General Discussion

Tarheel_Dem

(31,454 posts)

107. "Just because it's obsolete for you doesn't make it so for everyone else."

Sat Feb 25, 2012, 06:32 PM

Feb 2012

How about "most of us"? I realize that for some folks this is more about nostalgia than practicality. I, for instance, have resisted going to e-statement only. But, I never pay by mail, I use online bill pay. Like most Americans, I don't "write letters", I use email, and the couple of cards that I & many others send at Christmas hardly justify funding an institution that can no longer support itself.

The USPS is a dying institution, and technology is largely to blame for that. Many new technologies have displaced workers, in many professions. What makes the USPS any different? What do we do about it? Stop innovating?

I'm sure there was much wailing & gnashing of teeth when the Pony Express died, but we adapted. Anyway, as I understand it, many of the workers who will be affected will be those who are aging out of the system anyway.

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Obama admin silent as USPS lays off 35,000 workers...with more layoffs to come [View all] brentspeak Feb 2012 OP

Once again the Republican's have gotten to this Administration! n/t teddy51 Feb 2012 #1

Once again it isnt R-cons vs. Democrats. It's the oligarchs vs. ThePeople. rhett o rick Feb 2012 #7

Agreed, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. n/t teddy51 Feb 2012 #8

It will not change until we change the system. stillwaiting Feb 2012 #57

"Harm reduction is my current goal" TBF Feb 2012 #116

Thanks for being awake. midnight Feb 2012 #52

Now we must get busy awakening a few million Americans. nm rhett o rick Feb 2012 #81

Only if you think waking up the bourgeoise is at all helpful ... TBF Feb 2012 #117

Who do you include in your definition of bourgeoise? I still think the working class needs a wakeup rhett o rick Feb 2012 #118

That's not the kind of wake-up call I was referring to. nt TBF Feb 2012 #120

Sorry, I am totally lost. And yes I am sober. At least for the next half hour. nm rhett o rick Feb 2012 #130

When you talked about oligarchs v. people you were definitely on the right track - TBF Feb 2012 #135

Thank you for the clarification. Withholding our labor isnt an option at this rhett o rick Feb 2012 #150

They'll just sell them somewhere else - TBF Feb 2012 #151

Collectively the American middle class still has a lot of capital. They want that capital. rhett o rick Feb 2012 #152

No, once again bipartisan neoliberalism supports short sighted vested interests and upward transfers PufPuf23 Feb 2012 #44

You are right it's the Republicans, but not what you think SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #62

Thanks for all those details. proverbialwisdom Feb 2012 #128

Du rec. Nt xchrom Feb 2012 #2

It's a continuing downward spiral for many, but if the markets go up too many think this is RKP5637 Feb 2012 #3

Springfield, MO, where I live, is losing its processing center The Genealogist Feb 2012 #4

The funding requirement was done to force USPS into bankruptcy so the RKP5637 Feb 2012 #10

USPS will be gone in ten years, so what happens if they don't fund retiree benefits now? FarCenter Feb 2012 #26

Why would they be gone in 10 years, they can be competitive in similar things to RKP5637 Feb 2012 #27

They are unlikely to compete with FedEx and UPS FarCenter Feb 2012 #28

I had read at one time that another problem USPS has is having to deliver to every RKP5637 Feb 2012 #29

It is an unworkable hybrid of a government service and a private enterprise FarCenter Feb 2012 #56

USPS delivers many packages on behalf of both UPS and FedEx brentspeak Feb 2012 #141

Let's see. 75/10 = 7.5 years per year. New Yawker Feb 2012 #127

This is what I thought was the real reason that UPS is going bankrupt.It happened before Pres.. The Wielding Truth Feb 2012 #54

Internet killed usps Celebration Feb 2012 #5

Its not that he isn't aware. He helped sponsor the bill in 2006. JNathanK Feb 2012 #17

You ProSense Feb 2012 #46

The vote on the Postal Bill was unanimous. former9thward Feb 2012 #60

Up is down, and Obama is never wrong. bahrbearian Feb 2012 #64

Well ProSense Feb 2012 #67

It was ProSense Feb 2012 #65

OMG! You're kidding me! uranus is my home Feb 2012 #103

Paper mail is obsolete. FarCenter Feb 2012 #22

It should go directly into the recycling bin. That's what I do. RBInMaine Feb 2012 #70

