What will you do when they close your post office?

[Conley]

Good thing we know the GSA is using our money wisely.

[Stoney]

I was rather clear in my post. They work together. USPS doesn't have their own air transport. They pay all airlines to carry mail. Most passenger flights have mail in the cargo hold.


USPS isn't a govt. program. Tell me...what would FED/UPS' 'solvency/profits' look like if the govt. mandated them to fund retirement programs for employees who haven't been born yet?

. So why won't anyone tell me how much it would cost to mail a letter to Alaska, using UPS?


Capitalism is the reason Congress is trying to privatize everything.

“USPS isn't a govt. program. Tell me...what would FED/UPS' 'solvency/profits' look like if the govt. mandated them to fund retirement programs for employees who haven't been born yet?”


I'll have to concede that I can't find enough information on the pension costs to offer an argument.


“So why won't anyone tell me how much it would cost to mail a letter to Alaska, using UPS?”


About $40 for a up to half a pound by next day air according to their site.


“Capitalism is the reason Congress is trying to privatize everything.”


You don't see that we can't seem to pay for anything government does?

[Stoney]

"As opposed to 45 cents through the USPS...although not for next day air."

I think that fits with my assertion that it would be delivered for a price. BTW, how else would you get a letter to Alaska? I doubt the USPS price is anywhere near the cost.

"Typically, we rely on the govt. to take care of all those things that can't turn a profit. One reason capitalism cannot work as well as many would hope. No profit? No interest."

You could certainly buy replacements for SS, Medicare and ACA in the private markets and they would turn a profit. In fact almost any service government provides could be provided by private enterprise.

[Stoney]

BTW I retired from the Post Office. I've done about everything there is to do short of executive or executive staff positions. I'm visiting where I retired and visiting my former employees. I retired because it had become a miserable place to work. My former employees say its gotten several times worse since I left. Its terribly inefficient under that thumb of unions. I'd love to see it privatized.

[Stoney]

Healthcare is one of the most profitable businesses out there. The issue is that private markets won't draw investors for a variety of needed services. See the nuclear industry if you doubt me. You won't find a private market for every govt. sponsored service. It just isn't possible.

The private sector will never do anything that doesn't offer rapid ROI

If you've been around many people who start small businesses you'd know that its very unusual for a rapid ROI. As the commercial says, most of us work 9 to five while most of them work 5 to 9 just to stay above water for what can be many years.

I don't understand what you're saying about healthcare.

[ramone]

I don't understand what you're saying about healthcare.

You didn't read in the socialism Stoney.

You won't find a private market for every govt. sponsored service. It just isn't possible.

State sponsored service, no market, ............Socialism. These type people would love to see the world dominated by the United Nations and all our decisions made by them. It's communism on a grand scale and is the goal of this type person.

[Dr Jimmy]

Evil Republicans. Let's just keep printing money instead!

Oh wait: All can be saved including a Post Office that has failed to change with its business and overpays its help if we only soak the rich.

Let's pass that Buffett tax--$5 billion a year towards 1.2 trillion in ObamaDeficits.

BTW, why is it that those liberal states on the east coast seem to have so many toll roads despite their sky high taxes?

Liberals, you can't fix stupid.

Cuz we dont have swamps where we can live on crawdads, bullfrogs and snakes

[wingrider]

I heard that ups and federal express were merging to form a company called FEDUP

[Mainecoons]

More specific about what? All those toll roads that were supposed to be paid off years ago?

What kind of leftist diploma mill did you go to? You can't even read a map and don't know what a "deficit" is.

[Stoney]

I seem to remember you telling us about your employ.

A good friend has been w/the USPS for 20+years. We go around and around about the union issue. He's a shop steward, and I'm anti union.

The problem with that job, is that nobody ever gets the feeling of accomplishment. No matter how much mail gets sorted, there's always much more that needs to be sorted.

Add in the looming threat of automation, and it makes for a sucky atmosphere.

The USPS is indeed grossly inefficient, as many workers screw off without repercussion.

Still, I don't see private industry walking in, and delivering the same quality of service for the everyday pieces of mail.

Packages? Absolutely.

We've found areas of agreement!

There are three main unions (and a management association that negotiates but does not have arbitration as a tool in its negotiations.) If we have extra people in one union and extra work in another we can't use the extra people to fill the need. I could go on and on about rules.

Carrying mail is a great job when you get out of the office if there wasn't so much pressure now. Mail volume has dwindled while mail customers have grown. We serve more boxes with less mail and executives can't understand (or don't want to understand) why it takes about the same amount of people to deliver less mail to more boxes.

I remember well when almost everyone enjoyed their job while almost everyone worked hard. There was great feeling of accomplishment.

Automation has taken the big bite. The future will include much less in employee reductions.

"The USPS is indeed grossly inefficient, as many workers screw off without repercussion."

That is absolutely true and the more they get away with it the more participate. And I'm including management.

"Still, I don't see private industry walking in, and delivering the same quality of service for the everyday pieces of mail."

We have a way of providing some evidence one way or the other. All we have to do is open up mail boxes to private delivery and we can make the choice based on real observations.