Why does Congress insist on destroying the Postal Service?

[Political Junky]

The biggest slap Congress has delivered to the USPS, though, is a 2006 decision to make the agency pre-fund its pensions for 75 years, an onerous burden not required of any other government agency, let alone adopted by any private company. Most of the USPS's losses are caused by this requirement. The other factor is the steady decline in First Class mail, as more people use the internet for routine correspondence.

The Postal Service keeps on coming up with plans to make itself profitable, or a least less unprofitable, and Congress keeps saying no or ignoring the USPS's structural issues

Close the USPS, let UPS and fedex do it. They seem to know how to deliver things all over the world and still make a profit.

Will they deliver a letter from my house to my cousins house in California for 49 cents?

Nope.

 

[Meathead]

USPS is a dinosaur and has little value today and will have even less in the future. The constitution empowers Congress to create it, but does not mandate its existence.

 

[HenryBHough]

Hey, how about we subsidize USPS by slapping a 50-cent charge on each e-mail sent? How could that be done? Simple. By requiring you to go to the post office and buy a sheet of serial-numbered "e-stamps". Then scan one and attach it to every outgoing e-mail. No e-stamp? No delivery. The serialization would prevent re-use and a whole new (unionized) bureaucracy could evolve to inspect each e-mail (closed Saturday and Sunday) before it could be processed. Naturally there'd also have to be an enforcement unit.

The job opportunities would be endless!

 

[edthecynic]

Why does Congress insist on destroying the Postal Service?

That's easy, because the postal workers belong to a UNION!!!!

 

[HenryBHough]

Why does Congress insist on destroying the Postal Service?

That's easy, because the postal workers belong to a UNION!!!!

"Belong" as in "are wholly owned and controlled by.....".

 

[Vox]

Why does Congress insist on destroying the Postal Service?

The USPS ought to be abolished.

Going Postal

Daniel McAdams

The USPS is a Soviet nightmare. Want to rent a P.O. box? Be prepared to fill out an extensive and invasive application form and prove that everything on it is accurate.

People hate the USPS so much they look for any possible alternative. Which is one reason they lose a ton of money. Then come crying to the taxpayer to bail them out.

Just last month the USPS told us they lost $1.9 billion in the second quarter of the year. The Postal Service says it is in desperate need of legislation to help make them “more competitive.” Only government action can make them competitive!

“‘To return the Postal Service to solvency requires a comprehensive approach, which is reflected in our updated Five-Year Business Plan,’ said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe.”

Five year plan? Where have we heard that before? Oh yes…

So now we hear that the same USPS that cannot operate without massive financial losses — even with a monopoly on first class mail delivery — somehow has the resources to photograph the front and back of each piece of mail processed!

They cannot deliver our mail properly, cannot operate at a profit, cannot provide anything resembling customer service beyond the 1950s East Europe model, yet somehow they have unlimited resources to play big brother with all our postal communications."

.

The USPS was founded by Ben Franklin, hardly Soviet.

the idea that something founded by Ben Franklin was later transformed to soviet-like idiocy is beyond a leftard's scope of reasoning.

 

[edthecynic]

Why does Congress insist on destroying the Postal Service?

That's easy, because the postal workers belong to a UNION!!!!

Hey, how about we subsidize USPS by slapping a 50-cent charge on each e-mail sent? How could that be done? Simple. By requiring you to go to the post office and buy a sheet of serial-numbered "e-stamps". Then scan one and attach it to every outgoing e-mail. No e-stamp? No delivery. The serialization would prevent re-use and a whole new (unionized) bureaucracy could evolve to inspect each e-mail (closed Saturday and Sunday) before it could be processed. Naturally there'd also have to be an enforcement unit.

The job opportunities would be endless!

I had not seen this post before I made mine, but it shows I know the Right like the back of my hand!

 

[HenryBHough]

I had not seen this post before I made mine, but it shows I know the Right like the back of my hand!

Why do you so hate job creation?

 

[Meathead]

Close the USPS, let UPS and fedex do it. They seem to know how to deliver things all over the world and still make a profit.

Will they deliver a letter from my house to my cousins house in California for 49 cents?

Nope.

My 85-year old mother is the only one I know who still sends letters. Soon, USPS will only be utilized by junk mail. I hardly think that's a reason for a bloated and costly bureaucracy.

 

[Clementine]

On the bright side, it took waaaayyyy longer for government to ruin the postal service than it did for them to destroy social security and Medicare.

The post office has been hurt by email. Many now receive monthly statements and pay bills online, so no need for stamps. I often use UPS or FedEx for mailing packages because for some items, it's just cheaper.

It sucks what is happening, but not hard to see why.

