[gunnyg]

Dump ‘em...

[ClearCase_guy]

The Constitution allows the federal government to do only a few things. As the article points out, the government is not really required to do all of those things.

We need a federal government to do about 10% of what it is currently doing. Let the individual, sovereign states decide what they wish to do, and let the people do the rest.

Government is the problem, not the solution.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

“Since 1970,” reporters Alec MacGillis and Lisa Rein inform, “the Postal Service has operated as a quasi-private monopoly that receives virtually no taxpayer support but is hamstrung in competing with companies like FedEx and UPS because it cannot raise prices above a certain level, must maintain minimum levels of service and must now make the annual retiree payments.”

It can't compete because it can't raise its prices. Now that's a new one to me.

[BipolarBob]

This is the question I ask myself frequently.

/s?

[USS Alaska]

If the unions and their pensions were not part of the deal, Fed-Ex could buy the Post Office pare them down, close down many locations, change frequency deliveries, {twice a week} more post office boxes and less rural deliveries, and become profitable with no tax dollars or gummint bs.

This night happen but only after much wailing.

[P.O.E.]

I don’t run a business and so don’t need 6 days a week of delivery. Once a week is fine with me. Even once a month, but I’m afraid they’d need a dolly to haul that much junk mail.

[mosesdapoet]

Thanks for the posting

Our legal sustem and government depends on the integrity of the USPS as does many other aspects of our lives. The author of this piece however dumps on the latest congress which took office this January.

The problems have been building for years finger pointing to the reformers for inaction is undeserved.

[granite]

The Post office needs to quit being a bank for those who can not or choose not to have a bank account or just to launder cash. It is disturbing to wait in line to mail a parcel when those in front of you are buying thousands of dollars in money orders to send who knows where.

[hershey]

The truth is that the Postal Service has been and remains a bargain, much maligned by the public and Congress every time stamp prices rise. The Postal Service prepays billions into the retirement healthcare pension fund. Money that’s not there five minutes after it’s deposited. Why? Because Congress takes the money out and spends it on other things.

They’ve looted the Postal Service for years, they sold off profitable parcel business, refused to allow them to employ new and innovative moneymaking schemes....because FedEx and USPS lobbied Congress and said it was unfair competition. Nothing about this is simple. And Congress certainly won’t stand up and point the finger of blame where it belongs. If the Postal Service of all the federal agencies, quasi or otherwise, have to prepay billions into a fund that’s siphoned off in a blink of an eye, they’d be profitable and make money.

[EN1 Sailor]

Seems to me it wouldn't be that hard to save the postal system.

I get in trouble with the post office all the time because my box is smaller than a shoe box (one of those gang boxes that serves ten people) and I only check it about once every two weeks. I never, ever read junk mail, which is the preponderance of what over-fills my box.

I think if I were to run the post office, I'd cut back on employees, vehicles and only deliver letters (there should be a federally protected delivery service for legal notices and such, if for no other reason), no more junk mail, let the paper boy carry that stuff around. UPS and FedEx can deliver packages.

[freespirited]

Instead of losing billions, why not free the Postal Service by selling it to the highest bidder?

Because Congress loves its right to meddle in the post offices' business, that's why.

[Species8472]

The Germans sold their post office to DHL several years ago. Their system now makes a profit.