Post Office to stop Saturday Delivery

[Samson]

USPS is becoming no more obsolete than FedEX and UPS.

Then why are they operating at a net income loss, even with a monopoly of first class postage?



Rhetorical question: I'm certain you don't know the answer.

 

[thereisnospoon]

USPS is becoming no more obsolete than FedEX and UPS.

Nice toss from the land of the uninformed and hysterical.
Hey udder breath, why is it then that both UPS and Fed Ex continue to grow their business turn a profit and in case you wanted to ignore it, hire more workers? Meanwhile the USPS continues to get bombed by losses?
Ok time is up. Your answer please?

 

[thereisnospoon]

USPS is becoming no more obsolete than FedEX and UPS.

Then why are they operating at a net income loss, even with a monopoly of first class postage?



Rhetorical question: I'm certain you don't know the answer.

he is going through his liberal talking point files in search of a clever response.

 

[Samson]

Here is FedEx Financials for 2012:

FedEx showed real grit in FY12. We committed to a strong performance, and we delivered — no small feat, given the year’s challenges. Our earnings per share increased 40 percent, and annual revenues exceeded $42 billion, a 9 percent increase, despite political gridlock in the United States, financial turmoil in Europe, a slowing Asian economy and volatile fuel prices

Contrast this with USPS's litiny of excuses for 2012-13 performance

The high unemployment rate along with slow economic growth, continue to impact consumer confidence, increasing economic risk.

In addition, the looming “fiscal cliff” and its threats of significant federal taxincreases and government spending reductions has further increased economic uncertainty, affecting the improving, but still weak, levels of consumer and business spending.

The ongoing European economic crisis, which began in 2011, also continues to be a significant drag on international economic growth due to lower economic output from the region.

The USPS business, financial position, and results of operations will continue to be adversely impacted to the extent that the US and other countries experience slow economic
growth.

 

[thereisnospoon]

So how fast should a letter from Miami to New York move for $0.45 cents?

Are you saying it should cost whatever it would take to move it in 1 day? In two days? In three days?

Like everything else, we need to decide how much government we want and calibrate taxes to pay for them.

I think that the USPS has way too much infrastructure in place for it's volume. You seem to either want MORE infrastructure to move the mail faster or raise the prices to support the existing model.

The winning position, in my view, is that the USPS fulfill it's constitutional role to serve the entire nation but, where possible, partner with those who do it better in some cases--USPS, Federal Express, Central Freight, Saia, JB Hunt, DHL, whomever--but still do what they would do better, serve the rural areas.

Give them 10 years and phase out where you need to phase out and ramp up where you need to ramp up.

Second paragraph first. "More government". It has been established the USPS is not funded by taxpayer dollars. Therefore it is a quasi-federal entity.
I believe where the cost to move a piece of mail is higher, the rate charged to the customer should reflect the additional cost of that service.
Yes, the USPS could perhaps reduce the infrastructure. My suggestion is to reduce the cost of labor. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now. Eliminating the need for high cost labor and replace it with non employee contract labor would save tons of money in wages and benefits. That money could be poured back into the system as an investment in new technologies.
10 years? The USPS has had more than enough time to adjust its business model.

. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now.

what do you mean by Contract?.....

Contract rural carriers. Non employee mail carriers.
Since I left NJ every place I have lived, even in Charlotte, I have had contract carriers ( use their own vehicles, do not wear USPS uniforms, etc) deliver mail to me residence.
In upstate NY, My friend lives in a small city. The mail is delivered by USPS carriers inside the city limits. In the surrounding communities, the mail is delivered by contract carriers.

 

[Samson]

USPS is becoming no more obsolete than FedEX and UPS.

Then why are they operating at a net income loss, even with a monopoly of first class postage?



Rhetorical question: I'm certain you don't know the answer.

he is going through his liberal talking point files in search of a clever response.

Maybe we should help?

"Money doesn't matter more than people."

 

[Samson]

Second paragraph first. "More government". It has been established the USPS is not funded by taxpayer dollars. Therefore it is a quasi-federal entity.
I believe where the cost to move a piece of mail is higher, the rate charged to the customer should reflect the additional cost of that service.
Yes, the USPS could perhaps reduce the infrastructure. My suggestion is to reduce the cost of labor. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now. Eliminating the need for high cost labor and replace it with non employee contract labor would save tons of money in wages and benefits. That money could be poured back into the system as an investment in new technologies.
10 years? The USPS has had more than enough time to adjust its business model.

. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now.

what do you mean by Contract?.....

