Some things about the USPS

[nadinbrzezinski]

Might help connect dots for some.

They are the second largest employer in the US, with the largest unionized workforce

Vets and minorities are a large part of the work force. In fact, African Americans found work at the post office when there was no other employer.

It is one of the few middle class jobs still remaining for people without a college degree.

They service rural areas that are out of reach for both UPS and FedEx. In fact, they carry the burden for those two through last mile delivery. Yes, by contract. Funny shit, at times last mile includes very urbanized downtown urban cities.

Small businesses depend on the USPS. Their rates are reasonable. In fact, Netflix was built around the USPS.

Zero dollars of your tax money go to the postal service. It is funded through the sale of mail services, yet...any mail rate increases, first, second or third, fourth et al, have to be approved by Congress. It might com as a surprise, but getting that authorization is like pulling teeth...never mind higher operational costs due to fuel...did I mention they got one of the largest vehicle fleets in the country? They take turns with Walmart.

UPS has contributing with quite a bit of quid to Daryl Issa's campaign...did I mention he's the Chairman of the committee and he won't let any bill out of committee? Last year the Senate passed such a necessary bill, Issa did not allow it to be heard in committee in the House. This is not a conspiracy, this is reality.

But, but...email....bullshit. If the postal service did not have this poison pill...it would be in the black right fucking now.

[liberal_at_heart]

1. yet another public institution people are apparently okay with the republicans destroying

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Most Americans, hell, most DU'ers, are ignorant of these

Facts. The media don't help.

[sad-cafe]

27. I am not ignorant

and this "attitude" is why people get irritated

[montanacowboy]

52. Big Eddie tries most every night

on his show to expose this shit

Goddamn fucking Congress - the fault lies on them totally

[Egalitarian Thug]

47. Not the republicans, this was a bipartisan scheme.

This demolition of a great, fully functional, and Constitutionally mandated institution is being carried out by both parties. This is about money and class.

[Orrex]

3. I would happily pay $1.00 for a first-class stamp

Despite the constant attacks by the Right, there is no other courier service in the world that can match the USPS for efficiency and volume. Anyone who says otherwise, or who preaches the superiority of FedEx/UPS is simply delusional.

Long live the USPS!

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. It is getting Congress to authorize this

I would not mind either, and raising it to .75 cents would be reasonable. And lord knows I use it. One buck would be a nice cushion not to raise them for a couple years.

[Orrex]

8. You're 100% right--Congress (especially certain elements thereof) is the obstacle

I love hearing privatization cultists howl for the abolition of this evil socialist enterprise, most of those idiots earning in the neighborhood of $25K or less.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. You know truly shocking???

Postal workers still voting GOP.

[Dustlawyer]

19. My postman made an off color comment once when he handed me my Time magazine

that had Obama on the cover! Republicans are putting him out of a job and he hates Obama! I guess it will be Obama's fault when he is laid off. I bet he won't send his unemployment checks back either, damn freeloader! I mean, what a taker!

[hay rick]

41. No surprise.

Why should postal workers be more enlightened than the rest of the population? Veterans, who are over-represented in USPS, thanks to veteran's preference (a good thing IMHO), tend to vote "strong on defense" Republican. A lot of the white males vote their skin color (and they are mostly not complete idiots- except for their politics). My experience (34 years in the Postal Service) makes me think that postal employees vote 60-65% Democratic. Sigh.

[alp227]

46. Indeed. I wonder if the same people who buy $1.00 soda from the vending machine daily

would COMPLAIN about paying the same price to mail letters, bills, etc.?

[Heidi]

49. In Switzerland, we pay the equivalent of $1.09 for a first-class stamp and it's not a burden.

We have next-day delivery of "A" post (priority mail) by Swiss Post Monday through Saturday. I think that's very good for CHF 1.

[NOLALady]

5. Thnak You.

From this retired Postal Employee. My husband also retired after 33 years. He became a Union Rep shortly after he started there, and never lost a case.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Hubby works at the plant

I will be the first to say it, the Union has issues, but better than no union.

[SaveAmerica]

23. Even though they have issues, I think it's a business model

many could duplicate. Its CEO (postmaster) earns a lot less than your average person at the top, and I love that the pay is balanced in a way that isn't greasy and nasty (know what I mean?).

