30 replies to this topic

[Happy Panther]

The U.S. Postal Service plans to stop delivering letters and other first-class mail on Saturdays beginning Aug. 1, although packages will continue to be delivered.

It will mark the an end of an era for the agency, which started Saturday delivery in 1863.

Tired of waiting for Congress to help, the Postal Service later Wednesday is expected to unveil a series of more drastic cuts they plan to pursue that will save them billions of dollars, a spokesperson for the service confirmed.

It's unclear at the moment whether the Postal Service has the authority to quit delivering letters on Saturdays. Previously, it has said it needs Congress to change current law to do so.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/06/news/economy/postal-service-cuts/index.html?iid=Lead

Sometime somewhere the post office agreed to deliver mail 6 days a week in return for a monopoly on your mailbox. I think they are technically in breach of that.

But it is sad that congress can't take 5 minutes and make this change.

[Kurb]

Not a bad idea.

[Tensor]

Do we really need to get mail every day anyway? What's wrong with 3 days a week and if you need something delivered urgently, send it UPS.

[Johnny Rockets]

Sure email and new technology didn't help but the Post office did it to themselves....I remember when people I went to high school with didn't go to college because they got jobs at the post office making $25 and hour right out of high school. That was back in the early 90's....Then, they could work for 20 years and retire on a ridiculous pension and medical plan that would have them set for life.

Also, I never understood the need for all the new post office buildings that popped up several years ago. Why not just put them in Wal Marts, or Supermarkets where it would be cheaper for them and more conveinent for the consumer?

Why the Hell am I going on a rant about the Post Office and what am I doing in the Tinderbox.....I must be cranky this morning.

[Happy Panther]

Also, I never understood the need for all the new post office buildings that popped up several years ago. Why not just put them in Wal Marts, or Supermarkets where it would be cheaper for them and more convenient for the consumer?

Good question. All of the responsibilities, limitations and guidelines of the post office are prescribed by law. Maybe there is something about the physical building in there.


http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/39

[Happy Panther]

In planning and building new postal facilities, the Postal Service shall emphasize the need for facilities and equipment designed to create desirable working conditions for its officers and employees, a maximum degree of convenience for efficient postal services, proper access to existing and future air and surface transportation facilities, and control of costs to the Postal Service.

:shrug:

[Darth Biscuit]

Stopping Saturday delivery is just the start of what they need to do...

[Inimicus]

3 day service would be ideal. Everyone gets either a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday delivery schedule and then only a limited number of mail types. Limit mail to only a few standard formats and do away with parcel delivery all together.

[Kurb]

3 day service would be ideal. Everyone gets either a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday delivery schedule and then only a limited number of mail types. Limit mail to only a few standard formats and do away with parcel delivery all together.

The small flat rate boxes are nice.
Maybe say if it won't fit in a standard mailbox it should be UPS/Fed-Ex

[mmmbeans]

ups/fedex use the usps a lot to cut their own costs... doing away with parcel delivery would probably make prices rise significantly across the board.

[Inimicus]

The small flat rate boxes are nice.
Maybe say if it won't fit in a standard mailbox it should be UPS/Fed-Ex

That makes a lot of sense.

ups/fedex use the usps a lot to cut their own costs... doing away with parcel delivery would probably make prices rise significantly across the board.

If it costs more to use UPS/FedEx then so be it. The idea that their costs are kept artificially low because they get to access the resources of a taxpayer supported system is actually offensive. Let the burden of the cost of those delivery services fall on those who use those services.

[mmmbeans]

That makes a lot of sense.



If it costs more to use UPS/FedEx then so be it. The idea that their costs are kept artificially low because they get to access the resources of a taxpayer supported system is actually offensive. Let the burden of the cost of those delivery services fall on those who use those services.

but realistically, the usps is built to subsidize shipping costs... that's part of the cost of living in a gigantic country... i'm not saying they shouldn't cut costs and restructure themselves... they should. But surely you can see that the service they provide is to some extent a "public good."

[Happy Panther]

That makes a lot of sense.

If it costs more to use UPS/FedEx then so be it. The idea that their costs are kept artificially low because they get to access the resources of a taxpayer supported system is actually offensive. Let the burden of the cost of those delivery services fall on those who use those services.

The guts of the USPS is not taxpayer supported and historically the post office has supported itself. And run a huge surplus.

The USPS gets allocated some tax dollars to fund federally mandated free mail such as overseas voting ballots or blind people who get free postage.

If there weren't these programs the USPS would not take any tax dollars.

[Davidson Deac II]

Oh no, you mean I will have to wait till monday to get all those credit card and refinance offers? The horror.

Probably should have done it years ago.

[stirs]

Agree with Inimicus on the 3 day thing with one caveat.

Think the actual office could be open 6 days, but deliveries would only occur three days to any area.

One area gets mail on mwf, others on ttf. This way, many cuts in fuel, equipment, wages, etc would yield savings but not destroy the service.