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Post Office Warns of Default; Wants Help From Congress
Internation Business Times ^ | August 5, 2011 | IB Times Staff Reports

Posted on 08/05/2011 10:49:48 AM PDT by NautiNurse

The U.S. Postal Service lost $3.1 billion in the third quarter and warns it will default on payments to the federal government if Congress does not step in with help.

[snip]

Total mail volume for the quarter that ended June 30 fell to 39.8 million pieces, a 2.6 percent drop from the same period the previous year.

[snip]

Also, it is required to make an annual payment to the federal government of $5.5 billion. The postal service says high payroll and retiree costs and declining volume has put it in a severe bind.

[snip]

The postal service says it lost $5.7 billion during the nine-month period ending June 30, compared to a $5.4 million loss in the same period of 2010.

(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: mail; postal; postalservice; postoffice; usmail; usps
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To: NautiNurse

the lying postal unions are advertising heavily on rush’s show.


21 posted on 08/05/2011 11:26:06 AM PDT by ken21 (ruling class dem + rino progressives -- destroying america for 150 years.)
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To: NautiNurse

In my area they have released a list of post offices that are up for “possible” closure. They all appear to be in heavily Democrat populated areas sure to generate large volumes of complaints to Washington.


22 posted on 08/05/2011 11:37:50 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: NautiNurse
3.1 Billion! Good gawd!

Calling Fedex!

Mike

23 posted on 08/05/2011 11:44:05 AM PDT by MichaelP (The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools ~HS)
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To: NautiNurse

The USPS should charge more for junk mail ads.


24 posted on 08/05/2011 11:47:29 AM PDT by Blado (Audemus jura nostra defendere)
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To: NautiNurse

Postal service employees I see get time off for sick time any time a bee farts upon them. Snow Shoe Thompson is reeling in his grave.


25 posted on 08/05/2011 11:53:25 AM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: ClearCase_guy
She went ballistic on me -- "We are NOT the government! We are a private company! We receive no tax dollars!" I shrugged again and said, "Sure Lady. Whatever you say."

I had a minor complaint with the post office last week - very minor - and called their 800 number - the woman who answered spoke with a heavy accent and I couldn't understand her. I asked if she was in the United States... she said she was and I asked what State she was in. Her response? She said for 'Security' reasons, she couldn't tell me the name of the State. I started laughing - and said I would call back and talk to someone else.

That type paranoia doesn't exist outside government. The next person I called and spoke to was a normal person, helped me with the issue and laughed about the first woman...

I have NO desire to support the post office. Mail should be jobbed out to a company that knows how to deal with 'customers' - a concept the post office has yet to 'get'.

26 posted on 08/05/2011 11:53:38 AM PDT by GOPJ (This “wussification” of America is an on-going phenomenon.- freeper rokkitapps)
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Boop His Beak!

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27 posted on 08/05/2011 11:55:06 AM PDT by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list.)
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To: NautiNurse

This morning on CNN the USPS had an add that ended with, “How much does this cost the taxpayer? Nothing. The USPS does not get public funds.” (paraphrase)

Then they are asking congress for money. ROFL


28 posted on 08/05/2011 12:16:31 PM PDT by jdietz (God is great, beer is good and people are crazy, (which is why guns are necessary))
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To: NautiNurse

The USPS loses about 10k per employee per year.


29 posted on 08/05/2011 12:35:54 PM PDT by WackySam (Obama got Osama just like Nixon landed on the moon.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

” We are so screwed. “
///
naw. lots of Boehners supporters here say it’s no problem.
we didn’t need to cut now. (and we did our best with 1/3).

we can keep spending trillions by borrowing more money.
so what if the USPO loses 3 billion every 3 months.
so what if Fannie and Freddie lose billions each quarter
(with debt not even included in the Federal books!)

the important thing, is we have begun the dialogue about debt, and we will win in 2012, and fix it all in 2013...


30 posted on 08/05/2011 12:56:30 PM PDT by Elendur (It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: listenhillary

the problem isn’t the idea of a Post Office.
it’s the huge payroll and pension costs.

it’s the unionized workers who “negotiate” with people they give donations to. clear conflict of interest.

there’s lots of smart hardworking Americans who’d do those jobs as well or better, for half the money.


31 posted on 08/05/2011 12:59:51 PM PDT by Elendur (It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: capydick
"I dont think we need to eliminate the USPS (yet) but - if the total volume of mail is going down - (I know, call me stupid but) shouldnt the headcount supporting that volume also go down? Most of the stuff I get in the mail today is junk - maybe they should raise their prices on that stuff rather than the price of a stamp?"