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Absolutely.

[SaveAmerica]

42. Do you know of any online effort to get congresspeople

on board to start something new in Congress to get the money back to the USPS? Whether something is already ongoing or they're going to ask some to sponsor a new bill. Any info will be great and I can help spread the word to ask friends an family to call their reps.

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. The nation has a petition.

After that, not really.

[SaveAmerica]

50. I don't have experience with this kind of effort, Senator Hagan (D-NC)

has been working diligently to keep the small rural Post Offices open and she's voted for all bills that would help the post office in the recent past. I wonder if she would be a good place to start? Really, until they reverse the bill and pay back at least some of the money the Postmaster G will have no choice but to see where else he can cut.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

53. Change.org

has had several petitions to save the postal service...several closed with fewer than 500 signatures.

[Sherman A1]

7. K&R

as always, Well Said!

[rhett o rick]

10. And UPS and others are allowed to skim the cream off the top of the mail business.

The USPS is required to service low or no profit areas and attempt to subsidize that with the high profit areas. Just like bus companies and airlines. But we have allowed UPS and others to skim off the high profit business and leave the low or no profit business for the USPS. In fact, UPS hires the USPS to help them when they get low profit business. In other words, UPS doesnt have to service low profit rural customers. They hire the USPS to do it, because they have to service these areas.

[Taverner]

11. I am all for (re)subsidizing the USPS

It is part of our national transportation infrastructure, and if we didn't have the USPS, the hole would be felt, no matter what FedEx says. The cost of goods would go up dramatically, as there would be no low cost shipping option.

[wryter2000]

28. That's admirable

However, it isn't necessary, and it would give them ammunition to continue to try to kill the USPS. I'm with the person above who would pay $1.00 for a stamp. I doubt it would have to be that much, though.

Get rid of the mandate to fund benefits for people who aren't yet born, allow the USPS to perform other services (making copies, for example), and raise the price of a stamp. Problem solved.

[Hayabusa]

32. Fed-Ex, their competitor, has Kinkos

and I think most UPS stores have printing and copymaking sides. Yeah, USPS, go for that market!

[hay rick]

34. Postal Service is prohibited from offering those services. nt

[Hayabusa]

35. Rules and Regulations can always be changed.

[Taverner]

33. I'd pay $2 per stamp - in any case the USPS is needed

If it ever dies, we'll be there saying "I told ya so!"

[amandabeech]

36. If the Postal Service hadn't been forced a Rep Congress to fund 75 years of retirement benefits,

including benefits of folks they haven't even hired yet, in the next ten years, then there wouldn't be a money problem.

The MSM, however, never seems to want to talk about this extremely bizarre pre-funding that NO OTHER COMPANY IS FORCED TO USE or that probably does use.

[Taverner]

37. +100

[matt819]

12. I like the Post Office

Small business person here.

I ship by UPS and the US Postal Service. More on UPS below. Regarding the Postal Service:

-- I process my shipments online and get a discount for doing so. That's nice.

-- I then drop it off at the Post Office, where I know and like the post office people. They are pleasant, friendly, and generally have a pretty good idea of what's going on around town, as in, hey, what's going in at that old gas station, or, what were all the police cars in town all about. Contributes to a sense of community - at least for me. And they are kind enough not to close the door on me when I show up at closing time, because that's just one of my endearing characteristics.

-- If a large package arrives and cannot be delivered by the letter carrier, in addition to the usual notice the letter carrier leaves in the mailbox, the post office person calls to give me a heads up. That's nice, too.

-- I have a high degree of confidence that anything I ship via Priority Mail will get there in 2-3 days, in many cases (not all) for less money, and more quickly, than UPS. My customers and I like that.

-- I realize that others may have different PO experiences. Mine is in a small town and is staffed by one person. There's almost never a situation where she's fulfilling the caricature of the do-nothing postal employee. And I'm pretty sure that postal service people in small towns play the same role in their towns as ours does here. And while "sense of community" probably isn't in the Postal Service's charter, it is an important factor in rural life.

Here's what I don't like: I don't like that I have to sign up for a non-Post Office service in order to purchase postage without having the amount of postage show on the shipping label. I don't doubt that the Post Office gets licensing fees from Indicia and Stamps.com, but if the Post Office provided this service directly, I would use the Postal Service more regularly. Small business owners know what I'm talking about.

