USPS Deserves to go down

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: stockrex
flood insurance is being abused by people who keep rebuilding in the flood plains, making the same mistake over and over again, come on.


Talk about a pre-existing condition!!!

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: tonycarguy
Originally Posted By: kb01
I think it would be pretty easy to save the USPS, it would just be incredibly unpopular:

2) Base 1st class postage off of the true cost of mail. Hawaii to Florida should cost more than intra-city mail.


This would complicate things too much. People would have to go online or to the post office to figure out how much a 1st class letter would cost to send? Too much trouble for much of the public



UPS has like 6 zones. How hard is that?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Spartanfool
That is just NOT true. Give me any tracking number that supports your statement. UPS and FedEx want the package out of their system ASAP. The only exception might be at Christmas, when they "manage" their delivery times. Just like the USPS...


Originally Posted By: Vikas
With UPS or Fedex, they will NOT deliver the parcel until the due date i.e. they will hold on to it. For example, if the parcel arrives to the final dispatch location two days earlier, they will sit on it. This is true with their ground service. They will intentionally held off delivering it until 3-4 business days.

USPS never does that.

- Vikas


I agree! I don't know about ground, but second day stuff, for example, will be "processed" at the depot longer if it is going a short distance on a fast service. Ive seen this before. Can't really complain if its coming second day if I paid for second day though.

 

[Vikas]

I am talking about the ground service here. Let me see if I can get the tracking number.

They had the parcel at their distribution center on 8/20/2011. They would not let me pick it up nor would they deliver it on 8/20/2011 (because it was Saturday; I know)

UPS 1Z4030250355886340

If this were USPS, I would have received it on 8/20/2011. I have had USPS deliver a parcel on Christmas Day.

- Vikas

 

[Al]

I guess I am a little perplexed that some seem happy that their .$44 letter got delivered at a real cost (to the taxpayers[themselves]) of several times that $,=.46. It does though enforce the position that the Post Office should go out of business or adjust costs to delivery mail in line with the price they charge.

I think many of us agree that making the Post Office ( a Government Agency) more efficient is an option off of the table.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Al
I guess I am a little perplexed that some seem happy that their .$44 letter got delivered at a real cost (to the taxpayers[themselves]) of several times that $,=.46. It does though enforce the position that the Post Office should go out of business or adjust costs to delivery mail in line with the price they charge.

I think many of us agree that making the Post Office ( a Government Agency) more efficient is an option off of the table.


The business practice of "sale and lease back" is not "more efficient".

It is a trick used only by investment banks to make a quick buck by lying to 2 parties (buyer of the assets and the future leaser of the assets), telling both of them that it is a good deal at the others' expense, and reap a profit that will bankrupt both of them later. Mervyn's went out of business this way.

So, selling USPS assets and have to lease them back forever is not efficient.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: Al
I guess I am a little perplexed that some seem happy that their .$44 letter got delivered at a real cost (to the taxpayers[themselves]) of several times that $,=.46. It does though enforce the position that the Post Office should go out of business or adjust costs to delivery mail in line with the price they charge.

I think many of us agree that making the Post Office ( a Government Agency) more efficient is an option off of the table.


The business practice of "sale and lease back" is not "more efficient".

It is a trick used only by investment banks to make a quick buck by lying to 2 parties (buyer of the assets and the future leaser of the assets), telling both of them that it is a good deal at the others' expense, and reap a profit that will bankrupt both of them later. Mervyn's went out of business this way.

So, selling USPS assets and have to lease them back forever is not efficient.


This is not that complicated Panda..I am just pointing that the Government i is apparently oblivious to charging the true cost to mail a friggin' letter....and therefore it should not be regraded as a great thing.

 

[JHZR2]

Do we know what the actual cost of mailing the letter is? I suppose we could base it on the last time that the PO broke even or better, which IIRC wasnt that long ago.

Id also like to know the approval process to raise rates. If medical insurance increased at 10% on one year, but the beauracuracy limits the rate increase and frequency, then it is possible to get behind due to the checks and balances inherent to the setup. That could then likely get changed very easily if people understood the situation and spoke their minds.

Griping without a solution isnt an answer, nor is shutting it down completely. So let's think about constructive ideas.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do we know what the actual cost of mailing the letter is? I suppose we could base it on the last time that the PO broke even or better, which IIRC wasnt that long ago.

Id also like to know the approval process to raise rates. If medical insurance increased at 10% on one year, but the beauracuracy limits the rate increase and frequency, then it is possible to get behind due to the checks and balances inherent to the setup. That could then likely get changed very easily if people understood the situation and spoke their minds.

Griping without a solution isnt an answer, nor is shutting it down completely. So let's think about constructive ideas.

A constructive idea would be to allow the free market to decide.

 

[JHZR2]

decide how? Again, a comment without a good approach at an answer. Let the USPS close up shop tomorrow? Is that the free market answer? Nobody wants to pay for anything they dont have to.

