The Postal Service

[whitewater]

Wouldnt it make sense that since the usps is having problems just breaking even, and since mailing letters is not as common anymore that they should go the route of fedex and UPS?

They have the infrastructure already..Sure they take packages and what not but not to the scale of the others...Just buy new trucks...I am not the post master but really get your head out of the sand..

I can not be the only one that sees it this way

[inkman996]

The USPS is already involved with UPS  to some degree.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Are you suggesting we should switch to private sector mail?  Go get'em tiger.

My simplified view is that we have on the one hand, the idea that government should be bigger...perhaps MUCH bigger, and on the other hand the idea that government should be much smaller, that it's already WAAAAY too big.

Find something that government has run well long term, and I'll eat my hat, but I'm firmly in the reduce government camp. Trouble is, in the real world you have to compromise when there are two sides that disagree, and fixing the post office before an absolute melt down will never happen. We have to crash before that, and the Post Office problem is just a symptom that proves the theory.

[mk162]

The USPS is decent, the problem is their tracking is terrible and most of their employees don't care.  The worst place to go is the post office.  The Fedex depot here is pretty bad too.  I know the UPS store is good, but those are franchises and the employees can be replaced much easier...so they work harder, and usually in the same place as the owner...more incentive to work hard.

[royster13]

I have done 1,000s of shipments with USPS over the years......Yes their tracking sucks but when I can send a package from WA to NY, FL, etc. and get delivery confirmation for less than 3.00 I am happy.....I can not recall the last time a package was lost....Some have been delayed but not enough to panic....I would hate to think what would happen to 10s of thousands of small online businesses if USPS was eliminated....

[inkman996]

Are you suggesting we should switch to private sector mail?  Go get'em tiger.

My simplified view is that we have on the one hand, the idea that government should be bigger...perhaps MUCH bigger, and on the other hand the idea that government should be much smaller, that it's already WAAAAY too big.

Find something that government has run well long term, and I'll eat my hat, but I'm firmly in the reduce government camp. Trouble is, in the real world you have to compromise when there are two sides that disagree, and fixing the post office before an absolute melt down will never happen. We have to crash before that, and the Post Office problem is just a symptom that proves the theory.

Whoa! USPS is not part of government, they are independent of the government completely. They operate on their own budget paid for by their services. The closest they come to being a government entity is that they have laws they must follow. Other than that if they grew ten times over our government has not.

[mk162]

HAHA, they are part of the government.  Yes, they are supposed to be separate, when it's congress's job to work out the details of the default/funding, you are part of the government.

[inkman996]

HAHA, they are part of the government.  Yes, they are supposed to be separate, when it's congress's job to work out the details of the default/funding, you are part of the government.

Brad USPS does not recieve funding from tax payers, it can get loans but they have to pay them back.

[ebscreen]

You can send a letter from Manhattan to the nether-regions of Alaska and have it delivered (rain or shine!)
for $0.45 in about 3 days.

That will never be profitable and is only possible with guvmint help.

[mk162]

Sure they do, how do you think they avoided default...twice this year?  They have been running in the red for years.

Eb is correct, the prices are too low to make it work.

That being said, it won't go anywhere, but some changes are going to have to be made to keep it around.

[inkman996]

You can send a letter from Manhattan to the nether-regions of Alaska and have it delivered (rain or shine!)
for $0.45 in about 3 days.

That will never be profitable and is only possible with guvmint help.

Not true.

Yes you can send where ever in this country for pennies but the Government does not pay for it. The USPS is failing and in a deficit because revenues is down, they cant go and dip into the government coffers. The biggest government aspect in the USPS is that they are governed by congress and their top members are picked by the president. Other than that they are nothing more than a business that the constitution makes law, USPS has been down sizing for years now and will continue to do so. They cannot turn a profit any more nor continue to pay into their retirement plan. So every time they deliver that $.45 letter to east bum !@#$ they lose money, not tax payers.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

Strictly speaking, yes...I suppose the USPS has been more and more of a hybrid over time. But the Feds are still heavily involved, with regulations and funding.  Government involvement reduces private incentive. The higher up you go in government, the less the workers care...speaking in broad terms.

But having said that, I sure wish they could "fix" it, since it is already here. I just wish the Feds would stop digging holes that the private sector has to fill in.  Our unfunded mandates nearly quintuples the generally admitted debt of 16 Trillion.  A TRILLION is a meaningless word to the average "Dancing With The Stars" addict, who incidentally casts a single vote that EXACTLY equals yours.

The die has been cast, we are bankrupt. I just wish we'd own it, but like drug addicts, both sides seemingly are still in denial of that fact. More public funds won't FIX the USPS any more than borrowing and spending will FIX the economy.

It seems clear to me.  The USPS oughta pay it's own way, and if it can't.....well.... b'Bye..... And no more 45 cent deliveries to Alaska would be a small price to pay. Doesn't make sense anyhow.

[GraphicDisorder]

We ship anywhere from 10-100 boxes per day USPS.  They really are falling apart over the last few years.  I worries me as it would cost a lot more to ship small items via UPS.

[Frog]

They certainly have their good points. I'm always amazed that I can get some stickers or other Versa Cam stuff shipped from the other end of the country in 2-3 days for only $5 or $10! The other guys are a week.

I am guessing that it's the hard-copy-spammers that have kept them going this long.

[mk162]

I really don't get why they don't sell "advertising" on stamps to companies like Disney and Coke.

I think weekend delivery should go....also our mailman here takes monday off and the other trucks around cover his route.  If you can do that 1 day a week, you could do that the whole week as well.  How many people could go?  UPS sends out a fill-in driver, the postal service has others cover the route, look at who is more efficient.