I dislike the USPS

The problem is that it let's business ignore a debt until it's due when it's a very tangible thing. All government and business should be required to accrue and fund these sort of future liabilities rather than risk collapsing when they are due.

 

Great way to get to know the neighbors.

I did just have UPS drop a $400+ package on my neighbor's doorstep, so it's not just USPS. Luckily she's honest.

 

There are very few corporations that have defined benefit retirement plans. There already is the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation. But most companies have moved to defined contribution, if anything. But because of tax incentives, pensions do exist. There are carrots and sticks... it’s not ungoverned as you describe. There are requirements.

The USPS is run like a business but was given an additional requirement to prefund health benefits as well as pension. This got expensive. Only a third of companies provide any retirement health plans anymore. That’s a relic of earlier days.

There’s no reason to downsize the USPS or privatize it. They can let it operate normally. Otherwise you risk losing a basic service.

Some have asserted this is an artificial crisis created for the purpose of downsizing or privatizing the government owned corporation, or to reduce worker benefits. Since the USPS is not taxpayer funded, this unique fiscal requirement created this potential situation once it was added in 2006.

But most people don’t care about all this.
They just want their package delivered with reliability. And I wouldn’t mind them increasing the postal rate for “junk mail”

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...CRAB&usg=AOvVaw27gt9YnNd-LWH3kCs5ptMZ&ampcf=1


To quote Boston: "it's more than a feeling..."

They do not receive money directly but are still subsidized vs any shipping company in the private sector.

"The greater good is a slippery slope."

I might be on board with some of the major "greater good" taxpayer funded programs if the government wasn't already spending 650 billion on the military industrial complex.

But uncle uncle sam is unwilling to give up a penny but wants to add new programs with no clear way to pay for them except "raise taxes".

 

Um no. I quoted a fact. You linked to an opinion article that cry as if the USPS is unfair competition to FedEx and UPS and DHL and Lasership and ...

0. The Postal Service is written in the US Constitution. It’s a service for all, not a profit engine.

One by one:
1. Laws that bar any other shipping service from delivering mail and packages directly to residential and business mailboxes.

This is not a constraint. My company gets deliveries to our receiving. My front step gets all the packages. Not an issue. I have more arguments but I’ll keep this short.

2. Tax breaks.

Yes, the The Post Office is exempt from local taxes because it’s a federal service. This is a silly argument.It’s run like a company, so it doesn’t take tax revenue to operate. You’d think that would be praised.

3. Cheap borrowing.
It’s a government owned corporation. There’s no issue here.

Government is by definition a greater good.
Taxes pay for service, but you’re not even paying taxes for this. You don’t get something for free. And there are infrastructure needs that promote health and commerce.

You keep mentioning the taxpayer but that’s not relevant. No one is paying taxes for the USPS to operate. If they reverted to the pre 2006 requirement to pay as they go for health care costs for retirees, the USPS would be running a profit. It’s successful.

The USPS isn’t an unfunded government program.

this is the end of my discussion on this.

 

I disagree, but if your done then I won't bother with a rebuttal. Enjoy the rest of your day!

 

I do not know about the political debate about usps, but I bought 3 items last year that have bern delivered by them and if I had to sum it up: 1st: They do not have the slightest clue how to do their job.
2nd: I have to thank them for it !^^

One package was sent to canada - apart from the fact that it took somewhat longer than ups everything was fine.

The other two packages have been sent to germany without any tax or custom fees paid in advance. Sending from the US to custons at the german airport was really fast - then both packages got mysteriously lost for about 4 weeks instead beeing forwarded to a local customs office where I would have to pay tax and customs fee...
4 weeks later though the packages were delivered to our home with a BIG customs envelope on it stating that under no circumstances the package was to be delivered directly but had to be brought to the next customs office.
But well... no arguing from me for delivering it directly - even several weeks too late as it saved more than 1500€ custom fees...

 

I never use USPS when I need tracking. Always UPS or Fedex.

 

I had sent my Watchful Mistress to MM for adjustments awhile back. I got word from them that it was on the way back, and couldn't wait to give it a try. On the day it arrived, I went to get it from the mailbox and found that someone had ripped a hole in the box and stolen the CB. Luckily, MM stepped up and replaced it.

USPS also "lost" several high end computer parts (memory and video cards) at the same post office. I've also had gift cards contained in birthday cards disappear. I won't ship anything of value through them anymore.