Just a few words about UPS, though this probably applies to FedEx and others in various similar ways:
For those shipments where it's more cost effective or just easier to ship by UPS, here's what I have to accept:
-- I pay $10/week for Smart Pickup, which basically automatically schedules a pick up for any shipping label I process before 5:30 pm. Excellent idea, but it costs me $500/year. Think about the alternative. I schedule daily pickup - at no additional cost - but I may not have anything to collect, so the driver goes out of his way, and I say nothing, and he leaves. Or I have to call him to tell him to give me a pass. This is a pain all around. So I'm paying $500 a year in part for my convenience but just as much for theres.
-- Most of my shipments have added fees: fuel surcharge, rural delivery surcharge, at the like.
-- Then there's my favorite adjustment. Every bill contains an adjustment because the UPS system scans the box and concludes that it is larger than the size I put on my label - never smaller. This happens because of pancaking or lack of precision, and it costs me an additional 1%-2% every week. Multiply that out over millions of shipments, and UPS has quite a racket going.
-- Cross-country ground shipments take a week, where the Post Office takes 2-3 days.
-- On the positive side, I've had issues with fewer than 5 shipments in more than 10 years. Not bad, when you think about it.

[Festivito]

13. Imagine: Gov demands in 10 years, pay your retirement, your child's, that child's, 75 years worth.

75 years worth in 10 years. Not even just your own in 30 years.

And, then as you fail to meet the payment schedule you suggest no more outings on Saturdays for the family. We all stay home. But, not only does your family balk, the government that forced you in the first place balks.

And, then the government looks at how you cannot pay your bills and says you should be fired.

How does this differ from what Republicans have done to USPS?

[PDJane]

14. Know what I hate about UPS and FedEx?

It's a big bug with me. Every single thing that goes over the dang border gets charged a customs fee. EVERYTHING. That includes the letter with the charm in it for Aunt Bea. That doesn't even get seen by customs. I got charged $95 for a christmas present to St. Louis.

Seriously? Seriously. A jar of humbugs, a couple of glass ornaments and a fake diamond paper weight, with a couple of bookmarks; $95.00.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Next year

If it fits...it ships.

[Milliesmom]

16. Call your friends and family

Call everyone you know, have them do the same. Petition Congress to give the USPS their money back that they stole. Not one private company has ever had to pay ahead 50 years on retirement for employees. How can congress dictate what a private company that takes no tax money from the public has to do. If they can do this to the USPS then they can overtake any private business.

[SaveAmerica]

22. Yes please!!

[kudzu22]

17. Can someone explain to me why union benefits should not be funded?

This is the thing that's puzzling me about this whole affair. If your employer promises you healthcare through your retirement, but doesn't put any money away for it, that seems bad. In the private sector it would be called raiding the pension fund. Why is it bad if the USPS is required to do it?

I'm not being snarky or sarcastic here. I honestly don't know and want someone to explain it for me.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. They were like any other employer

With contributions. This pre funding is on top of regular pension contributions. That you swallowed whole is a GOP talking point.

[hay rick]

30. Pension funds and health care funds are separate.

USPS has two pension funds- one for the older civil service employees (CSRS) and one for more recently hired employees (FERS). Both pension funds are over-funded. The Obama administration has drawn on a portion of the over-funded surplus to help keep the Postal Service afloat in the past. The exact amount of these surpluses is a matter of dispute. These disputes are separate and unrelated to the healthcare pre-funding problem.

You point out that if an employer promises post-retirement health care benefits, they should assure the funding of those benefits. They should- that would be prudent and responsible- but most don't. They would rather use their available cash today. The demands on the Postal Service vastly exceed that reasonable but rarely attained standard. The Postal Service is being required to pre-fund all employee health benefits 65 years in advance (10 years to pre-pay 75 years worth of benefits). Many of those whose benefits are being paid have not been hired yet or even born...

[wryter2000]

59. Not for 75 years in advance

Funding them, yes, but not for employees who haven't been born yet.

[xxqqqzme]

18. issa also has a wish list of USPS regulations he's

anxious to implement which will further burden the USPS. But don't ask him about his list of regulations for wall street.

