agriculture showed a profit? What about Health and Human Resources? Is ICE presenting a balance sheet in the black this year? The Library of Congress is earning how much, exactly, for our country? In US Dollars please.

Since when is ANY government agency supposed to turn a profit? America is not a corporation. The government doesn't exist to be profitable. It might, at some point, be profitable, but that isn't its purpose. Government agencies cost money. Most of them don't have any actual revenue at all, they just spend. The USPS is no different, they do have revenue but it is marginal compared to its costs to operate. It is working as intended.

Yes, every agency reports how much money they spent and if they need more. This is all public knowledge. You already have what you desire.

The USPS is different than all those others. It is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government. All those others are not independent agencies of the executive branch of the United States federal government.

Thanks for asking since you did not know there is a huge difference between the USPS and the other agencies.

As an aside, the Federal Reserve is another independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

I thought we were told that the USPS was NOT a government agency?

So which is it?

It is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government. In this way, it is far more like the Federal Reserve than the Department of Defense.

[Runway48]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

Got a message in my mailbox that said I owed $8.66 postage due. They didn’t say what it was for, who it was from, where/whom to pay, or provide a tracking number. And there was no Form 3849 which is needed to request redelivery. I had no idea what it was.

Now they say I must contact the Lady Lake post office to inquire. They don’t answer their phones, and it’s an hour and a half drive (round trip), and I don’t even know if they still have the item or have already returned it to the sender.

The Lady Lake post office may have been conveniently located 10 years ago. But with the expansion southward, it’s now a big chunk of the day to drive there for those of us in the south. Why is it so difficult to include a more convenient branch post office that serves the Villages somewhere amidst all the new development in the south?

If you didn't order anything and you don't know who would be sending anything, you have no forms or information about the sender, this sounds a lot like the fake text messages we get about packages waiting to be delivered. You can't owe money for something you didn't initiate. Let USPS send it back to the sender and let the sender attach the correct postage.

[JWinATL]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

Got a message in my mailbox that said I owed $8.66 postage due. They didn’t say what it was for, who it was from, where/whom to pay, or provide a tracking number. And there was no Form 3849 which is needed to request redelivery. I had no idea what it was.

Now they say I must contact the Lady Lake post office to inquire. They don’t answer their phones, and it’s an hour and a half drive (round trip), and I don’t even know if they still have the item or have already returned it to the sender.

The Lady Lake post office may have been conveniently located 10 years ago. But with the expansion southward, it’s now a big chunk of the day to drive there for those of us in the south. Why is it so difficult to include a more convenient branch post office that serves the Villages somewhere amidst all the new development in the south?

I had something similar happen to me. I gave the envelope to the attendant who was still in the kiosk, and she said she would deliver it the next day. That was a week ago, and no package. I got the envelope back with pennies in it ? No package.