Contract rural carriers. Non employee mail carriers.
Since I left NJ every place I have lived, even in Charlotte, I have had contract carriers ( use their own vehicles, do not wear USPS uniforms, etc) deliver mail to me residence.
In upstate NY, My friend lives in a small city. The mail is delivered by USPS carriers inside the city limits. In the surrounding communities, the mail is delivered by contract carriers.

heh...I bet the contract carriers are not unionized....

And therefore, they must be very, very bad.

 

[thereisnospoon]

. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now.

what do you mean by Contract?.....

Contract rural carriers. Non employee mail carriers.
Since I left NJ every place I have lived, even in Charlotte, I have had contract carriers ( use their own vehicles, do not wear USPS uniforms, etc) deliver mail to me residence.
In upstate NY, My friend lives in a small city. The mail is delivered by USPS carriers inside the city limits. In the surrounding communities, the mail is delivered by contract carriers.

heh...I bet the contract carriers are not unionized....

And therefore, they must be very, very bad.

Nope. They are independent contractors. Which in the eyes of some of the gung ho pro union people on here makes those carriers "scabs"...

 

[Dubya]

I wouldn't care of the USPS stopped all deliveries. I do virtually everything online anymore anyway, so all ever get in the mail now is junk, and it immediately goes either into the trash can or my shredder.
I have two of my business vendors who insist on mailing me invoices and me mailing them checks. I told them both that until they upgrade their billing/payment systems, I won't be using them anymore.

Hence my response to the OP is, "Who cares?"

That sounds like a typical right-wing response, but you aren't the world. If you don't want to use the USPS then don't use it. It's as simple as that. I don't use it, but I have enough sense to know I'm not everybody and some people need it. So I care about the people who do need it and I care about more than half a million union jobs. That's who cares!

I bet you also care that USPS union employees continue to vote for democrat candidates

... the largest employer of union employees, the United States Postal Service..

That's the only thing you care about and reality never has anything to do with your type of opinions. The reality of politics should be don't piss off large groups of people. It's really smart for Republicans to oppose a business just because the people are union members, but that's what you have been doing for years.

You should only use FedEx regardless of rates, because UPS is also union. Don't let the fact that FedEx doesn't serve everywhere stop you. See how simple that is? You shouldn't use the cops and firefighters, gasoline and fuels or any vehicle made with union labor. Most materials are out, because those chemical plants are union. Don't use electricity, because that's union too. You need to give up those guns, because if you can find a gun that a scab made, the ammo is union. You need to limit your diet to food only produced and shipped with non-union labor.

Now run along and piss off the Hispanics and Blacks like you Republicans have been. Make sure you Republicans continue to vote against every increase in minimum wage so it continues to be a small percentage of it's historical high when the people in America made good wages and business was thriving.

Just stay away from all union products and see if you can live!

 

[Samson]

Just stay away from all union products and see if you can live!

You really think I, or most Americans give a shit who makes the products we buy?

Particularly if they are American, regardless of their union affiliation?


Keep drinking the koolaid your union local rep is mixing up for you.

 

[Papawx3]

My opinions and comments have nothing to do with politics or unions, so quit lumping me into those whose opinions are based on them.
I couldn't care less if the postal carriers are union, USPS employees or contract workers. Fwiw though, my carrier is a contract worker. She uses her own vehicle and does not wear a USPS uniform. She's a really nice lady and I hate to see her lose out on the pay she is receiving now for those Saturdays that she now works.
The plain simple fact is that imo the post office is going the way of the stage coach and buggy whips.
Although their mission has been honorable and glorious, the fact of the matter is that technology has made them obsolete. Why on earth would I want to go through the time-consuming process of sending orders through the mail and waiting several days or more for the business to receive and process it before sending my merchandise to me when I can send the order electronically and it be there and processed, and possibly even shipped out to me today?
I'm also certain my other vendors would much rather receive their payments today via Paypal or other online payment methods than waiting for me to mail them a check.
Face it, dude (or dudette, as the case may be). The post office is obsolete. It no longer serves the purpose for which it was originally founded. As such it should be either drastically updated to reflect the demands of today's population or just closed altogether.
As a wise old mentor once told me, "You can't do today's business with yesterdays methods and expect to still be in business tomorrow."

 

[Dubya]

My opinions and comments have nothing to do with politics or unions, so quit lumping me into those whose opinions are based on them.
I couldn't care less if the postal carriers are union, USPS employees or contract workers. Fwiw though, my carrier is a contract worker. She uses her own vehicle and does not wear a USPS uniform. She's a really nice lady and I hate to see her lose out on the pay she is receiving now for those Saturdays that she now works.
The plain simple fact is that imo the post office is going the way of the stage coach and buggy whips.
Although their mission has been honorable and glorious, the fact of the matter is that technology has made them obsolete. Why on earth would I want to go through the time-consuming process of sending orders through the mail and waiting several days or more for the business to receive and process it before sending my merchandise to me when I can send the order electronically and it be there and processed, and possibly even shipped out to me today?
I'm also certain my other vendors would much rather receive their payments today via Paypal or other online payment methods than waiting for me to mail them a check.
Face it, dude (or dudette, as the case may be). The post office is obsolete. It no longer serves the purpose for which it was originally founded. As such it should be either drastically updated to reflect the demands of today's population or just closed altogether.
As a wise old mentor once told me, "You can't do today's business with yesterdays methods and expect to still be in business tomorrow."

