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summerschild

(725 posts)

108. The Postal Service has operated under a "break even" mandate ever since it was reorganized in 1971.

Thu Feb 7, 2013, 03:31 PM

Feb 2013

Last edited Thu Feb 7, 2013, 04:02 PM - Edit history (1)

It was written into the law that removed it from a cabinet post as the Post Office and it became the U.S. Postal Service.

Between rate cases, USPS would make money some years and lose money other years -- sustained by the cost of postage, not tax payers. They could not raise rates arbitrarily, but were required to have approval of the Postal Regulatory Commission to implement rate changes. (Not simple - when I worked there, it required about a year to build a rate case.) Increases could not exceed the cost of inflation.

All of this while maintaining "universal" service, same price anywhere in the U.S. Even with boat routes in the Okefenokee, burros to the depths of the Grand Canyon, and sled routes in Alaska. All for the same $. Think FedEx or USPS or another corporation would do that for forty five cents? It's like all the "privatize" crap. Profitize what the profiteers want and make the tax payers pay for the difference and/or the poor can do without.

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To those apathetic about the attack on the Post Office remember [View all] flamingdem Feb 2013 OP

If postage prices are unsustainably low, then changes must be made. Buzz Clik Feb 2013 #1

It's more about using the Post Office for new sources of revenue flamingdem Feb 2013 #2

Yep. octoberlib Feb 2013 #18

Not just for people not even hired, but for people not even born yet brush Feb 2013 #47

And just where does this extreme pension funding money go? Surrise... Wall Street! Fla Dem Feb 2013 #83

I heard that they were making . . . aggiesal Feb 2013 #118

They are not allowed to expand their services to increase revenue (and compete with FexEx/UPS). meeshrox Feb 2013 #74

I've used USPS for next day delivery many times. When did they do away with it? n/t ieoeja Feb 2013 #119

They can't pick up from my specific office location meeshrox Feb 2013 #144

Important information thanks! nt flamingdem Feb 2013 #132

They Niceguy1 Feb 2013 #141

Like raising rates to a sustainable level? n/t pa28 Feb 2013 #37

The post office need not be a profit center Politicub Feb 2013 #77

It is a money pit providing a dying service. Buzz Clik Feb 2013 #80

You're badly missing the point here. mac56 Feb 2013 #81

I use the US post office every day it's open. fasttense Feb 2013 #82

I disagree with you. All government doesn't need to "break even" Politicub Feb 2013 #91

Do the police break even? pscot Feb 2013 #104

You should do some research. AAO Feb 2013 #105

The Postal Service has operated under a "break even" mandate ever since it was reorganized in 1971. summerschild Feb 2013 #108

Not that. It's Republican action plan to strangle government in all forms; ridiculous pension law: Bernardo de La Paz Feb 2013 #95

They are forbidden to raise them more than the rate of inflation. AAO Feb 2013 #103

They are only unstustainably low because of the recent hostage takeover of them by Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #111

They are not. A law passed in 2006 requires that the post office have money on hold for 75 years of robinlynne Feb 2013 #116

uh, check out the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act pasto76 Feb 2013 #143

think of the things that still get mailed - birth announcements wedding invitations. hollysmom Feb 2013 #3

These things happen so quickly flamingdem Feb 2013 #6

for sme reson. our teeny tiny post office is being left open, hollysmom Feb 2013 #35

Netflix Mail Costs Go Down With End Of Saturday Postal Service Tx4obama Feb 2013 #4

Thanks Tx.. I'm one of those netflix Instant and DVD subscribers. Cha Feb 2013 #39

only because people won't be getting their discs in a timely matter. uncle ray Feb 2013 #69

as does our service! no receiving netflix on saturdays!!!! the most important movie of the week i. robinlynne Feb 2013 #117

I've been screaming at and about those 2 1/2 day per weekers do nothing fuckwad privatizers lonestarnot Feb 2013 #5

I love your description. love_katz Feb 2013 #21

Oh. lonestarnot Feb 2013 #28

and we also need to remember that this is not just about the post office liberal_at_heart Feb 2013 #7

The PO is such a juicy prize for them flamingdem Feb 2013 #11

Think of how many middle class fucking jobs they will take down sons a bitches. lonestarnot Feb 2013 #24

And how many union members they'll be rid of! summerschild Feb 2013 #109

You sound a little to excited to end that sentence in a preposition for my ass. lonestarnot Feb 2013 #139

