Post Office to stop Saturday mail delivery in August.

[techs]

http://letters.ocregister.com/2012/11/19/lighten-the-post-office-pension-burden/

The real problem for the U.S. Postal Service that your editorial, “Post office’s own fiscal cliff” [Nov. 19], doesn’t address is that Congress ordered the post office to pay ahead 75 years of expected pensions. In other words, pay ahead for pensions for people not even hired yet. No other corporation or government agency has to work under such an unfair burden.

The solution to this strictly political, manmade “crisis”? Undo the 75 years’ advance payment requirement and look into allowing the post offices to also handle other matters – such as notarizing papers, having coin machines available for making copies, selling maps or the like.

 

[evident]

i read this news on cnn and there are a bunch of morons in the comments saying get rid of the usps, privatize it, etc. in my opinion, i think the usps is one of the most reliable, affordable shipping services around. i also feel that as a developed nation one of the main necessities is reliable mail services. i never trust dropping off anything of value at a UPS store, since they aren't even owned by the UPS and wont take claims if you don't drop it off at a real UPS processing center.

 

[Mixolydian]

packages won't be impacted.

Oh, good. I must've missed that.

 

[darkxshade]

I live in the city and for this reason I generally prefer packages shipped USPS. Because there's a post office in every zip code, I don't have to travel very far to pick up my packages(about 5 city blocks/10min walk). I pass by it everyday going to work anyway. I use UPS for heavier packages but it can be a PITA as it requires a bit of coordination with the driver.

 

[Number1]

about time

Canada post eliminated Saturday deliveries 40 years ago.

 

[shortylickens]

I maintain the position our postal service is selling too far below equilibrium.

 

[sixone]

Really? The Post Office has done a great job for 250 years. It hasn't cost the taxpayers one penny. In fact, the Post Office is not broke. It could easily pay all its bills if it could raise its rates. Its the Republicans in Congress who hate the Post Office and want it to fail and therefore won't let them raise rates, or even make modest changes to save money.

The only reason the Post Office is cutting out Saturday mail is that Congress won't let them raise their rates.

Oh, and the Republicans tried to sell the Post Office off. UPS, FedEx, etc wouldn't touch it because they couldn't make money doing what the Post Office does for what the Post Office charges.

http://letters.ocregister.com/2012/11/19/lighten-the-post-office-pension-burden/

The real problem for the U.S. Postal Service that your editorial, “Post office’s own fiscal cliff” [Nov. 19], doesn’t address is that Congress ordered the post office to pay ahead 75 years of expected pensions. In other words, pay ahead for pensions for people not even hired yet. No other corporation or government agency has to work under such an unfair burden.

The solution to this strictly political, manmade “crisis”? Undo the 75 years’ advance payment requirement and look into allowing the post offices to also handle other matters – such as notarizing papers, having coin machines available for making copies, selling maps or the like.

You're contradicting yourself, here. Is the problem too low rates, or the advance payment requirement?

Yes, the USPS has done a great job for a very long time. But they've been screwed over by politicians getting in the way of good business practices.

That's what politicians do, and we keep electing them.

 

[darkxshade]

You're contradicting yourself, here. Is the problem too low rates, or the advance payment requirement?

Yes, the USPS has done a great job for a very long time. But they've been screwed over by politicians getting in the way of good business practices.

That's what politicians do, and we keep electing them.

So by extension, we're getting in the way of good business practices.

 

[sixone]

So by extension, we're getting in the way of good business practices.

And by extension, Saturday delivery, health insurance, responsible gun ownership, etc, ad nauseum.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Should probably raise the price of stamps... even a bottle of soda costs 2.00 around here.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

if your business makes money by NOT working, you are in big trouble...

 

[waggy]

Much may depend on what you call rural.

Most small town PO have 1-2 clerks active and at least one person in the back.

Also, should you pull a PO for an area that covers 15-25 miles; then you are forcing a 50 miles drive to get the mail.

My PO rural.

They have 1 person in the building. 1 person who does delivery (and helps in when she can). we have 1 old lady who works only saturday since the one that usually works in the building wanted it off.

that's it.


IF they close it (wich they have been thinking of doing. it was on the list to be closed last year) that would suck. We had a town meeting with the USPO officials on this.

They said they weren't sure what they would do if they close it. Option 1 We would have to put up mail box's in the front yard. we would get a $150 credit for this.

The 2nd option (wich he said was more likely) was they would build a mail box (like apartments have). we would have keys etc. this option didn't charge us for it.

 

[TXHokie]

So you'd be OK with letting the NSA read all of your mail?

You're assuming they're not? How about have the NSA scan my mail and send to me via email...I'm fine with that. I bet they don't lose my mail.

