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U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

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Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#11

Post by learc83 »

m0zg wrote: post #7
learc83 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a bipartisan plan to include 30 billion in funding for the Post Office in the 2 trillion dollar stimulus bill. But the administration said they wouldn't sign anything that included emergency funding for the USPS. That doesn't prove what the administration's motives are, but they certainly seem hostile towards the USPS.

I don't get why it has to lose money at all in the first place. Sounds to me like they're offering a unique, highly in-demand service, in a market that is currently booming. Perhaps they should consider reworking their pricing structure? Just a thought.

Depending on the type of mail the USPS has to publish rates 90 days in advance, and there are regulatory limits to increases.

Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#12

Post by rbritton »

m0zg wrote: post #7
learc83 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a bipartisan plan to include 30 billion in funding for the Post Office in the 2 trillion dollar stimulus bill. But the administration said they wouldn't sign anything that included emergency funding for the USPS. That doesn't prove what the administration's motives are, but they certainly seem hostile towards the USPS.

I don't get why it has to lose money at all in the first place. Sounds to me like they're offering a unique, highly in-demand service, in a market that is currently booming. Perhaps they should consider reworking their pricing structure? Just a thought.

Responding to the sibling comment: they don't need to make a profit, but they should at least break even. Call it a price, a tax, or whatever, but it's capable of being completely self-contained where those using the service can pay the full cost of operating it.

Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#14

Post by CamperBob2 »

bytematic wrote: post #6

Wonder what happens when soldiers can't send/receive mail from their families

What will happen is that they'll continue to vote overwhelmingly Republican, as a bloc.

Edit: This isn't political snark, FWIW. The deleted parent comment pointed out that soldiers on deployment rely on the APO/FPO system under USPS to receive packages from home, and wondered what the soldiers would do if the USPS is allowed to fail by the Trump administration.

It's objectively demonstrable that those who end up worse off because of Republican policies are among the most faithful Republican voters, and that almost certainly holds true in the armed forces as well. Warfighters and their families will likely pay more, get less, and continue voting the same way.

Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#15

Post by [deleted] »

rbritton wrote: post #12
m0zg wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why it has to lose money at all in the first place. Sounds to me like they're offering a unique, highly in-demand service, in a market that is currently booming. Perhaps they should consider reworking their pricing structure? Just a thought.

Responding to the sibling comment: they don't need to make a profit, but they should at least break even. Call it a price, a tax, or whatever, but it's capable of being completely self-contained where those using the service can pay the full cost of operating it.

[deleted]

Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#17

Post by socalnate1 »

pietrovismara wrote: post #9
m0zg wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why it has to lose money at all in the first place. Sounds to me like they're offering a unique, highly in-demand service, in a market that is currently booming. Perhaps they should consider reworking their pricing structure? Just a thought.

I don't get why public infrastructure and services are supposed to make a profit. They are already funded by taxes, why are we supposed to pay them again?

In this case, the USPS is not funded by taxes. It has a nightmarish duality of both getting no public funds and being controlled by congress.

Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#18

Post by curiousgeorgio »

cjsawyer wrote: post #2

Unrelated to this specific article: The USPS is a crucial part of the US infrastructure. The thought that we could loose it over mail in ballot voting is a sick joke.

> The USPS is a crucial part of the US infrastructure.

Mail delivery and shipping are crucial, not the USPS. There are plenty of other private companies that can and do show the ability to do what the USPS does - only more efficiently (and without consistently losing money). At this point in history, there's no need for us to continue supporting the tax-subsidized[1] money pit that is the USPS.

Yet another piece of evidence that private industry is more effective than government-funded programs.

[1] Make no mistake - the USPS might be able to claim they don't receive tax money for operations (technically), but the laws and other perks protecting their monopoly status have a real-world cost, and the net effect is no different from that of a tax.

edit: Ok, it looks like many people disagree. If that's the case, explain yourself instead of simply hitting the downvote button.

Re: U.S. Postal Workers Were on the Front Lines Before. They Were Ignored

#20

Post by toomuchtodo »

fasteddie31003 wrote: post #16

Why don't they talk about raising their mailing rates? I would imagine their demand is pretty inelastic.

Congress controls USPS rate setting, as well as mandates the rate of healthcare and pension benefit contributions.
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