I see what you did there.

SOCIALISM DOESNT WORK HURRRRR

I listened to that album the other day. It held up moderately well.

The U.S. Postal Service reported a $3.8 billion loss in the 2009 fiscal year, and plans to propose to Congress in 2010 that it drop Saturday delivery.


gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care.

Come down now, subby. It wasn't that great.

Weaver95: gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care.

In fairness to the postal service, their business model was blown away by email and the internet and any talk about rationing their service (i.e. reduce home delivery) has been shot down by politicians. They were actually self sufficient not too long ago. They still manage to get a letter from me here in NJ to my aunt in California in a few days for only 44 cents (or whatever I paid when I bought my forever stamps).

Weaver95: gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care.

oh you

:P

I always thought it was mildly funny that those UPS commercials where the guy draws stuff on a board and whatever had that song in the background, and that (at least for a time) you could buy the album from the USPS website.

*shrug*

ftfa: The USPS is was a self-supporting government agency that receives no tax dollars.

fixed

Come on, elchip, that doesn't look anything like a normal postal carrier. For one thing, where is the uniform?

Weaver95: The U.S. Postal Service reported a $3.8 billion loss in the 2009 fiscal year, and plans to propose to Congress in 2010 that it drop Saturday delivery.


gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care.

Please explain how anything that is actually on the table even REMOTELY resembles the Post Office model.

C'mon. I really don't think that you are THAT dumb.

damageddude: In fairness to the postal service, their business model was blown away by email and the internet and any talk about rationing their service (i.e. reduce home delivery) has been shot down by politicians. They were actually self sufficient not too long ago. They still manage to get a letter from me here in NJ to my aunt in California in a few days for only 44 cents (or whatever I paid when I bought my forever stamps).

As much as Drew trashes media outlets like CNN, he allows Fark to do exactly the same thing as they do. The headline is correct, but there is a good explanation as to why.

The story would have been just as interesting with an accurate headline.

We should be discussing a future where snail mail is replaced by email and the USPS can be reduced to a role that involves package and junk mail delivery.

At least that is real, relevant, and topical.

To be fair, I consider CNN to be mostly Not News as well, without the lulz.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying up to .75 to send a regular letter. email wrecked the USPS's back cheese but services like priority mail are still a good value.

Why cut Saturday? I say split it into 2/3 or 3/2.

Cut Wednesday or Thursday.

That way you don't go 2 days without service. For what they do, they're damn cheap. It cost me a few bucks to send a printer (Ebay) to some Island in the pacific that somehow adopted our postal carrier.

The recession means the volume of junk mail is down. Might be nice for your mail box, but it basically funds regular service.

Postal rates are legislated by their quasi-privatization to follow the CPI inflation figure. Which, besides being understated anyway (to keep military and Social Security cost-of-living-increases down), reflects a whole lot of things whose prices are held down by being made in low-standard-of-living countries. USPS costs, fuel and domestic labor, don't exactly follow the CPI.

Which is why a letter from bumfark rural Georgia to Wasilla, Alaska costs 44 cents, when a letter from one side of Belgium or the Netherlands to the other costs the equivalent of over 90 US cents.

If we said that UPS couldn't increase rates without Congressional hearings, I would expect them to lose money, too.

+1 for subby

♪ They ♪

♪ Tried their best to be ♪

♪ Part of your day's routine ♪

♪ But the persistent trends, they really really kicked their asses ♪

Might be time to break out the old 1995 "The Post Office is going to start charging 5 cents per email" spam email again, and attach this article, just for nostalgia's sake.

darkscout: It cost me a few bucks to send a printer (Ebay) to some Island in the pacific that somehow adopted our postal carrier.

Any chance you were sending it to Wake? We love the USPS there, it's the only way to get anything out to that rock. UPS and FED EX would love nothing more than to use it to land and take on fuel (less fuel on board=more pounds of cargo in the hold), but I don't see the Air Force letting that happen anytime soon.

