Government Failure?

[eflatminor]

...the post office needs to continue to function because the US government has to have a way to send notifications to it's citizens; that's not something that can easily be shifted to the private sector.

Why not? Which Federal documents that must be sent to citizens could not be handled by private delivery companies?

Ballots

UPS can't deliver a ballot? Private accounting firms are frequently used to hold ballots for private votes (NAACP, Heisman, Oscars, etc) and they're brought in to validate public sector votes when a recount is necessary or a dispute arises. If we can use private accounting firms in the voting process, why not private delivery companies? Are you suggesting the Post Office workers are somehow more trustworthy? Good God I hope that's not the case!

 

[eflatminor]

Why not? Which Federal documents that must be sent to citizens could not be handled by private delivery companies?

It's easy to see that some employees may lose their "positions". However CSX is a union centered business as well, and handing over the services to a PRIVATE corporation, may just be the boost for jobs that we need. Someone is going to take the role of restructuring their company and making sure all the necessary business infrastructure is in place to meet with that new role. Yes the United States Postal Service would lose out on government jobs, but it would only transfer that "opportunity" to expand business to create further job creation in the private sector. Private companies, then would push to be more competitive to gain more consumer loyalty, more options, more programs, higher efficiency, and cost productive. Personally I see a BETTER opportunity that's available that would boost an already stagnant and crippled economy, as well as cut the responsibilty of further DEBT to the Federal Government.

Despite the current hatred of the government and its programs, the post office is necessary for official government correspondence and to maintain contact with all of its citizens. It's also a national security issue, and for the same reason we shouldn't have a private army, would also should not cede the postal service to private industry. Electronic communication can and does fail, and in a national emergency, the government needs infrastructure in place to communicate. In any case, the problem with the post office could be easily solved by a combination of closing unnecessary offices, restructuring pension and benefit programs, and raising the price of stamps. There is not a private delivery company that would be willing to provide universal delivery to every citizen of the country for 44 cents. Whatever you might think you're saving by not hearing about massive deficits which the taxpayer has to subsidize, you would end up paying in increased postage and fees. And in this case, I don't think the free market will make any difference in the provision of services; providing one price universal access has a cost that the free market would not change. Better to leave these jobs in the government's hands.

First, a significant portion of our military's efforts here and overseas are already carried out by private contractors. Second, a national security issue? Really? Exactly what kind of national emergency would require the government to send a letter? I'm trying to envision your scenario...nukes have taken New York and LA...and Post Office workers are going to brave the disaster to deliver a message from the White House? Really???

 

[ShaklesOfBigGov]

Why not? Which Federal documents that must be sent to citizens could not be handled by private delivery companies?

It's easy to see that some employees may lose their "positions". However CSX is a union centered business as well, and handing over the services to a PRIVATE corporation, may just be the boost for jobs that we need. Someone is going to take the role of restructuring their company and making sure all the necessary business infrastructure is in place to meet with that new role. Yes the United States Postal Service would lose out on government jobs, but it would only transfer that "opportunity" to expand business to create further job creation in the private sector. Private companies, then would push to be more competitive to gain more consumer loyalty, more options, more programs, higher efficiency, and cost productive. Personally I see a BETTER opportunity that's available that would boost an already stagnant and crippled economy, as well as cut the responsibilty of further DEBT to the Federal Government.

Despite the current hatred of the government and its programs, the post office is necessary for official government correspondence and to maintain contact with all of its citizens. It's also a national security issue, and for the same reason we shouldn't have a private army, would also should not cede the postal service to private industry. Electronic communication can and does fail, and in a national emergency, the government needs infrastructure in place to communicate. In any case, the problem with the post office could be easily solved by a combination of closing unnecessary offices, restructuring pension and benefit programs, and raising the price of stamps. There is not a private delivery company that would be willing to provide universal delivery to every citizen of the country for 44 cents. Whatever you might think you're saving by not hearing about massive deficits which the taxpayer has to subsidize, you would end up paying in increased postage and fees. And in this case, I don't think the free market will make any difference in the provision of services; providing one price universal access has a cost that the free market would not change. Better to leave these jobs in the government's hands.

