Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Watch how people will howl when THEIR post office is the one USPS wants to shutter. With Fed Ex, email, direct deposit etc the USPS days are numbered.
Agreed. The USPS is obsolete.
Since I do most business online, the only thing the PO does is bring me bills. And I'm sure that can still be done.
Anyone care to speculate what will happen to costs if this service is privatized. I assume, naturally, it would increase.
I investigated purchasing postage online. I can't understand why they charge you a fee to buy it online. It looks to me like it would be cheaper on the USPS to sell the postage via a website where the buyer prints his own labels. They're not out anything but website costs.
quote:Originally posted by wright35633:
Anyone care to speculate what will happen to costs if this service is privatized. I assume, naturally, it would increase.
What do you mean "if"? It's happened organically. Those annual losses reflect lost market share.
quote:Originally posted by wright35633:
Anyone care to speculate what will happen to costs if this service is privatized. I assume, naturally, it would increase.
The costs have/are already increased. We are paying for the loss one way or the other, in taxes. USPS does not eat the loss like a private company would/might have to do in he same situation.
The Gov't has the luxury of just taxing you more to make up for the loss, or cutting another service to offset the loss.
The Gov't will never be effecient at any service. A "fairly" regulated private business sector would be more effecient however I also have my doubts about fair regulation.
quote:Originally posted by LE89:quote:Originally posted by wright35633:
Anyone care to speculate what will happen to costs if this service is privatized. I assume, naturally, it would increase.
The costs have/are already increased. We are paying for the loss one way or the other, in taxes. USPS does not eat the loss like a private company would/might have to do in he same situation.
The Gov't has the luxury of just taxing you more to make up for the loss, or cutting another service to offset the loss.
The Gov't will never be effecient at any service. A "fairly" regulated private business sector would be more effecient however I also have my doubts about fair regulation.
You don't consider the military an efficient organization?
quote:Originally posted by Opie Cunningham:quote:Originally posted by LE89:quote:Originally posted by wright35633:
Anyone care to speculate what will happen to costs if this service is privatized. I assume, naturally, it would increase.
The costs have/are already increased. We are paying for the loss one way or the other, in taxes. USPS does not eat the loss like a private company would/might have to do in he same situation.
The Gov't has the luxury of just taxing you more to make up for the loss, or cutting another service to offset the loss.
The Gov't will never be effecient at any service. A "fairly" regulated private business sector would be more effecient however I also have my doubts about fair regulation.
You don't consider the military an efficient organization?
Effecient in what they do and accomplish - Absolutely No one is better.
Effecient in cost - not even close.
A good funny movie to watch is "The Pentagon Wars". Eventhough it is a comedy, the jist of it is sadly true.
quote:Originally posted by Opie Cunningham:
Agreed. The USPS is obsolete.
Actually it would have been profitable in Q1 and several quarters in the past but had to take a loss because they are forced by congress to pre-pay retiree health insurance costs every year, which is a unique requirement for any federal agency. It comes up to around $5.5 billion a year. This is actually an overpayment of what the pension needs.
http://www.fredericknewspost.c...e.htm?StoryID=117254
http://www.postalnewsblog.com/...nt-let-them-keep-it/
Well, I won't miss the junk mail!
While I don't see the USPS disappearing altogether it is clear they have to do something to cut costs. I do see them closing down all the small town offices like Bear Creek, Vina and many others. Also, I figure they will eventually do away with Saturday delivery. Which will not bother me in the least.
While I don't think USPS is obsolete just yet, it is clearly well on its way.
While I don't think USPS is obsolete just yet, it is clearly well on its way.