Or is it to let the prices float immediately to balance the budget? And let people decide if they still use USPS or somneone else?

What do you recommend they do? How about ideas besides hiding behind "free market"?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Do we know what the actual cost of mailing the letter is? I suppose we could base it on the last time that the PO broke even or better, which IIRC wasnt that long ago.

Id also like to know the approval process to raise rates. If medical insurance increased at 10% on one year, but the beauracuracy limits the rate increase and frequency, then it is possible to get behind due to the checks and balances inherent to the setup. That could then likely get changed very easily if people understood the situation and spoke their minds.

Griping without a solution isnt an answer, nor is shutting it down completely. So let's think about constructive ideas.

A constructive idea would be to allow the free market to decide.


Maybe we can out-source it to China?

 

[Spazdog]

given the amount of garbage I receive in the mail, and the fact that I assume that postage is paid on all of the ads from everywhere I will never go and alumni associations begging for money, I cannot believe that the USPS is not turning a profit.

I pay almost everything on line and my mailbox is still stuffed with stuff that virtually all goes straight into the recycling bin.

Maybe they are delivering too much.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: andrewg

A constructive idea would be to allow the free market to decide.


Maybe we can out-source it to China?


Actually it is quite easy.

Raise the rate to 75c for first class and 50c for ground. Don't like it? don't use it.

Then cut the delivery to twice a week unless you pay for a premium service. Don't like it, don't use it.

Now that's what free market will do if you mandate all addresses to be delivered. If you don't mind some addresses are not delivered and have to go to the station for pickup, then sure, we can do 44c as we have now.

That's the free market solution.

 

[Shannow]

IMO (and it's just my O, being not in the US, and therefore knowing little about it), if you are going to declare yourself a nation, then a standard letter should be a standard price, regardless of where in the nation it is sent, or where it is delivered.

If the price is going up due to reduced volume due to e-mail, then raise the price across the board, don't blame Hawaii or Guam, just accept the price rises.

Parcel shipping is another matter...I got a 120lb item delivered by Aust post for $51.50...versus $70 to get 5lb sent to the US...those things should be priced on an as needs and where basis.

At least with the Post, if I'm not here to recieve, I can get it at the office after 16:30. A Courier or other service, I miss the delivery, and it's three days worth of phone calls to find a "mutually convenient" place and time...in 3 days, or the next town.

As I said, my experience is completely irrelevant to this thread, but also, my postal service made a profit last year while still paying a lot of people becoming redundant to leave the system...and I can have a passport interview (a a fee), buy WII games, stuffed toys, street directories, Printer cartridges, memory sticks, uncirculated coins gift packs etc.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
decide how? Again, a comment without a good approach at an answer. Let the USPS close up shop tomorrow? Is that the free market answer?
What do you recommend they do? How about ideas besides hiding behind "free market"?


None of us can be expected to come up with the ideal solution bc none of us knows precisely what the problem is. But I thinik Panda's ideas seem good to me.

Originally Posted By: PandaBear

Actually it is quite easy.

Raise the rate to 75c for first class and 50c for ground. Don't like it? don't use it.

Then cut the delivery to twice a week unless you pay for a premium service. Don't like it, don't use it.

Now that's what free market will do if you mandate all addresses to be delivered. If you don't mind some addresses are not delivered and have to go to the station for pickup, then sure, we can do 44c as we have now.

That's the free market solution.


And heaven knows I don't usually agree with Panda.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Nice job Al! You turned Panda into a minimalist!

Will wonders never cease.

Actually and seriously, I like his ideas. They seem reasonable, but the fact is they're just guesses. Let's open up the books and get to work!

 

[mechanicx]

I like the mail being delivered 6 days a week. I can see Saturday maybe being discontinued, but I think 5 days a week would be a practical minimum. There's probably other ways of balancing the post office budget. I heard some far out locations get mail delivered even on Sunday.

 

[Pablo]

My solution:

Bop First Class Mail normal letters up to 0.75$US
Increase the bulk junk mail charging
Pop Flat rate mail up $2 for each type of box.
Increase book rate etc.

Personally this will hurt my bottom line, but it's still better the FED-UPS.

Lastly, eliminate the postal worker union. Pay them a fair wage, and offer a 401K.

Just at first glance this would put USPS in the correct direction. No need to eliminate Sat. delivery.

 

[LS2JSTS]

Originally Posted By: Pablo


Lastly, eliminate the postal worker union. Pay them a fair wage, and offer a 401K.



Good luck with that one!

More likely scenario in this crazy world we live in...create an economic climate where the ownership from the rightful owners can be stollen due to their desperate financial position, itself a result of said economic climate, declare their assets and guarantees invalid then give a percentage equity stake in the "new" USPS to the employees Union.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Nice job Al! You turned Panda into a minimalist!


Ask Tempest and buster.

I've always been a minimalist, but I'm also trying not to be a hypocrite.