If you are talking to me, here is my quote:

I wouldn't care of the USPS stopped all deliveries. I do virtually everything online anymore anyway, so all ever get in the mail now is junk, and it immediately goes either into the trash can or my shredder.
I have two of my business vendors who insist on mailing me invoices and me mailing them checks. I told them both that until they upgrade their billing/payment systems, I won't be using them anymore.

Hence my response to the OP is, "Who cares?"

That sounds like a typical right-wing response, but you aren't the world. If you don't want to use the USPS then don't use it. It's as simple as that. I don't use it, but I have enough sense to know I'm not everybody and some people need it. So I care about the people who do need it and I care about more than half a million union jobs. That's who cares!

What the hell are you saying?

We don't use the USPS, but other people do. I don't think it's obsolete and it can't be replaced with other corporations. It would take an amendment to the Constitution to do away with it.

 

[Dubya]

Just stay away from all union products and see if you can live!

You really think I, or most Americans give a shit who makes the products we buy?

Particularly if they are American, regardless of their union affiliation?


Keep drinking the koolaid your union local rep is mixing up for you.

Outside of your own selfishness, you aren't the give a shit type.

 

[Redfish]

If the USPS thinks that stopping Saturday mail will put them in the black, go for it. Do it. But maybe they also need to think about closing some post offices or consolidating them. Maybe they need to renegotiate the union contracts.

If the USPS was a private company it would have been out of business in bankruptcy years ago.

 

[Samson]

Just stay away from all union products and see if you can live!

You really think I, or most Americans give a shit who makes the products we buy?

Particularly if they are American, regardless of their union affiliation?


Keep drinking the koolaid your union local rep is mixing up for you.

Outside of your own selfishness, you aren't the give a shit type.

boo hoo

Yes you are the ONLY ONE THAT CARES!!!!



Whenever faced with irrefutable fact, fall back on unsubstantiated emotion: #1 Rule of The Bleeding Heart Handbook of Debate.

 

[Harry Dresden]

You said the USPS is a poorly run business.

My contention is that it won't matter how well a business is run, if it offers services and products that very few people want, or need.

The fact that "Millions" or even one person "uses the USPS over the other guys" is irrelevant. I'm certain someone will always need a buggy whip too.

The fact that other guys exist is what is relevant. How is competition able to thrive despite the monopoly the USPS has on "first class" mailings?

Because first class mailings are OBSOLETE, not because of some competitor's offer.

Because of email, online shopping, and electronic bill payment, and a host of technology that make the USPS irrelevant.

You said the USPS is a poorly run business.
yes it is....when they have had REAL business people running it it did pretty dam good like in the 90's.....and parts of the 80's....

it aint irrelevant Sam if millions are still using it.....including all the other delivery services....a company that makes around 70 billion dollars a year doesn't sound irrelevant to me....

Um....during the 80's and 90's the internet and email was not nearly as popular as it has become, and the fact that I must remind you perfectly exemplifies my point: USPS business management is not the problem. The problem is they refuse to accept the reality that their service is becomming obsolete.

Ah...there's always the "to Big to Fail" arguement....as long as revenue is $65 B/yr then it cannot possibly be irrelevant, even thought this massive amount cannot cover expenses of $67 B/yr.

Well, if it worked for Chase, the why not for the USPS?

Because the USPS is not Chase: Banking is not an obsolete industry which will lose money into the foreseeable future.

The problem is they refuse to accept the reality that their service is becomming obsolete.

not according to standup's we have....they understand it very much how much the internet has cut into the business........but Congress has their hands tied.....if they want to do something it has to be ok'd by a whole bunch of people before they can do anything.....it took the PO around 5 years to get the ok to use scanning delivery while everyone else was doing it......