With the rate and speed the United States Post Office takes (when compared to Federal Express, CSX, or UPS), what emergency would the government need to provide that only the Post Office can handle? You have delivery systems that go a lot faster than the Postal Service, and I can't find a single case to where Government used the Post Office in that forum that wouldn't be already OUTDATED by todays technology. It's like trying to hold onto the telegraph, because you believe that cell phones won't be able to send a dire emergency message from the government as effectively as they would otherwise. The infrastructure is already there, the transfer would provide plenty of jobs in the private sector through restructuring, and there is no reason (with all the technology available) the government would choose MAIL DELIVERY as their number one method of transporting emergencies of a government matter. You are blowing smoke and making absolutely no sense.

Give me an example of a government emergency that ONLY the United States Postal Service could have the "know how ability" of being able to handle it over anyone else?

 

[ShaklesOfBigGov]

Why not? Which Federal documents that must be sent to citizens could not be handled by private delivery companies?

It's easy to see that some employees may lose their "positions". However CSX is a union centered business as well, and handing over the services to a PRIVATE corporation, may just be the boost for jobs that we need. Someone is going to take the role of restructuring their company and making sure all the necessary business infrastructure is in place to meet with that new role. Yes the United States Postal Service would lose out on government jobs, but it would only transfer that "opportunity" to expand business to create further job creation in the private sector. Private companies, then would push to be more competitive to gain more consumer loyalty, more options, more programs, higher efficiency, and cost productive. Personally I see a BETTER opportunity that's available that would boost an already stagnant and crippled economy, as well as cut the responsibilty of further DEBT to the Federal Government.

Despite the current hatred of the government and its programs, the post office is necessary for official government correspondence and to maintain contact with all of its citizens. It's also a national security issue, and for the same reason we shouldn't have a private army, would also should not cede the postal service to private industry. Electronic communication can and does fail, and in a national emergency, the government needs infrastructure in place to communicate. In any case, the problem with the post office could be easily solved by a combination of closing unnecessary offices, restructuring pension and benefit programs, and raising the price of stamps. There is not a private delivery company that would be willing to provide universal delivery to every citizen of the country for 44 cents. Whatever you might think you're saving by not hearing about massive deficits which the taxpayer has to subsidize, you would end up paying in increased postage and fees. And in this case, I don't think the free market will make any difference in the provision of services; providing one price universal access has a cost that the free market would not change. Better to leave these jobs in the government's hands.

First, a significant portion of our military's efforts here and overseas are already carried out by private contractors. Second, a national security issue? Really? Exactly what kind of national emergency would require the government to send a letter? I'm trying to envision your scenario...nukes have taken New York and LA...and Post Office workers are going to brave the disaster to deliver a message from the White House? Really???

Perhaps he misunderstood and he's making a case to try and have the Federal Government revamp the pony express? After all vehicles today have microchip technology in their engines to make them more efficient, they'd be pretty useless following an electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast.

 

[FA_Q2]

There is not a private delivery company that would be willing to provide universal delivery to every citizen of the country for 44 cents.

Wrong.

The only reason that there is not a service in place for this already is the government has made that illegal. I guarantee that the private sector can accomplish a better system if allowed, they already did so with packages.
HOWEVER
The post office is one of the responsibilities of congress in the constitution so, no, it should not be removed. It still has a use and I can see keeping the post office around so that everyone has access to the mail - something a private company would not do without the post office as a competitor. It needs to be greatly revamped to include benefits and wages of the postal employees, delivery service and total services offered. The post office can still thrive. Above all, congress needs to turn over the general operation of the post office to a single entity that can implement changes on an as needed basis instead of trying to micromanage every single action the post office takes. There should be no debate in congress about whether or not to reduce delivery days. A 'CEO' of the post office should be doing that. Congress can provide oversight and act when they feel the CEO has made an incorrect decision.