It's so cute how liberals suddenly quote the constitution. That didn't matter when the Dems passed Obamacare or Obama made recess appointments when congress wasn't in recess. It doesn't matter that federal immigration laws are being ignored or that Obama is unilaterally deciding who can ignore the Obamacare law. Yup, suddenly it matters again.

I also like how liberals act as if Republicans can pass things all by themselves. It gets funnier every day.

 

[HenryBHough]

If junk mail ever stops coming a number of rural families might have to buy coal for their stoves.

Expensive coal.

Then they could march on Washington to demand coal stamps!

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I agree with the OP 100%....having said that...it's other problem is a nightmarish bureaucratic attitude among postal managers. Particularly SCF and BMC managers who believe enforcing rules is more important than anything else they do - including running an efficient center.
They are not there to serve you - they see themselves more like a police officer. There to ensure every rule is followed regardless how mundane and pointless it may be, or how delaying a piece may be costing a business $10's or even $100's of thousands of dollars.
Businesses are climbing over themselves to find alternate ways to reach potential customers. All to avoid the high cost and high demands of the USPS.

 

[Papageorgio]

Will they deliver a letter from my house to my cousins house in California for 49 cents?

Nope.

My 85-year old mother is the only one I know who still sends letters. Soon, USPS will only be utilized by junk mail. I hardly think that's a reason for a bloated and costly bureaucracy.

Years ago, I got all my bills and letters and junk mail from the USPS. Today, I get only junk mail from the USPS. It waste paper and is environmentally unfriendly. I think it is time to rethink the USPS, and how it conducts business. It reminds me of IBM, it failed to change.

 

[DiamondDave]

The constitution ALLOWS for the postal service.. but it is more of a drain on the government and our country than ever.. it has become the same as it's parent (the federal government) full of red tape, multi-levels of shit, useless expenses and high spending, and about as clueless to what is needed as can be

If it is to be kept, it should be audited, streamlined, and made to be competitive with the private sector offerings WITHOUT being fed money from taxpayers.. if it cannot be, efforts should be made to retire it, just as other government agencies have been retired or modified in the past... hell, MANY agencies should be retired, but that is another story

 

[Contumacious]

The constitution ALLOWS for the postal service..y

But does NOT mandates a government run Post Office.

.

 

[Yurt]

99% of my mail is junk

fix that first and the USPS might stay alive

 

[rightwinger]

Nope.

My 85-year old mother is the only one I know who still sends letters. Soon, USPS will only be utilized by junk mail. I hardly think that's a reason for a bloated and costly bureaucracy.

Years ago, I got all my bills and letters and junk mail from the USPS. Today, I get only junk mail from the USPS. It waste paper and is environmentally unfriendly. I think it is time to rethink the USPS, and how it conducts business. It reminds me of IBM, it failed to change.

Congress will not allow the Postal Service to change with the times

 

[Harry Dresden]

Why does Congress insist on destroying the Postal Service? - The Week

The $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill expected to clear Congress this week has a little something for just about everyone — except postal workers. Tucked in among the bill's 1,582 pages are instructions to the U.S. Postal Service "that 6-day delivery and rural delivery of mail shall continue at not less than the 1983 level." Also, "none of the funds provided in this Act shall be used to consolidate or close small rural and other small post offices in fiscal year 2014."

The marching orders from Congress wouldn't be so bad if lawmakers "had decided to appropriate money to keep rural post offices open" or offset the costs of Saturday delivery, says Slate's Matthew Yglesias. "But Congress in its wisdom has not delivered any money."

And that pretty much encapsulates the troubled relationship between Congress and the USPS. Lawmakers want the Postal Service to run itself like a for-profit business, but they retain the right of final say over all its major business decisions. The USPS is legally obligated to serve every address in the U.S. and its territories, but it can't set its own prices, decide where to expand or cut its operations, or make other basic business decisions.

they can up to a certain point.....

 

[Harry Dresden]

The biggest slap Congress has delivered to the USPS, though, is a 2006 decision to make the agency pre-fund its pensions for 75 years, an onerous burden not required of any other government agency, let alone adopted by any private company. Most of the USPS's losses are caused by this requirement. The other factor is the steady decline in First Class mail, as more people use the internet for routine correspondence.

The Postal Service keeps on coming up with plans to make itself profitable, or a least less unprofitable, and Congress keeps saying no or ignoring the USPS's structural issues

yep and they own the place...and yet they helped Private Companies they dont own....like GM......

 

[Harry Dresden]

It is right in the constitution and the founders were willing to fully pay for it with government.


this one issue alone proves the cons dont give a rats ass about the constitution and the founders

the Cons?.....you do realize that 2 Democrats Co-Sponsored that bill that made them have to pay that 5 Billion Dollars right?.....2 out of 3 co-sponsors...Democrats....