 

[techs]

You're contradicting yourself, here. Is the problem too low rates, or the advance payment requirement?

Yes, the USPS has done a great job for a very long time. But they've been screwed over by politicians getting in the way of good business practices.

That's what politicians do, and we keep electing them.

No, the problem is both.

And its not all politicians. Its one political party that hates the government and wants it to fail. If people would stop voting for people who want the government to NOT work we wouldn't have a problem.

Heck, the Post Office could probaby raise the price to 59 cents without losing much business and be in the black for ten years.

And when you consider it was 22 cents in 1985 then 59 cents in 2013 is not too bad.

This whole "crisis" is a made up thing by one political party. If they just let the Post Office raise the rates to cover their costs problem solved.

 

[dainthomas]

i read this news on cnn and there are a bunch of morons in the comments saying get rid of the usps, privatize it, etc. in my opinion, i think the usps is one of the most reliable, affordable shipping services around.

Plus it's, like, in the Constitution. Why all these ultra conservative "strict constitutionalist" types seem to invariably hate the USPS, I honestly have no idea.

 

[EagleKeeper]

No, the problem is both.

And its not all politicians. Its one political party that hates the government and wants it to fail. If people would stop voting for people who want the government to NOT work we wouldn't have a problem.

Heck, the Post Office could probaby raise the price to 59 cents without losing much business and be in the black for ten years.

And when you consider it was 22 cents in 1985 then 59 cents in 2013 is not too bad.

This whole "crisis" is a made up thing by one political party. If they just let the Post Office raise the rates to cover their costs problem solved.

Which party might you be talking about. Is there a third party that has been in control these 30 years?

If I recall both the Republicans and Democrats have had full control of Congress over such a time frame;
Plenty of opportunities to modify the Post Service guidelines.


You post makes perfect sense IF you would take out the partisan hackery

 

[techs]

Plus it's, like, in the Constitution. Why all these ultra conservative "strict constitutionalist" types seem to invariably hate the USPS, I honestly have no idea.

Probably because there is a substantial number of Americans who think the government pays for the Post Office out of tax dollars.

Someone in this thread thought so.

 

[ultimatebob]

I think that they should double the rate for bulk mail. That should be enough to get them in the black, and should cut down on the amount of credit card offers and unrequested catalogs I get.

 

[sixone]

No, the problem is both.

You're the one who said there's only one problem. Make up your mind, already.

And its not all politicians. Its one political party that hates the government and wants it to fail. If people would stop voting for people who want the government to NOT work we wouldn't have a problem.

Who, specifically, wants government to fail? Links, please.

Now, as for who wants the government to fail at overtaxing its citizens, and to fail at spending money it doesn't have? Yeah, I think we know which party that is, don't we?

Heck, the Post Office could probaby raise the price to 59 cents without losing much business and be in the black for ten years.

Oh, so you want the post office to fail? Rising prices have only sent more traffic to email and discouraged bulk mailers to cut back. A 25% increase in prices would only reduce business further.

And when you consider it was 22 cents in 1985 then 59 cents in 2013 is not too bad.

This whole "crisis" is a made up thing by one political party. If they just let the Post Office raise the rates to cover their costs problem solved.

If they'd fix that stupid funding requirement, the problem could be solved without discouraging people to use the service they're paying for.

Have you ever taken an economics class? Just curious.

 

[amdhunter]

Who cares?

 

[sixone]

Who cares?

This is why you'll die alone.

 

[OutHouse]

Get this, the small town I live in if you live inside the town limits you have to get a PO box, but if you live outside the town limits the USPS will deliver it to your mailbox. WTF!!!

 

[techs]

You're the one who said there's only one problem. Make up your mind, already.



Who, specifically, wants government to fail? Links, please.

Now, as for who wants the government to fail at overtaxing its citizens, and to fail at spending money it doesn't have? Yeah, I think we know which party that is, don't we?



Oh, so you want the post office to fail? Rising prices have only sent more traffic to email and discouraged bulk mailers to cut back. A 25% increase in prices would only reduce business further.



If they'd fix that stupid funding requirement, the problem could be solved without discouraging people to use the service they're paying for.

Have you ever taken an economics class? Just curious.

There is no reason to respond to such intellectual dishonesty. You are the reason we are in trouble as a nation.

 

[sixone]

Get this, the small town I live in if you live inside the town limits you have to get a PO box, but if you live outside the town limits the USPS will deliver it to your mailbox. WTF!!!

Same for the small town I used to live in. That's how monopolies work.

 

[sixone]

There is no reason to respond to such intellectual dishonesty. You are the reason we are in trouble as a nation.

Funny, I was just thinking the same about you. The money you're itching to spend belongs to other people, and you want to use the police power of the state to steal it from them.

Shame on you.