Posted on 06/14/2016 11:18:14 AM PDT by sparklite2
Its no secret that the postal business is shrinking. First-class mail volume is melting away like a popsicle in the sundown 40 percent since 2000.
Less well-known is the shrinkage of the U.S. Postal Services board of governors. It is supposed to have nine members (not counting the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general). At the moment, its down to one.
At first blush, this May sound like good news for those who think the Postal Service is a government-run dinosaur that should be dismantled or sold off. What better start than to eliminate the board? But on closer look, this postal decapitation is not a solution to USPS shortcomings, but a stark illustration of the problems with this government-owned enterprise.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...
Good analogies. I don’t want junk mail— I don’t care who gets hurt.
USPS personnel stole my golf putter which was channeled via Chicago by USPS tracking. The recipient received an empty box!
Fedex, UPS never lost my clubs. I have sold 200 golf clubs through eBay. UPS damaged one shipment and they reimbursed me full value of the club. USPS did not reimburse me 1 red cent for the stolen club.
“My last Amazon delivery was delivered by Amazon.”
What, a drone?
“The Postal Clause was added to the Constitution to facilitate interstate communication as well as to create a source of revenue for the early United States.[2][3] There were some early disagreements as to the boundaries of the Postal Power. John Jay, in a letter to George Washington, opined that the postal service should not be burdened with the responsibility for handling newspaper delivery, and also suggested that the Post Office be placed under the supervision of the executive branch (a suggestion which later led to the creation of the Post Office Department).[4] Thomas Jefferson feared that the postal service would become a source of patronage and a waste of money. Jefferson also expressed doubt at granting Congress the power to designate post roads, as he considered road building to be a state responsibility.”
(From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Clause )
Jefferson could see it coming a mile away.
There is nothing preventing privatization. There is every reason to do so to end this jobs program with an unpayable pension obligation.
“Im surprised that people still dont know that the Post Office does NOT receive any tax dollars.
Nine, Nada zilch. They have not been subsidized in nearly 20 years. The Post Office PAYS into the Treasury billions of dollars a year.”
No. The post office pays in approximately 3B a year LESS to the treasury than the liabilities incurred for employee benefits. So who do you think will pay that bill? Hint: it’s not the USPS. The post office owes the “federal finance bank” some 15 billion dollars. Who do you think is going to pay that back? Where do you think that money came from?
Hint: the taxpayers.
So you are probably at least 25 billion dollars wrong on your statement (in present balance, excluding future liabilities) that “doesn’t receive taxpayer dollars”
Do you have a response for that?
“What, a drone?”
An Amazon truck.
.
Not true. The Post Office was 75 years ahead in their payments when they started shaving off the 3B a year. When the USPS was flush with money before internet they agreed to the large ahead of schedule payments.
Those payments were helping Congress tamp down the deficit. The employee benefits are fully funded at this time. There is no liability except Congress obviously already spent the funds as with everything.
In 70 years it might be different if Congress continues to hamstring the USPS by not allowing them to branch out in ways that could make them profitable.
BTW I’m a retired Postmaster. 30+ years with USPS
Then you know that the post office and it’s functions could be easily privatized.
The post office does not have the constitutional mandate to branch into other business.
Like all government functions, the liabilities are nevery fully disclosed. The post office receives massive subsidies from the taxpayer. There is no savings from the past for it to enjoy today.
Of course congress spent the surplus funds. That they are gone is no justification for the continued liability to the taxpayer of further liability by failing to privatize this Constitutional function so it can be done by those with the competence to do so. This does not reside within the government.
By the way, I’m a 40 year taxpayer who uses the USPS and knows the level of service that it provides. I run my own business and I am tired of the USPS, along with every other government agency wasting my money which I actually work for. I expect value for my tax dollars. The USPS is not providing the value it should.
You are welcome for the generous pension that you now enjoy, by the way. I paid my part for it. I hope you were worth it.
You paid ZERO for my pension. You show your ignorance when you say the PO could easily be privatized. smh
Oh well. Not going to waist my time. The PO is an easy target of hate. Has always been that way will always be that way.
Oh, it’s hate, is it? Quit being stupid.
It makes financial sense to privatize the post office. There are a number of reasons why this is so all of which you should know and understand.
The liability for your pension is paid out of taxpayer funds in the current year. You may think it is different, but that’s how it works unfortunately.
“An Amazon truck.”
??!! No kidding? Where are you located...large city near a distribution center?
So I guess you aren’t going to thank me for paying for your pension?
It makes no sense to privatize the Post Office unless you want rural folk to have to drive miles to get their prescription drugs and other mail and packages. There is a reason FedEx and UPS pay the Post Office to deliver over half of their parcels. How many people, companies do you want having access to your mail?
The Post Office is Constitutionally mandated for a reason. It ties this country together in more ways than most understand. The internet can be taken out.
You posit a red herring of rural delivery. Why can’t a private company do this?
The post office function is constitutionally mandated, not the USPS as presently manifested. The same function and purpose can be accomplished at far less cost to the taxpayer through a private entity.
Legions of expensive government employees are not constitutionally mandated.
The reason UPS and Fedex use the USPS for some package delivery is that the USPS labor costs are subsidized by the taxpayer to the tune of 3 billion a year. It makes it cheaper for them to do so.
There is so much to get into concerning the Postal Service. I honestly believe the globalists want to get rid of it along with our 2A rights and eventually the first amendment of free speech. Presidents appoint the members of the Postal Commission who govern the PO. Since Bush 1 and continuing with Clinton’s and Bush 11 and Obama these Governor’s have set about to destroy the Postal Service in conjunction with the leftists who run the various postal Unions.
I wish I could tell you all I know and believe. Suffice to say I believe our Founders knew what they were doing when the made the mail a constitutional right.
So the USPS is the first line of defense in preserving our constitutional rights from globalists and gun grabbers?
I do believe that is an innovative constitutional argument.
Now if we can simply fill the vacancies in the USPS board of governors, they can take over the work of the Supreme Court, and perhaps rule in favor of the USPS.
Maybe the Postmaster General can take over the executive branch?
Is there nothing the Post office can’t do?
The same function and purpose can be accomplished at far less cost to the taxpayer through a private entity.
That right there proves you have no idea what you are talking about. The capital costs for infrastructure alone to deliver to every home would be prohibitive unless you don’t mind paying $5 or $10 dollars to mail a letter or the $25.00 UPs and FedEx charge.
The private sector knows how to manage capital costs, my friend.
“??!! No kidding? Where are you located...large city near a distribution center”
—
I’m in a Boston suburb and Amazon’s trucks/vans are seen frequently.
.
“Im in a Boston suburb and Amazons trucks/vans are seen frequently.”
I’m in Raleigh, but the NC distribution centers are in the western part of the state, a couple-few hours drive away. I’ve never seen an Amazon truck. Didn’t even know they had any! UPS, Fedex and our esteemed USPS deliver Amazon here.
We can supposedly get the same-day delivery here now, although I haven’t tried it yet.
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