[SaveAmerica]

21. True Story - might want to add that they support dem candidates

often. At least my experience with the unions in NC and the Dem candidates of the past 6-10 years. (I'm referring to the unions)

[former9thward]

24. Rate increases are not approved by Congress.

No matter how many times you post it. They are approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission which is an independent agency staffed by the president.

The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved a 1-cent increase, effective Jan. 27, for mailing first-class letters on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/19/u-s-stamp-prices-to-increase-by-1-cent/#ixzz2KF82jULp

[Leslie Valley]

25. Let me quote this back to you, make sure I understand

Zero dollars of your tax money go to the postal service. It is funded through the sale of mail services, yet...any mail rate increases, first, second or third, fourth et al, have to be approved by Congress. It might com as a surprise, but getting that authorization is like pulling teeth...

Are you then advocating for severing ties between the USPS and the government as it would seem most of the Postal Service's problems are related to government regulations and control?

That sounds like privatizing the service and allowing it to be operated as a business.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Kick

[jwirr]

31. unfortunately it seems we can be talked into almost anything in the name of saving money. We are

going to be very sorry once again.

[amandabeech]

38. I've spent a lot of time in rural areas, small towns and small cities.

Service from the Post Office in those locations has always, always been excellent and well-priced.

USPS offers One Day Express Mail service from my Mom in a tiny Michigan town to me in the DC 'burbs, and the package always makes it.

Fedex isn't even in sight out there; UPS service costs a lot.

Fedex had only one store in the small city where I lived for 6 years, and it was completely on the other side of town.

There was one UPS store in my area, but it was only open til 5 weekdays and until noon on Saturday.

The local Post Office was open until 6:30 every night and til 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, and they were very busy during the extended hours. They also had a computerized self-service station for Express Mail and Priority Mail (including boxes) inside near the PO boxes that was available 24/7.

Really, there are plenty of Americans outside big cities, and USPS really takes are of the non-big city market.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. I know

[wakemewhenitsover]

39. K&R. Fantastic post.

[bluestate10]

44. Ed touched on it tonight. The people that will suffer the most from no Saturday delivery

are the people that vote lockstep republican, their economies will face more shrinkage. Most of the Postal Service job loss will be in rural parts of the country. It is time for people in red areas to wake up.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. Indeed.

[Egalitarian Thug]

48. You should look into how the USPS is forced to subsidize FedEx and UPS by Congress.

Congress has used the USPS as their personal pork supply for decades.

[2pooped2pop]

51. they've been trying to privatize it for years

The greedy F N republicans cannot stand it if there is money anywhere that they cannot FN get their hands on.

I expect at anytime to see one of them dressed as the tooth fairy, trying to get in on that cash cow. Watch out grand kids!

[RC]

54. Why would we need to raise rates, if the USPS could get out from under from prefunding the

retirement account up front? That is the basic problem here.
We excel at diddling with the symptoms, while ignoring the root problem causing the symptoms.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. Donahue has asked for a raise for years too.

They operate too close to the edge.

[Nay]

57. You don't get it--the prefunding scam the PO is dealing with is not a bug--it's a feature.

IOW, this legislation that made the PO fund 75 yrs into the future was tailor-made to DESTROY the PO. It was not enacted to help the pensioners, etc. -- Pubs don't give a shit about retirees; just witness what they are doing to the rest of us.

They want the PO to DIE, and we'll see it happen in the next few years. The only ray of light is that all those eejits out in the countryside who vote lockstep for the Pubs will be cut off. They'll have to pay exorbitant prices to send anything, and that's only if they can get a private co. to do it. And that private co. sure ain't gonna be going door-to-door 6 days a week.

[RC]

58. No, you don't get it.

Fix the root problem. Congress did this, they can undo it.
Yeah, yeah, I know the House is controlled by Republicans, but if there are any Democrats left in congress, they can work to remedy this anyway. Even as a campaign attack against the Republicans. There are no stone tablets involved here.

[NCTraveler]

56. Great post.

As a small business owner I love the USPS. I send lots of mail and I would consider their service to be more than affordable for what they do. They are also very efficient.

[midnight]

60. Interesting comment about Issa and UPS...