I'm retired Postal (with almost 33 years). For at least 25 of those years we lived with the summerschild Feb 2013 #151

The proposed change is to end Saturday mail - lynne Feb 2013 #8

this wan't even an issue until they made them start making prepayments liberal_at_heart Feb 2013 #17

package delivery will continue dlwickham Feb 2013 #31

This change will keep it affordable. dkf Feb 2013 #9

It might do that for carriers but it won't for other workers dsc Feb 2013 #20

Don't be naive brush Feb 2013 #49

Sorry but I think that's kind of crazy. dkf Feb 2013 #55

But you do know that repugs the 2006 lameduck Congress . . . brush Feb 2013 #75

Actually, the ability of Congress to "establish Post Offices and post roads" Art_from_Ark Feb 2013 #138

The post office IS affordable! AllyCat Feb 2013 #64

They work 5 days now... Sekhmets Daughter Feb 2013 #89

Bulk homegirl Feb 2013 #92

Bulk mail was the main source of profit for the postal service Sekhmets Daughter Feb 2013 #100

Actually, yes. RC Feb 2013 #94

We already have a five day work week bagimin Feb 2013 #124

gee maybe the head of our party could make a big deal about this.... yeah right nt msongs Feb 2013 #10

What should people do to support the post office abelenkpe Feb 2013 #12

Just found this: flamingdem Feb 2013 #13

Thank you! abelenkpe Feb 2013 #19

And just think what the big boys will charge when they no longer have to compete with the USPS. Starry Messenger Feb 2013 #14

Great, I was looking for petitions nt flamingdem Feb 2013 #16

Signed Sealed and Delivered! Cha Feb 2013 #27

Ed Just said the Post Office is one of the top employers of Veterans JI7 Feb 2013 #15

It is, Obama used it as an example when he suggested SaveAmerica Feb 2013 #22

I love the Post Office. I read those Cha Feb 2013 #23

I'm truly tired of the argument, I've tried to educate on FB SaveAmerica Feb 2013 #25

check out the story on savethepostoffice web site flamingdem Feb 2013 #29

This is what I'm hoping, with deadline of August that gives them time SaveAmerica Feb 2013 #53

The best thing anyone can do for the USPS is vote the god damn tea party out of Congress. xtraxritical Feb 2013 #38

Working on it, and also getting Congresspeople to try AGAIN SaveAmerica Feb 2013 #52

Yes, but note the article on savethepostoffice.com that says it started flamingdem Feb 2013 #54

Who cares who it started with? Get rid of the god damned tea party and maybe we can fix it. xtraxritical Feb 2013 #90

I'm for that- as long as we do not primary any centrist DEMS who voted for the pension requirement. Dr Fate Feb 2013 #150

EVERYTHING is about ridding America of public institutions. defacto7 Feb 2013 #26

Whatever you think of the post office, there are two things that should be remembered. PDJane Feb 2013 #30

But it can be hobbled, and made invisible flamingdem Feb 2013 #33

It's not only out-of-the-way places dragonlady Feb 2013 #93

Both UPS and FedEx contract with USPS for ground delivery. mac56 Feb 2013 #97

packages kardonb Feb 2013 #32

Which means carriers will still be on their routes, Occulus Feb 2013 #86

I use them in my photography business to ship 20-50 packages per month. Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #34

Do you send flats - images of photos? flamingdem Feb 2013 #41

They're typically like hard cardboard envelopes. Most of the time 8x10 sized prints go in there, Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #45

Am I too nosey flamingdem Feb 2013 #48

I'm working in a very niche segment of the equine photography "industry". I take very specific Ed Suspicious Feb 2013 #50

That's really fascinating. That's a very niche niche flamingdem Feb 2013 #57

Yes, having been involved with showing horses of several performance types over the years, maddiemom Feb 2013 #85

I would never call the Post Office "unnecessary"... richmwill Feb 2013 #36

Aw, thank you flamingdem Feb 2013 #40

Rural communities (i.e. Republican voters) would be especially screwed by the loss of the USPS bluestateguy Feb 2013 #42

I support the post office! iamthebandfanman Feb 2013 #43

I sent an Email to Buck McKeon SCVDem Feb 2013 #44

But as said above they'll have to answer to rural constituents flamingdem Feb 2013 #46

You sent him CalFresh Feb 2013 #152

Out of work SCVDem Feb 2013 #153

K&R MotherPetrie Feb 2013 #51

Just think of the impact loss of the post office HeiressofBickworth Feb 2013 #56

Good point, you know they drool over that! flamingdem Feb 2013 #58

I'm a former rural letter carrier and a former United Parcel Service supervisor. mikekohr Feb 2013 #59