/96898 Represent!
//Kinda miss that place

Sadly, the PO isn't allowed to make basic business decisions the way a private company would. Every time they try to stop Saturday delivery, a hopeless anachronism, a bunch of old white Senators (from both parties) get their panties in a knot about a couple of senior citizens that might not get their Social Security checks if Saturday mail is stopped.

I hope Obama tells those useless political hacks to STFU and tells the PO to get their act together. There is a place of snail mail, but it doesn't have to be delivered more than 3 times a week.

Of course, then Obama will have the postal union piassed at him, and I don't think either he nor the Dems have the political balls to take on a union.

Roger Arseways: Honestly, I wouldn't mind paying up to .75 to send a regular letter. email wrecked the USPS's back cheese but services like priority mail are still a good value.

The USPS is more than just mail delivery. Being a federal service, your local postman is a federal employee, and is responsible for your mail on a federal level. Including mail fraud, check fraud, and lots of other fraud on the federal level which the USPS enforces.

I wonder if the USPS could save shipping costs by refusing junk mail.

The USPS' largest client was ADVO, Inc. the Nation's largest direct mail company that mailed a weekly or bi-weekly shared mail advertising wrap that included pages of advertsers inside the wrap...along with an address card. Valassis bought ADVO. I sometimes wonder if Valassis mails as much as ADVO did...and the relationship between the USPS and their largest clients.

My personal experience owning a direct mail magazine... I wrote the largest check I have ever written for postage bulk mailing my advertising magazine. One of the most fustrating experiences of my life was trying to mail my magazine once the 18 wheeler reached the BMEU at the USPS.

After printing and postage were paid, there was no profit in it.

When price drops, volume rises.

In a time where the economy is down and newspapers are losing circulation business owners need direct mail to reach the masses. Where the USPS sees problems, I see opportunity. This could be the USPS' bread and butter...like ADVO was if they encouraged direct mail companies with incentives to do business where it is profitable for the business owner, USPS and the publisher to use the mail...and treated them like business partners to become profitable again.

/ my.02

Our business recently started shipping a lot of medium size packages through USPS (~30 to 50 lbs). It actually is a lot cheaper than Fedex and seems much more reliable.

I am thinking it's a sign

Weaver95: The U.S. Postal Service reported a $3.8 billion loss in the 2009 fiscal year, and plans to propose to Congress in 2010 that it drop Saturday delivery.


gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care.

It'll be glorious!

Weaver95: The U.S. Postal Service reported a $3.8 billion loss in the 2009 fiscal year, and plans to propose to Congress in 2010 that it drop Saturday delivery.


gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care military.

FTFM

::golf crap::

Lawnchair: Postal rates are legislated by their quasi-privatization to follow the CPI inflation figure. Which, besides being understated anyway (to keep military and Social Security cost-of-living-increases down), reflects a whole lot of things whose prices are held down by being made in low-standard-of-living countries. USPS costs, fuel and domestic labor, don't exactly follow the CPI.

Which is why a letter from bumfark rural Georgia to Wasilla, Alaska costs 44 cents, when a letter from one side of Belgium or the Netherlands to the other costs the equivalent of over 90 US cents.

A big part of the problem is that pricing doesn't reflect costs. It costs me the same to mail a letter from NYC to LA as it does for me to mail it to the house across the street.

The expenses incurred by the USPS aren't the same in those two scenarios. Why should the retail price be the same in both cases? Sure, it's easier on the customer, but it doesn't generate a profit.

darkscout: Why cut Saturday? I say split it into 2/3 or 3/2.

Cut Wednesday or Thursday.

That way you don't go 2 days without service. For what they do, they're damn cheap. It cost me a few bucks to send a printer (Ebay) to some Island in the pacific that somehow adopted our postal carrier.

They want to cut Saturday because the weekend is the period with the least demand for delivery due to businesses being closed. Demand at the home is basically the same 7 days a week. Most businesses don't even have anyone there to get mail on Saturday.

