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aznsx

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In their defense they're losing an awful lot of first class mail revenue. Not too many people send cards these days. Almost nobody sends letters. Their staple, people receiving and paying bills, will likely disappear completely soon. I don't know anyone who pays their bills by mail these days. I think volumes of junk mail might also be down quite a bit. You reach more people per dollar by advertising online. Most file their taxes electronically. They have to make up the revenue loss somewhere until they can right-size their operations to their volume.

Maybe another reason for this is to encourage people to buy their gifts early to spread the holiday season load over a longer period, reducing the need for OT or temporary personnel.
 
"This seasonal adjustment will bring prices for the Postal Service's retail and commercial customers in line with competitive practices.


As a strategic part of the Delivering for America 10-year plan, these temporary changes will support the Postal Service in creating a revitalized organization capable of achieving our public service mission — providing a nationwide, integrated network for the delivery of mail and packages at least six days a week — in a cost-effective and financially sustainable manner over the long term, just as the U.S. Congress has intended."

Is there a mosquito in here? I hear whining.
 
jtr1962 said:
In their defense
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I think all the things you cite are absolutely valid reasons, but not excuses for a failed business model. I'm not benevolent enough to defend any of it. I guess USPS isn't on the list of charities I'd choose to support if I have other options, and for packages, I have those options.
 
Yup, USPS use is an OPTION. Now, Congress COULD just eliminate postage, and fund USPS completely with TAXES! Now, I think that would be the socialist/communist way...but some people would see that as "free" postage, and be for it. Honestly, some folks think that some things in life are "free". No, nothing is "free", SOMEONE has to pay for everything! In this illustration, it would be taxpayers, regardless of whether or not they used the postal service, they would be paying for it. That would put the other private parcel carriers at an unfair disadvantage, and immediately put them out of business. So then the government would have a monopoly on package delivery. Does ANYONE see a PROBLEM HERE?! "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

Animal House Reaction GIF
 
IMA SOL MAN said:
Yup, USPS use is an OPTION. Now, Congress COULD just eliminate postage, and fund USPS completely with TAXES! Now, I think that would be the socialist/communist way...but some people would see that as "free" postage, and be for it. Honestly, some folks think that some things in life are "free". No, nothing is "free", SOMEONE has to pay for everything! In this illustration, it would be taxpayers, regardless of whether or not they used the postal service, they would be paying for it. That would put the other private parcel carriers at an unfair disadvantage, and immediately put them out of business. So then the government would have a monopoly on package delivery. Does ANYONE see a PROBLEM HERE?! "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."
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The alternative is government could charge for the service at cost. No long term subsidies needed as revenues will equal expenses. Technically that's not even socialism. It's just government competing with private industry.

Free postal service wouldn't make sense anyway. If government wants to pay for something with taxes but make it available at no charge, it should be something essential with some societal benefit. Free letters and packages don't really fall into that category.
 
You can do that for correspondence but last I checked Star Trek style transporters for packages don't exist.

Government should be involved competing by selling things at cost for at least essential stuff like food, shelter, health care, transportation, etc. Leave the luxury sector to private industry. Private industry isn't that great at providing low-cost basic anything anyhow. If it were in charge of roads, the wealthier areas would have a ton of options (all funded by tolls), while poor areas would have dirt roads at best.
 
I still use exactly two stamps a year, but only because I still file taxes on paper (yes, I know;-). Fortunately, I bought some 'forever' stamps and haven't run out yet.

If I wanted to help subsidize something, it would be for enhancing Network connectivity for all. At least the money could be going towards something that could be a part of a solution / improvement, rather than perpetuating a problem that's only likely to get worse at the rate it's going.
 
aznsx said:
I still use exactly two stamps a year, but only because I still file taxes on paper (yes, I know;-). Fortunately, I bought some 'forever' stamps and haven't run out yet.
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Same here. I'm not big on filing electronically.
aznsx said:
If I wanted to help subsidize something, it would be for enhancing Network connectivity for all. At least the money could be going towards something that could be a part of a solution / improvement, rather than perpetuating a problem that's only likely to get worse at the rate it's going.
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I think it would be overall beneficial to society if USPS stopped delivering most paper mail. Junk mail is a waste of resources on every level. Energy to make it, then deliver it, then cart it away to either be recycled or sent to a landfill. Every time I get junk mail which goes in the garbage unopened my thoughts are a tree had to die for this?
 
jtr1962 said:
They're a work in progress. Eventually we'll get it right, and then be able to remove thousands and thousands of trucks from the roads.
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Theoretically, that may be true (for those living in the theoretical world, (which I do not), but my point is that they should not be in the air in public airspace at all until they've been proven, on private proving grounds, that they can operate without crashing into things (which they still do, per this week's headlines), and endangering public safety and private property while their development is being completed. This is not what's happening, and I think it's wrong. Horses are fine, and carts are fine, but the cart should not be 'put before the horse'. It doesn't end well.

Autonomous cars are not significantly different from that, and the same mistakes are currently being made with them, and I'm sure the same people are defending their current implementation.

'Pie in the sky' is fine for those who eat it, but not when it's crashing down from the air on people, or crashing into people on the ground. Both are happening. That's current 'reality'. This is where government should step in, but I think it's part of the problem instead. Probably too many lobbyists on K Street, funded by too many 'hi tech' companies who stand to benefit financially.
 
aznsx said:
'Pie in the sky' is fine for those who eat it, but not when it's crashing down from the air on people, or crashing into people on the ground. Both are happening. That's current 'reality'. This is where government should step in, but I think it's part of the problem instead. Probably too many lobbyists on K Street, funded by too many 'hi tech' companies who stand to benefit financially.
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This IS the reason. Not just for the drones, but for other things. Uber and Lyft decimated NYC's yellow cab industry. Only reason they were allowed in was campaign contributions to anyone running for public office. Same with the delivery apps making billions while having unrealistic delivery schedules which force delivery people to ride e-bikes recklessly. They don't care. Their money insulates them from the consequences of their actions.

It just goes on and on. Ordinary people have to suffer so tech bros can become billionaires.
 
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