 

[Papawx3]

My opinions and comments have nothing to do with politics or unions, so quit lumping me into those whose opinions are based on them.
I couldn't care less if the postal carriers are union, USPS employees or contract workers. Fwiw though, my carrier is a contract worker. She uses her own vehicle and does not wear a USPS uniform. She's a really nice lady and I hate to see her lose out on the pay she is receiving now for those Saturdays that she now works.
The plain simple fact is that imo the post office is going the way of the stage coach and buggy whips.
Although their mission has been honorable and glorious, the fact of the matter is that technology has made them obsolete. Why on earth would I want to go through the time-consuming process of sending orders through the mail and waiting several days or more for the business to receive and process it before sending my merchandise to me when I can send the order electronically and it be there and processed, and possibly even shipped out to me today?
I'm also certain my other vendors would much rather receive their payments today via Paypal or other online payment methods than waiting for me to mail them a check.
Face it, dude (or dudette, as the case may be). The post office is obsolete. It no longer serves the purpose for which it was originally founded. As such it should be either drastically updated to reflect the demands of today's population or just closed altogether.
As a wise old mentor once told me, "You can't do today's business with yesterdays methods and expect to still be in business tomorrow."

If you are talking to me, here is my quote:

I wouldn't care of the USPS stopped all deliveries. I do virtually everything online anymore anyway, so all ever get in the mail now is junk, and it immediately goes either into the trash can or my shredder.
I have two of my business vendors who insist on mailing me invoices and me mailing them checks. I told them both that until they upgrade their billing/payment systems, I won't be using them anymore.

Hence my response to the OP is, "Who cares?"

That sounds like a typical right-wing response, but you aren't the world. If you don't want to use the USPS then don't use it. It's as simple as that. I don't use it, but I have enough sense to know I'm not everybody and some people need it. So I care about the people who do need it and I care about more than half a million union jobs. That's who cares!

What the hell are you saying?

We don't use the USPS, but other people do. I don't think it's obsolete and it can't be replaced with other corporations. It would take an amendment to the Constitution to do away with it.

OK, then convince me. Tell me what it does that can't be replaced with corporations within the private sector.
And let's leave out the part about amending the Constitution, because that hasn't been a consideration in the federal government lately anyway.

 

[Harry Dresden]

I wouldn't care of the USPS stopped all deliveries. I do virtually everything online anymore anyway, so all ever get in the mail now is junk, and it immediately goes either into the trash can or my shredder.
I have two of my business vendors who insist on mailing me invoices and me mailing them checks. I told them both that until they upgrade their billing/payment systems, I won't be using them anymore.

Hence my response to the OP is, "Who cares?"

That sounds like a typical right-wing response, but you aren't the world. If you don't want to use the USPS then don't use it. It's as simple as that. I don't use it, but I have enough sense to know I'm not everybody and some people need it. So I care about the people who do need it and I care about more than half a million union jobs. That's who cares!

I bet you also care that USPS union employees continue to vote for democrat candidates

... the largest employer of union employees, the United States Postal Service..

its actually about 60/40.....in favor of Democrats....most of us know that both parties don't give a fuck....so it doesn't matter......there are only a handful from each side who back the workers anyway.....most are full of shit.....like D.Feinstein.....

 

[Harry Dresden]

USPS is becoming no more obsolete than FedEX and UPS.

Nice toss from the land of the uninformed and hysterical.
Hey udder breath, why is it then that both UPS and Fed Ex continue to grow their business turn a profit and in case you wanted to ignore it, hire more workers? Meanwhile the USPS continues to get bombed by losses?
Ok time is up. Your answer please?

according to the Drivers from both on my route.....they are hiring part timers......and they have been doing what the PO has also been doing.....merging routes because of business being down.....the Fed X driver told me Electronic mail is hurting them too....the UPS driver had an hour added on to his route from the route they eliminated....he aint happy,he just said more OT.....

 

[Harry Dresden]

Second paragraph first. "More government". It has been established the USPS is not funded by taxpayer dollars. Therefore it is a quasi-federal entity.
I believe where the cost to move a piece of mail is higher, the rate charged to the customer should reflect the additional cost of that service.
Yes, the USPS could perhaps reduce the infrastructure. My suggestion is to reduce the cost of labor. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now. Eliminating the need for high cost labor and replace it with non employee contract labor would save tons of money in wages and benefits. That money could be poured back into the system as an investment in new technologies.
10 years? The USPS has had more than enough time to adjust its business model.

. For example, why have employee carriers? Most are contract now.

what do you mean by Contract?.....

Contract rural carriers. Non employee mail carriers.
Since I left NJ every place I have lived, even in Charlotte, I have had contract carriers ( use their own vehicles, do not wear USPS uniforms, etc) deliver mail to me residence.
In upstate NY, My friend lives in a small city. The mail is delivered by USPS carriers inside the city limits. In the surrounding communities, the mail is delivered by contract carriers.

you said most are Contract.....they are not....there are approx 300,000 City Carriers and approx 100,000 Rural Carriers nation wide....and Rural carriers are unionized.....and full timers who have routes are Postal Employees....