Rodeodoc: Sadly, the PO isn't allowed to make basic business decisions the way a private company would. Every time they try to stop Saturday delivery, a hopeless anachronism,

Saturday delivery is considered a premium service with FedEx Express (and UPS too, I think).

Naturally, it's priced just like Monday thru Friday delivery at the USPS.

Rodeodoc: Sadly, the PO isn't allowed to make basic business decisions the way a private company would. Every time they try to stop Saturday delivery, a hopeless anachronism, a bunch of old white Senators (from both parties) get their panties in a knot about a couple of senior citizens that might not get their Social Security checks if Saturday mail is stopped.

I hope Obama tells those useless political hacks to STFU and tells the PO to get their act together. There is a place of snail mail, but it doesn't have to be delivered more than 3 times a week.

Of course, then Obama will have the postal union piassed at him, and I don't think either he nor the Dems have the political balls to take on a union.

Why do you give a shiat? They rarely ask for money. Also, all the senators are white but the shady black dude from Illinois. Not sure how that's relevant. Back to Canada with you racist.

When was the last time anyone got junkmail from UPS or Fedex? Or a Christmas card from overseas sent with a stamp from their country on the envelope?

Blame the business plan, not the service.

You know I'd actually be willing to pay them if I could avoid ever having to see another piece of farking junk mail ever again. 90% of what is delivered to my house is junk mail and probably around 40% of the crap delivered to our PO Box is junk mail as well.

As a casual at the local plant here, I'm getting a kick...

/cutting our tour
//to save $1.5 million a year
///will end up costing more in the long run

I'd rather them cut out Tuesday delivery than Saturday but whatever. I also wish someone could explain to me why my old postman delivered my mail to me by noon, but the new one doesn't get me my mail until after 5; and now I'm not receiving all of my bills either. I've complained to the postmaster, but it doesn't look like it's working. I haven't received my auto insurance bill yet (again), and today I received my mail close to 5:30.

/end of rant

Pr1nc3ss: I'd rather them cut out Tuesday delivery than Saturday but whatever. I also wish someone could explain to me why my old postman delivered my mail to me by noon, but the new one doesn't get me my mail until after 5; and now I'm not receiving all of my bills either. I've complained to the postmaster, but it doesn't look like it's working. I haven't received my auto insurance bill yet (again), and today I received my mail close to 5:30.

/end of rant

I usually drive past my postal worker with his funny little handcart after....the vodka load.

Then, I watch that Omnaris commercial about alleries. I wonder if those little white-helmeted guys represent sperm cells, and then I wonder if the woman's nose looks like a vaginal canal full of sperm cells.
Omnaris. Your key to fighting allergies.

Pr1nc3ss: I also wish someone could explain to me why my old postman delivered my mail to me by noon, but the new one doesn't get me my mail until after 5

He might have had is route redone or he's working 2 routes. When my carrier retired mail delivery moved to late afternoon. After they filled that position with a new person it returned to normal.

SharkTrager: darkscout: Why cut Saturday? I say split it into 2/3 or 3/2.

Cut Wednesday or Thursday.

That way you don't go 2 days without service. For what they do, they're damn cheap. It cost me a few bucks to send a printer (Ebay) to some Island in the pacific that somehow adopted our postal carrier.

They want to cut Saturday because the weekend is the period with the least demand for delivery due to businesses being closed. Demand at the home is basically the same 7 days a week. Most businesses don't even have anyone there to get mail on Saturday.

Actully the USPS has to pay part time help to do 6 day a week delivery. By cutting down to 5 day a week they can cut another 1/3 of their mail carriers and 1/4 of their mail processing jobs. If the USPS was a private buisness this would have all ready been done.

Pr1nc3ss: I'd rather them cut out Tuesday delivery than Saturday but whatever. I also wish someone could explain to me why my old postman delivered my mail to me by noon, but the new one doesn't get me my mail until after 5; and now I'm not receiving all of my bills either. I've complained to the postmaster, but it doesn't look like it's working. I haven't received my auto insurance bill yet (again), and today I received my mail close to 5:30.