Yes, but the Republican trick of forcing them to pre-fund retirement for 75 years flamingdem Feb 2013 #60

Agreed, repeal that Repuke attack on the PO, it does not change the fact that mikekohr Feb 2013 #62

Flamingdem follow the money behind the CA land Grab it's bonniebgood Feb 2013 #87

I posted about that last night and could not believe flamingdem Feb 2013 #88

Liar n/t BillyJack Feb 2013 #67

Fool n/t mikekohr Feb 2013 #73

Sixty-Three post offices in one zip code? That doesn't sound rural to me matt819 Feb 2013 #114

the 613-- zip code area in North Central Illinois mikekohr Feb 2013 #121

Okay, then matt819 Feb 2013 #145

And that's the problem, you want unprofitable offices to stay open and someone else to pay for them mikekohr Feb 2013 #148

We don't use postal services as much as we used to. Lugnut Feb 2013 #61

DVDs are a bad example OmahaBlueDog Feb 2013 #63

Its a service, not a business shadowmayor Feb 2013 #65

I find the Post Office to be very reliable the more I use it flamingdem Feb 2013 #133

I thought I read they'll still be doing package deliveries on Saturdays Common Sense Party Feb 2013 #66

Everyone talking about the price of postage has completely missed the point... Act_of_Reparation Feb 2013 #68

Parcel delivery continues to be six days a week Spider Jerusalem Feb 2013 #70

They won't get away with this one because malaise Feb 2013 #71

True. But it is the never ending push to privatize anything and everything. geckosfeet Feb 2013 #72

USPS is the second largest employer in the country mac56 Feb 2013 #76

That's new to me, we should be hearing about this in the news nt flamingdem Feb 2013 #84

Take a look! mac56 Feb 2013 #98

Good points, people don't know what we've got, the PO has been smeared flamingdem Feb 2013 #134

UPS and FedEx can raise their rates on a whim. mac56 Feb 2013 #78

I agree. rightsideout Feb 2013 #79

I've never dissed the Post Office. They've always been good to me. nt valerief Feb 2013 #96

The USPS uses U.S. airlines for its Express Mail and some Priority Mail mike dub Feb 2013 #99

underlying the GOP attack on the USPS is a desire..... lastlib Feb 2013 #101

i do ebay AND i send MISSIVES. i decided i am gonna write to an elderly relative pansypoo53219 Feb 2013 #102

Some of what they do Milliesmom Feb 2013 #106

K&R nt ProudProgressiveNow Feb 2013 #107

I really need and ask that everything use it. The other prices are out of many people's reach. freshwest Feb 2013 #110

I really think a DVD is now $5.05 unless I did something wrong when I checked out USPS. Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #112

It's 1.53 for the slim case anywhere in the USA nt flamingdem Feb 2013 #115

I've argued supporting the Post Office . . . aggiesal Feb 2013 #113

Privatizing it would not make it cheaper. They would just make it a little cheaper than Fed-ed and Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #147

Corporate greed, political compliance, and and ignorant populace. Jakes Progress Feb 2013 #120

K&R blkmusclmachine Feb 2013 #122

At least our top leaders-Obama, Reid and Pelosi are not apathetic about it. Dr Fate Feb 2013 #123

Also, the DEM congress that followed the lame-duck GOP congress TRIED to repeal the pension rqmt. Dr Fate Feb 2013 #130

Can they get past the house? flamingdem Feb 2013 #135

They did not, do not, will not have the votes for that. The important thing is that they tried. Dr Fate Feb 2013 #149

rec handmade34 Feb 2013 #125

oooh I likey your signature logo! flamingdem Feb 2013 #136

please do!! handmade34 Feb 2013 #137

They are not cutting package delivery days... just first class mail. DCBob Feb 2013 #126

You are missing the point entirely. mac56 Feb 2013 #127

more likely you are a usps saturday junk mail delivery boy. DCBob Feb 2013 #129

neener neener neener mac56 Feb 2013 #140

Or those pesky ebay packages and netflix movies. Dr Fate Feb 2013 #128

UPS and Fedex do not deliver to PO boxes Jake2413 Feb 2013 #131

Once the Post Office goes, you can expect to pay a lot more to send a letter or package. alarimer Feb 2013 #142

The Rethugs and many others blackspade Feb 2013 #146