US Postal Service may default on Aug 1

[Kevatc]

The Postal Service receives no tax money.

It's financial struggles are because of a Congressional mandate that they prefund 75 years worth of retirement benefits in a 10 year period. Fedex or UPS doing that? Will they delivery a letter anywhere in the US for 45 cents?

Without the mandate, the USPS is in the black. It's a system that works but is being cannibalized in order to make the payments. There is still a need for postal service in spite of email. Even the big shippers often use it for final delivery.

We are in trouble if it disappears.

That's my understanding of the issue as well. I don't think all the USPS bashing is deserved. It's my understanding that our super smart, totally selfless, give the shirt off their backs Congress has a lot to do with the woes the USPS is facing.

 

[beavertonbuck]

The USPS has been bleeding money for years and is having a hard time adapting to the digital age. I would like to remind you that the USPS opposing any "do not mail list" for junk mail because it consist of a significant amount of their business. Also in regards to the pension and UPS or FedEx. The private companies have a 401(k) versus the pensions which per union agreements are guranteed, sort of like the older PERS in OR. They are simply trying to prevent an issue where the pension is underfunded and it falls to the General Fund to pay out the funds.

That being said Congress is really screwing with USPS's ability to resolve the issue. The person in charge of the USPS went before Congress and asked for more autonomy and the ability to operate more like a private business. In my mind Congress should give USPS the ability to make their own decisions about services and to set prices, along with removing the exclusion of private carriers from delivering first class mail. Let the people decide who provides the best services.

 

[lonegunman]

If you can find anyone else will to do anything for you for less than 50 cents, post information here.


Forcing the USPS to "prefund" three generations worth of employee retirement in less than a decade is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. It was no doubt suggested by FEDEX and accomplished with a few thousand dollars in bribe money to the mental rejects we send to congress.


I cannot imagine a person stupid enough to give away billions of dollars for a bribe/donation of hundreds of dollars, then again I am not in congress. It would be like selling your house for pocket change.

 

[locobob]

Privatization is way oversold as a panacea for government inefficiency, what we really need to do is fix our broken government through better accountability and representation. Corporations aren't concerned about public service, what they care about is increasing shareholder value. We've seen this self serving behavior again and again, quite often at the expense of the public good. That's all fine and good provided that it's kept in its proper sphere. National defense, justice, transportation infrastructure and mail delivery are examples of services that are best geared toward the greater public good, they should not be turned into profit machines that benefit a few at the expense of the many.

 

[PBinWA]

All you guys that live in the middle of nowhere will be lucky to get mail/packages once a week if the USPS goes belly up. The private carriers simply won't do business in your areas.

I live in a rural location and get better service from UPS and FEDEX. We even petitioned the PostMaster (as per their guidelines) to get better service and our petition was ignored.

 

[TCOV]

Very hard to believe.

 

[slimmer13]

Keep the Postal Service. Lose the ATF, IRS, DOE, other DOE, Homeland Security, DEA, NSA, and probably a few others.

 

[9mmD]

Sounds like most of you have a clue about what the PO is actually doing. For those who dont let me add a few logs on the fire.
As far as fedex or ups doing the job compare this....Those two only deliver parcels (lg envelopes are considered parcels) and they deliver approx 150 a day (thats being nice to)
Your mail carrier delivers approx 50-100 packages a day ...AND.... the rest of your mail.. approx 2000-3000 pieces a day......... So who really does more.

NEXT..... as far as pay goes. those ups/fedex drivers are making 20-30k a year more than usps carriers. Plus 5k+ in there 401k a yr. So they dont have a "pension" but one hell of a 401k.

AS far as junk mail goes. The PO is in the business of delivery, So if someone wants to send you a bunch of useless crap why would you fault the business for making money and trying to grow. Not to mention that the usps is cheaper in almost every aspect than its competitors. Remember that your the customer when you pay to send something.....

Does the usps have problems..... hell ya. what major company doesnt.. why not let them do what they need to do to get above water.