/end of rant

Because in order to reduce head count routes were lengthened by approximately 20% and people like your old mail carrier were allowed to retire with out being replaced.

So the new mail carrier is covering a longer route in the same eight hour day as the old one did. I would not be surprised if he is dumping mail, even though that will get him fired and/or arrested.

Anyone know how much Netflix pays to send their DVDs through the mail?

Weaver95: The U.S. Postal Service reported a $3.8 billion loss in the 2009 fiscal year, and plans to propose to Congress in 2010 that it drop Saturday delivery.


gee, I can't wait for the Federal government to take over our health care.


Yup, exactly the same.

And the government is taking over health care? I must be reading all the wrong things because what I have been reading suggests that we'll get a watered down version of a government run insurance option.

Thank god we have smart people like you around to explain things.

/idiot

They never did state what their employee wages are accounted in the 72 Billion operating expense but if it takes dropping Saturday and cutting pays across the board by 5% then so be it.

USPS is dirt cheap for sending mail. I dont' like to say to do a pay cut but in this time it's not like people will leave, the USPS job is a very good job with benefits.

According to the Postmaster General, the biggest problem with the USPS right now is the changes that were made to the accounting rules that forced them to have more cash on hand for their pensioners. Before that change they were in the black, after it they are not but are working on it.

At least that seemed to be the gist of it from his interview with Diane Rehm back in April.

Wasn't there a Seinfeld episode about this?

TNel: They never did state what their employee wages are accounted in the 72 Billion operating expense but if it takes dropping Saturday and cutting pays across the board by 5% then so be it.

They'd probably drop Saturdays if Congress would let them - but there's no way that will pass because most of the cost reductions would come in the form of eliminated jobs. I was talking with a guy who is pretty high up in the USPS bureaucracy the other day, and he told me it could be as many as 100,000 jobs.

soze: SOCIALISM DOESNT WORK HURRRRR

Or, how about: "Paying more and more for ever diminishing services doesn't work." Or..., "The Government could Fark up a ham-sammich."

The Post Office sucks. I got a first class letter bounced back to me with "Insufficient Postage" because I had all of three sheet of paper towel in it (an old note to my girlfriend).

Another letter with 7 sheets? Same thing...

Priority Mail? It used to be a great deal, but sometime this year they switched the Flat Rate boxes and now it's like $14 to ship something at the old $4.95 size. Have you seen the size of the new $4.95 size? It's about the size of a VHS tape. Ohh, but it's cool because it's "anything up to 70lbs." Cool, I'll remember that when I'm mailing Tungsten-Carbide bars.

The Post Office should be simple, but leave it to the government to fark it up.

darkscout: Why cut Saturday? I say split it into 2/3 or 3/2.

Cut Wednesday or Thursday.

Because you are still making the time off less enjoyable for your employees, which means you'll still need to pay them elevated wages if you want the same number and quality of workers. It won't cost as mon-sat delivery but it will cost more then mon-fri delivery.

Whats more, with most companies a delivery on Saturday is not useful, your mail does not get processed any faster then if it was delivered on Saturday then if it gets delivered Monday when the office is closed on Saturday. Summed up, a split service would provide less utility to most customers and needlessly increase costs.

Ontos: The Post Office should be simple, but leave it to the government to fark it up.

So your mail was overweight and needed more postage, tell me, does fedex or ups give you a random discount? Make something cost less, because they like you? No, they're a business, and the price posted is the price posted.

I've dealt with other postal services, and the USPS is downright amazing in terms of speed and price.

Is the Post Office model the same as the Health Care model? No. They are completely different industries.

One thing they do share is the fact that they are run (or would be in the case of HC) by the federal government. There absolutely is a pattern in programs run by that organization. The pattern is one of failure - both financially and operationally.

If you think this Post Office example has absolutely nothing to do with how government-run health care would work, you are either deluding yourself for the sake of your dug-in political biases, or you are not very bright.