Well, no it isn't They_Live Feb 2012 #75

"Just because it's obsolete for you doesn't make it so for everyone else." Tarheel_Dem Feb 2012 #107

Is is possible to email a package? brentspeak Feb 2012 #139

And you don't particularly strike me as someone who can be lumped in with "any" of "us". Tarheel_Dem Feb 2012 #144

With email you can also send photos, clippings, drawings, as attachments FarCenter Feb 2012 #109

This is NOT the way out of recession!. . . n/t annabanana Feb 2012 #6

Juan Gonzalez's research on the early US media showed EFerrari Feb 2012 #23

They lost newspapers because of the market. former9thward Feb 2012 #74

Sanders: Postal Service Plan �Deeply Flawed' ProSense Feb 2012 #9

K&R proverbialwisdom Feb 2012 #129

Senators Support Saving the Postal Service ProSense Feb 2012 #11

Being that it was Democrats who helped make this happen... MrSlayer Feb 2012 #12

Post removed Post removed Feb 2012 #14

Waxman and Davis are not the ones responsible for the prefunding requirement brentspeak Feb 2012 #16

I guess I can't blame every one of them. JNathanK Feb 2012 #18

Well, this should all be a nice boon the private sector. I bet UPS and Fedex is funding Darrel Issa. JNathanK Feb 2012 #13

They closed distribution centers - consolidating sorting - not post offices bhikkhu Feb 2012 #15

Post office closings brentspeak Feb 2012 #20

What you linked to is post offices involved in a study SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #24

Many, if not all, are tring to avoid closure through cost cutting and efficiency measures bhikkhu Feb 2012 #25

Out of curiosity.... A HERETIC I AM Feb 2012 #19

Every month I still use the USPS for my bills nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #31

"2006 bill, if they did not have to do that, they'd be TURNING A PROFIT RIGHT NOW." SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #35

Actually the post service agrees with me nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #36

Do the people at the post office who agree with you SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #38

As I said independent groups nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #39

So it's not the USPS, SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #43

Last mile nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #66

I must thank you, you prompted my research SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #78

You welcome nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #84

I write letters and pay bills by mail all the time. haele Feb 2012 #33

We do a lot of eBay and we ship just about everything USPS, except for some large and RKP5637 Feb 2012 #37

I send and receive mail on a consistent basis.. Fumesucker Feb 2012 #40

I still use snail mail. bvar22 Feb 2012 #58

One of my businesses.. girl gone mad Feb 2012 #105

If you paid market rates, your shipping costs would triple? boppers Feb 2012 #123

No, the USPS is running at a major loss because of the prefunding requirement brentspeak Feb 2012 #146

I pay all my bills via the usps unapatriciated Feb 2012 #155

Bernie's got a bill "that's getting support and interest" to do away gateley Feb 2012 #21

Here's a link that talks about it ... RKP5637 Feb 2012 #30

Thank you! nt gateley Feb 2012 #99

Rural America and its many teabaggers do want to pay for maintaining this service level high density Feb 2012 #32

Where's the connection between rural areas and the Tea Party? brentspeak Feb 2012 #34

Lots of libs live in rural America MadHound Feb 2012 #50

This is insanity Oasis_ Feb 2012 #41

Wrong. The repukes did this. Zoeisright Feb 2012 #42

now now, don't bring fact into brent's campaign against obama... dionysus Feb 2012 #45

^Post of the Day^ Cutting through the lies about the situation with the USPS. Major Hogwash Feb 2012 #55

That's correct, but all you did was repeat my own link brentspeak Feb 2012 #59

You should get your facts straight. former9thward Feb 2012 #63

WOW! Fudders are working new DU hard too uponit7771 Feb 2012 #148

The USPS isnt a jobs program... its a business. DCBob Feb 2012 #47

It's not a business, it's a public service necessary for a functioning society. jpgray Feb 2012 #48

It still needs to be run like a business to survive. DCBob Feb 2012 #51

Funny no one complains about military RIF's throwing thousands out of work. Ikonoklast Feb 2012 #53

Tell me would you be able to pay your thirty year loan in two? nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #68

