No More Mail On Saturdays

[AUChizad]

Postal Service's emerging model: Never on Saturday

(AP) – 45 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is increasing the pressure for dropping Saturday home delivery as it seeks to fend off massive financial losses.

Postmaster General John Potter, who has a speech set for later Tuesday on the future of his agency, will also raise the likelihood of higher postage rates.

The agency was $297 million in the red in period from October through December, usually its best season because of holiday mailings.

The post office's problems stem from a sharp decline in the number of items mailed, resulting from the recession and the movement of things like bills and bill-paying to electronic communications.

Last year the agency handled 177 billion items, down from 213 billion in 2006 — and there is little likelihood of an increase in the future.

The Postal Service has previously proposed eliminating delivery six days a week, but got a cold reception in Congress. The renewed effort comes with a series of consultant reports supporting that idea, as well as changes in the work force and the number of offices.

The post office does not receive a taxpayer subsidy for its operations, and officials see little chance of Congress approving such a payment.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Saniflush]

Fuck them.  They should have gone away years ago.  You learn how to do it financially soundly or you go away.  i am sure they will not go away though.  If we can't even let private business suffer the consequences of their stupidity then there is no reason I should expect a government agency who relies on the teat to go away either.

[Aubie16]

Good.

I hope they take it down to 3 days a week. How about a Monday-Wednesday-Friday delivery schedule? Can people seriously not plan ahead enough that they need delivery more often than that?

If you need it there overnight, use UPS or FedEx.

[Token]

Less mail.  More health care.   

[Buzz Killington]

Less mail.  More health care.   

Well...at least it will take longer for the health care bills to arrive.

[Saniflush]

You won't have to worry about paying any bills sir.  The gubment is gonna look after all of that for you.

[jadennis]

AP headline story June, 2012.

US Government based healthcare's emerging model: Never on Saturday

(AP) – 45 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Healthcare System is increasing the pressure for dropping Saturday doctor's appointments and surgeries as it seeks to fend off massive financial losses.

Hospital-master General Jim "left-winger" Jones, who has a speech set for later Tuesday on the future of his agency, will also raise the likelihood of higher prescription drug rates.

The agency was $297 billion in the red in the period from October through December of 2011, which was expected to be its best season because of H1N1 flu related illnesses.

The healthcare system's problems stem from a lack of funding and customer dissatisfaction.  

The government led healthcare system got a cold reception from America, but was shoved down our throats anyway.    

The healthcare system receives billions in taxpayer subsidies for its operations, and officials see little chance of current tax levels (currently as high as 60%) ever covering all the costs incurred by operation.  Even 6 day a week operations.

[Token]

Well...at least it will take longer for the health care bills to arrive.

I'm certain big brother will be collecting that debt before I get my weekly allowance. 

[AUChizad]

AP headline story June, 2012.

This is  

[RWS]

Fuck mail.

[Tiger Wench]

You know why Congress will never kill the post office?  Two words:  FRANKING PRIVILEGE.

Incumbent Congressmen do not have to pay for any mail, including those "Constituent Update" newsletters that show up around re-election time.  This is one of the major benefits they have, and gives an incumbent a decided edge over a challenger in terms of spending money for mass mailings.

Ben Franklin is probably spinning in his grave to see what his beloved Postal Service has become.

My suggestion?

Give FedEx and UPS and maybe DHL a chance to competitive bid for the whole shooting match.  Regularly scheduled delivery, with suggestions for a possibly reduced delivery week.  Give customers a chance to opt out of third class and other mass mailings like catalogs and flyers and other commercial crap.

Tell them all current USPS employees have to stay on for a six month evaluation period.  Those who cannot step it up and provide timely customer service with even a basic sense of competency are GONE.  Either they add value, reduce customer wait times at post offices, and get the mail delivered on time, or they are DONE.  I think that will separate the wheat from the chaff and prevent massive amounts of retraining.  Some postal employees are hard working decent people who are stuck in a quagmire of an operation and would probably appreciate a chance to work for a private outfit with better pay and benefits.  AND NO UNION.

[jadennis]

You know why Congress will never kill the post office?  Two words:  FRANKING PRIVILEGE.

Incumbent Congressmen do not have to pay for any mail, including those "Constituent Update" newsletters that show up around re-election time.  This is one of the major benefits they have, and gives an incumbent a decided edge over a challenger in terms of spending money for mass mailings.

Ben Franklin is probably spinning in his grave to see what his beloved Postal Service has become.

My suggestion?

Give FedEx and UPS and maybe DHL a chance to competitive bid for the whole shooting match.  Regularly scheduled delivery, with suggestions for a possibly reduced delivery week.  Give customers a chance to opt out of third class and other mass mailings like catalogs and flyers and other commercial crap.

Tell them all current USPS employees have to stay on for a six month evaluation period.  Those who cannot step it up and provide timely customer service with even a basic sense of competency are GONE.  Either they add value, reduce customer wait times at post offices, and get the mail delivered on time, or they are DONE.  I think that will separate the wheat from the chaff and prevent massive amounts of retraining.  Some postal employees are hard working decent people who are stuck in a quagmire of an operation and would probably appreciate a chance to work for a private outfit with better pay and benefits.  AND NO UNION.

I like this. 

I like this because I feel like UPS and FedEx are more likely to know the difference between Austria and Australia.  One time we had a customer in Austria that ordered 9 identical boxes.  They were trying to save money and wanted us to go through the USPS, so we did (against our better judgment). 

Two weeks later they still had not gotten their boxes.  Within a week or so, through constant prodding, we discovered that four of the boxes were in Australia, three were on their way back to us, and two were no where to be found.  They were all identical....same shipping info, same boxes, same sizes, and shipped on the same day from the same place to the same place.

Incompetency at it's best.  I guess those who don't cut it for UPS/FedEx could always be placed in another government agency where their incompetence could shine on.

[AWK]

The United States Postal Service is the only organization that has a constitutional monopoly granted to it by the Federal Government. 

That was an actual question and answer on the bar. It's not going anywhere.

[jadennis]

The United States Postal Service is the only organization that has a constitutional monopoly granted to it by the Federal Government. 

That was an actual question and answer on the bar. It's not going anywhere.

I'm sure they aren't going anywhere either, but at some point they are going to have to adapt and do business in other ways.  If they lost over $3 billion last year...it's only going to get worse.  The amount of mail is only going to continue to decline, and thus their income is going to decline.  They are limited by law on the amount they can raise the price of a stamp each year, and it doesn't seem to be enough to keep up with the decline.