Trump orders Postal Service review after blasting Amazon deal • Hacker News Board

Re: Trump orders Postal Service review after blasting Amazon deal

#51

Post by krapp » Fri, Apr 13, 2018, 1:19 PM UTC

InitialLastName wrote: post #42

snarfy wrote: post #12

It's a government service, not a business. It's not supposed to be profitable. It's supposed to provide a service.

Further, it's one of the only (if not the only) federal agency explicitly required by the US Constitution. (US Constitution Article 1 Section 8 Clause 7) > The Congress shall have Power... To establish Post Offices and post Roads.

I Am Not A Constitutional Scholar, but I don't read that as the Constitution explicitly requiring the Post Office, but merely delegating the power to do so to Congress. Presumably Congress would still be within its rights to not exercise that power, or to abolish the Post Office entirely.

Re: Trump orders Postal Service review after blasting Amazon deal

#52

Post by IanDrake » Fri, Apr 13, 2018, 3:13 PM UTC

jrsmith1279 wrote: post #43

IanDrake wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In an ironic twist, complaining about the wealthy has been the Democrats’ rhetoric for as long as I can remember. Here’s some pre Trump complaints I recall... The wealthy don’t pay their fair share. Trump: New tax plan just took away a huge source of federal tax deductions. The wealthy ship jobs oversees. Trump: attempting to put reciprocal tariffs in place to level the playing field. The wealthy use the government t…

Equally ironic: kowtowing to the wealthy has been the republican rhetoric for as long as I can remember. There's no question that Trump's motive here is to get back at Bezos for things that The Washington Post publishes. You're arguing in favor of a president using the power of the executive branch to punish a political foe. Do you really think that this is ok? Does the fact that Democrats are usually the ones compla…

Please quote where I was arguing anything. I was just making an observation.

Your observation about Republicans is just as valid.

Check your outrage, it’s affecting your perception.

Re: Trump orders Postal Service review after blasting Amazon deal

#53

Post by mikeash » Fri, Apr 13, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

theandrewbailey wrote: post #45

mikeash wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don’t get any of your tax money.

Who is "they" here? USPS? Commercial carriers? Junk mailers?

USPS. I’m responding to “The USPS has become an ad-delivery network subsidized by my tax dollars.”

I should mention that USPS does get tax money when other agencies use their services, but they’re paying for it just like anyone else does. It’s not subsidized, other than indirectly by their monopoly on letters.

Re: Trump orders Postal Service review after blasting Amazon deal

#54

Post by makecheck » Fri, Apr 13, 2018, 4:05 PM UTC

This is one of those things where, even if it were an issue, shouldn’t there be about 4,321 better ways for the federal government (much less the president) to choose their focus?

And it’s not like he has to go far to find bigger problems. How about “ordering a review” on poverty and homelessness for instance?

Re: Trump orders Postal Service review after blasting Amazon deal

#55

Post by rabboRubble » Fri, Apr 13, 2018, 8:17 PM UTC

anilshanbhag wrote: post #33

dsparkman wrote: post #8

The package delivery business side of the USPS is a profitable venture. The USPS is in the state it is in not because of Amazon or last mile delivery that is doing for other businesses. The core problem is Congress and the requirement they put is the USPS that they prefund 75 years of pensions. A requirement placed on no other institutions in the US.

After reading multiple reports, I am confused if anyone really knows if it is profitable or not. Do you have a source for your claim ? UPS and Fedex have operating margin of ~6%. They have spent 10's of billions of dollars into optimized sorting facilities and logistics. Yet, Amazon uses USPS for last mile delivery. USPS also has to deliver to non-profitable remote locations and has public unions which demand above-m…

https://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2016/pr16_092....