Why is the USPS required to pre-fund its retirement system and no other federal agency is required to do so? Congress runs the USPS. They decide the level and kinds of services. The USPS would like to knock off Saturday deliveries. Congress won’t allow it.
The USPS has the worst of both worlds. It is treated like a private business that must depend on the revenue it generates to cover operating costs, but Congress controls what it can and cannot do, including setting postage rates. USPS employees are under the federal civil service retirement rules. Try running a private sector business under those constraints.
“The USPS has the worst of both worlds. It is treated like a private business that must depend on the revenue it generates to cover operating costs, but Congress controls what it can and cannot do, including setting postage rates. USPS employees are under the federal civil service retirement rules. Try running a private sector business under those constraints.”
And as a consequence, the American Taxpayer has the worst of both worlds as well. If we had a Congress that was in any way interested in the best interests of the citizens of this country, they would be moving to cut the USPS loose completely. Let it morph into a private, for profit enterprise, with the only constraint that it must serve the entire country, even in places where other private entities might choose to ignore. That’s the only hangup here as I see it. Providing mail service to Grandma Freckert in East Bojack, AR has to be part of the deal. And coupled with the privatization, should be some rationalization of pension benefits.
Nope. The vast majority of USPS employees are not civil service. They did away with that years ago. They are under FERS. Federal Employee Retirement System.