 

[BillyV]

With the rate and speed the United States Post Office takes (when compared to Federal Express, CSX, or UPS), what emergency would the government need to provide that only the Post Office can handle? You have delivery systems that go a lot faster than the Postal Service, and I can't find a single case to where Government used the Post Office in that forum that wouldn't be already OUTDATED by todays technology. It's like trying to hold onto the telegraph, because you believe that cell phones won't be able to send a dire emergency message from the government as effectively as they would otherwise. The infrastructure is already there, the transfer would provide plenty of jobs in the private sector through restructuring, and there is no reason (with all the technology available) the government would choose MAIL DELIVERY as their number one method of transporting emergencies of a government matter. You are blowing smoke and making absolutely no sense.

Give me an example of a government emergency that ONLY the United States Postal Service could have the "know how ability" of being able to handle it over anyone else?

Well, OK, here’s one that is already in planning. In the event of a biological attack, the Post Office will be charged with delivering “medical countermeasures” on a large scale because it has “the capacity for rapid residential delivery of medical countermeasures for self administration across all communities in the United States.” It has this capacity throughout the entire US because that is what it is designed for: universal service. The executive order for this was signed at the end of 2009.

Executive Order -- Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack | The White House

As for delivering federal as well as other communications in a crisis, no one here believes the country could be subject to a wide area outage of the electrical grid by a terrorist attack or natural disaster or a crippling cyber attack that would knock out your electronic communications for an extended period?
It’s hard for me to believe that you want your private mail, health records, tax returns etc. handled by a for-profit company, anyway; good grief, all the fuss about the evil corporations, and then you want to hand over your absentee ballot to a private company? Are you at least going to make sure the majority shareholder isn’t tied to Hamas or Al Qaeda? And yes, there are votes held that are monitored by private CPA firms, but those are only trusted because of the individuals involved; high level professionals with a license on the line. None of them will be delivering mail anytime soon, I assure you, nor could you afford the stamp.

 

[BillyV]

There is not a private delivery company that would be willing to provide universal delivery to every citizen of the country for 44 cents.

Wrong.

The only reason that there is not a service in place for this already is the government has made that illegal. I guarantee that the private sector can accomplish a better system if allowed, they already did so with packages.

The private sector delivery services don't go everywhere the Post Office is required to go, and they get to charge a lot more than 44 cents. They have succeeded in large measure because they are able to decide where they will and will not go. It is certainly possible that a private company could provide the same universal service for a comparable price; while I haven't seen any evidence of it and I tend to doubt it, I'm certainly open to hearing why you think so. And of course you're right, they are not allowed to try under current law.

 

[eflatminor]

In the event of a biological attack, the Post Office will be charged with delivering “medical countermeasures” on a large scale...

Well I feel better! Maybe they can get the good folks at the DMV to help out. Talk about a motivated workforce. Please.

 

[The T]

Post office is a legitimate function of the Government. It should be restructured...and brought into the 21st century...BY AMENDMENT.

 

[FA_Q2]

There is not a private delivery company that would be willing to provide universal delivery to every citizen of the country for 44 cents.

Wrong.

The only reason that there is not a service in place for this already is the government has made that illegal. I guarantee that the private sector can accomplish a better system if allowed, they already did so with packages.

The private sector delivery services don't go everywhere the Post Office is required to go, and they get to charge a lot more than 44 cents. They have succeeded in large measure because they are able to decide where they will and will not go. It is certainly possible that a private company could provide the same universal service for a comparable price; while I haven't seen any evidence of it and I tend to doubt it, I'm certainly open to hearing why you think so. And of course you're right, they are not allowed to try under current law.

I believe so because they have already tried and were told no because government needs to protect its monopoly. There is also the small fact that just about everything that can be done privately has always outperformed the government. There is no justification for the monopoly that the government currently uses the force of law to create.

As far as I know, you can get a UPS delivery anywhere. Sending might be different but I am not sure of an address that UPS does not send to. It is a misnomer anyway, the guaranteed universal service is one of the reasons that I stated the post office needs to stick around. I think a private company could do better but I don't think there is enough motivation for a private company to guarantee universal service unless the post office is there offering the competition.

 

[FA_Q2]

Post office is a legitimate function of the Government. It should be restructured...and brought into the 21st century...BY AMENDMENT.

Why would that need an amendment? As far as I know, the constitution is extremely vague on what that post office will be. It just stipulates congress has the power to create it.