Dumb comment. DCBob Feb 2012 #71

Really? How so? nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #76

The Issa comment. for one thing. DCBob Feb 2012 #86

As chairman for ways and means nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #87

I dont closely follow the activities of that idiot. DCBob Feb 2012 #90

You mean center right corporatist dems nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #92

never mind.. DCBob Feb 2012 #94

Darrell Issa is a Republican, not a Democrat SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #96

I think most people here know who Issa is nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #98

What other businesses are artificially burdened with a bankrupting prefunding requirement? brentspeak Feb 2012 #61

Regardless they are still a bloated obsolete operation. DCBob Feb 2012 #72

Again you have no clue what you speak off nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #77

no clue??.. mail volume has dropped dramatically over the past 10 years. DCBob Feb 2012 #89

And package handling has gone up nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #91

Package handling volume is tiny compared to 1st class mail. DCBob Feb 2012 #93

Code for privatized. nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #95

The USPS is not a business.. girl gone mad Feb 2012 #108

The post office is not mandated by the US Constitution FarCenter Feb 2012 #114

shame Sea-Dog Feb 2012 #49

With the internet and their pension costs, their cashflow is in a world of hurt. Something needs to RBInMaine Feb 2012 #69

Again, if they were not tp required to fund pensions nadinbrzezinski Feb 2012 #80

Wait ProSense Feb 2012 #73

Obama Didn't Hand-Select Him And Can't Fire Him Either, By Law? SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #83

Well, ProSense Feb 2012 #85

Classic misinformation from the OP. grantcart Feb 2012 #106

Oh, he understands. The intent is to geek tragedy Feb 2012 #122

Bingo, like to call this one a shit stirrer. Pisces Feb 2012 #126

Post removed Post removed Feb 2012 #143

As opposed to publishing blatant lies like claiming that Donahoe geek tragedy Feb 2012 #149

Are you insane??? I have not had hundreds of posts deleted and have not accused but maybe 2 people Pisces Feb 2012 #153

Obama has the power to stop postal closures girl gone mad Feb 2012 #110

No he doesn't and that is a law SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #112

You're wrong. girl gone mad Feb 2012 #131

Absolutely not wrong, that is talking about Appointees by the President SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #132

Crickets Swede Feb 2012 #147

This quote calls the whole basis of the o.p. into doubt. I'm so glad you're here. Tarheel_Dem Feb 2012 #115

I am happy it was not 350,000. Rex Feb 2012 #79

I hate that this has happened. But people don't use the USPS much anymore, do they? Honeycombe8 Feb 2012 #82

Who needs Republicans when we have Democrats willing to lie about Obama. geek tragedy Feb 2012 #88

Well, ProSense Feb 2012 #101

This is serious misinformation. DevonRex Feb 2012 #97

I find ProSense Feb 2012 #100

It's the same old crowd that will rec anything (and I seriously mean ANYTHING) Number23 Feb 2012 #154

Will brentspeak amend the OP? great white snark Feb 2012 #102

The Republicans appointed Donohoe? brentspeak Feb 2012 #137

Obama did not appoint Donohoe, your OP is wrong SunsetDreams Feb 2012 #140

I think you're right about Obama not appointing Donohoe brentspeak Feb 2012 #145

Happy days are here again uranus is my home Feb 2012 #104

Welcome, and ProSense Feb 2012 #111

If we mail all those "business reply mail" cards and envelopes, would the USPS earn more money? FarCenter Feb 2012 #113

Will any of the Obama haters who rec'd this withdraw geek tragedy Feb 2012 #119

JUst trying to live up to the execptation of needing so many post QA_IT_Pro Feb 2012 #121

So many lies, no need to bother with arguing, as there is no intent of being truthful. boppers Feb 2012 #124

Someone needs to file a lawsuit against the Republicans and the administration re: PO New Yawker Feb 2012 #125

"But no, Obama is content to let it go." Tarheel_Dem Feb 2012 #133

You must have flunked civics--the President can't override laws that have been geek tragedy Feb 2012 #134

155,000 jobs by 2016 smoopie Feb 2012 #136

Alles for zee Privat Sectorrrrr fascisthunter Feb 2012 #138

Well, ProSense Feb 2012 #142