No kidding! For every actual piece of mail I get, there are 5-10 pieces of junk. I used to send empty return envelopes back and try to get off mailing lists, but it takes too much time and generally doesn't work. So now I burn it in my trash barrel. No landfill for me. : )

32 posted on 08/05/2011 1:27:23 PM PDT by greatplains
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To: ClearCase_guy
They owe the government money? So, they want the government to give them money? So they can pay the government what they owe the government?

What are you some kind of right wing Tea Party nut?

33 posted on 08/05/2011 1:29:03 PM PDT by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. The pebbles no longer have a vote.)
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To: dhs12345
We still use the postal service and they do a decent job for us.

Consider yourself fortunate. We never see the same carrier two weeks in a row. I spend way too much time re-delivering errant mail placed in my mailbox.

34 posted on 08/05/2011 1:47:18 PM PDT by NautiNurse (TSA Tit for Tat--Yukari Mihamae--thank you!)
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To: NautiNurse

Back around 1994, when a postage increase went into effect, our newspaper said all postal revenue went into the gov’t general found, then the gov’t would give the P.O. a budget, if the P.O. was able to operate within that budget it was said to make a profit, if it needed more money to operate it was said to loose money. The paper said that went into effect in 1968. I doubt if anything has changed.


35 posted on 08/05/2011 2:14:46 PM PDT by Waco (Nominate Palin or forget 2012 you lost)
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To: NautiNurse

Mail volume is in decline. Times are tough for everyone, so it may be a bad time to make drastic job cuts. But there are things we CAN do now, w/o job cuts.

- Why not start by ending Saturday delivery ? That would end the Saturday overtime pay.

- Why not end new hiring & let attrition shrink the workforce.

Where’s the long term plan to re-size the USPS ?

- Why not have a long term goal for mail delivery every other day (M W F one week, Tu Th the next week). Double the route sizes and end junk mail. These changes would allow 1/2 the work force to deliver our mail.


36 posted on 08/05/2011 2:21:52 PM PDT by fred42 ("Get your facts first, then you can distort 'em as much as you need." - Mark Twain)
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To: fred42
All good and reasonable ideas. How about bringing them up at the next meetings for the American Postal Workers Union, the Rural Letter Carriers Association and the National Association of Letter Carriers?

If you are healthy and unharmed following the meetings, report back to us how your suggestions were received.

37 posted on 08/05/2011 3:22:52 PM PDT by NautiNurse (TSA Tit for Tat--Yukari Mihamae--thank you!)
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To: NautiNurse

thought maybe it ought to be on congress’s agenda, since they always work in our best interest...


38 posted on 08/05/2011 3:41:03 PM PDT by fred42 ("Get your facts first, then you can distort 'em as much as you need." - Mark Twain)
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To: fred42
Let me start here: Mail volume is in decline because of the economy. Cure the economy, cure the Post office. As to the things you suggest:

- Why not start by ending Saturday delivery ? That would end the Saturday overtime pay.

Whoa! I'm making overtime for saturday? Who knew? Sure ain't on my paycheck. There are Rural Carrier Associates that carry mail on the weekends with no benefits, and NO OVERTIME. The only time we're authorized to get overtime is before Christmas when they make danged sure we don't.

Why not end new hiring & let attrition shrink the workforce.

Has been happening already. In my area, offices are being squeezed including mine. We consolidated the city walking routes and now they walk 15 to 17 miles per day. Hey, how about ending every other day of delivery? Okay, so NOW we're talking overtime. These guys usually can make it back in their alloted 8 hours or whatever, but if they take twice the mail volume.... overtime.

Double the route sizes and end junk mail: Hmm. That would put some rural routes over 250 miles per day. Ending junk mail is just an attack on free market businesses desperately trying to ADVERTISE THEIR BUSINESSES! You want to hurt businesses? How about tripling their costs to advertise?

One problem I have with Free Republic is how much people spew without thinking or knowing what is involved here. I see the Post Office as a Constitutionally valid service of the Federal Government, like I see the Military. We sell a service and products, though. Supposedly self-sustaining, but getting killed due to Obamanomics.

39 posted on 08/05/2011 4:00:02 PM PDT by Big Giant Head (Two years no AV, no viruses, computer runs great!)
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To: NautiNurse

Nobody is entitled to anything. There are no “entitlements” in the long run.


40 posted on 08/05/2011 4:02:06 PM PDT by ichabod1 (Nuts; A house divided against itself cannot stand.)
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