Postal Service Loses $3.5 Billion in 3rd Quarter

[ord33]

Post office is "free" insofar as equal access, just like police and fire are free, nobody pays extra based on their location. The service itself is not free.

But people do pay more based on their location for police and fire. The local municipalities taxes are typically higher for police forces and fire departments that are larger and for instance would have state of the art equipment, fire/police stations, etc. So people do in fact pay extra based on their location....or less based on their location.

I used to live out in the country - we only had a volunteer fire department. No city taxes, just county property taxes which are extremely low. Also, the only other portion of taxes that would be received would be a portion of the sales tax.

 

[WaltM]

This says it all why USPS should exist. I know the free marketeers gone wild, would say otherwise, but the constitution expressly authorizes USPS.

does that necessarily mean it can ban competition?

That being said, there are things USPS does that causes waste and the losses like the op stated. In good economic times with high volume of mail, it is profitable, like several years ago, in poor economic times, with lower volume of mail, it is not.

Short term adaptation and long term underlying adjustments are different.

Salaries aren't crazy like other public sector workers but their still above comparable positions in the private sector, I believe salaries are capped at a max of a little over $108,000 a year. I am not sure what kind of pensions or other benefits they get, but I am sure they are pretty darn good as my cousin who works for USPS told me the best part of the job were the benefits and job security and pretty good pay.

If pensions and salaries are the only wasted cost, it's easy to solve.

I ship alot of stuff being an internet seller, prices at usps for packages are really getting out of hand, the higher the weight, the better the deal shipping it through a private carrier like ups or fed ex if it won't fit in a flat rate box.

Yeah if.

If you can send it private for cheaper, good for you. Is the speed comparable?

The real problem with USPS is they won't scale back where it counts in lean times like these, they'll make you wait in line 30 minutes to mail a package, but they won't cut salaries, some of the people at your local PO are making $20
+/hr to be a glorified cashier.

Aha! I knew somebody would say this.

They can't be 30 minutes wait every hour of the day. So looks like you and the other guy have complete opposite experiences.

Let them take a 25% pay cut, and if they don't want to, fire them and replace them with me who will be happy to be a glorified cashier with benefits at that rate, since that is 33% more than I make now being an online retailer, without benefits, you won't get that in the private sector as a cashier.

that's good practice and I am for that.

 

[WaltM]

But people do pay more based on their location for police and fire. The local municipalities taxes are typically higher for police forces and fire departments that are larger and for instance would have state of the art equipment, fire/police stations, etc. So people do in fact pay extra based on their location....or less based on their location.

I used to live out in the country - we only had a volunteer fire department. No city taxes, just county property taxes which are extremely low. Also, the only other portion of taxes that would be received would be a portion of the sales tax.

$12k more?

or how much more?

 

[buffalokid777]

does that necessarily mean it can ban competition?

No, I think competition should be allowed, but with private companies not being able to ship to usps po boxes, I think that's ok, private companies have their own postal boxes, it is a property rights issue.

Yeah if.

If you can send it private for cheaper, good for you. Is the speed comparable?

Yes speed is comparable when comparing UPS ground vs USPS parcel post with the edge to UPS ground at a better price. Once you hit over 50lbs for a package, fed ex is best for freight rate

Aha! I knew somebody would say this.

They can't be 30 minutes wait every hour of the day. So looks like you and the other guy have complete opposite experiences.

you are correct on that, it is not a 30 minute wait every hour of the day on the USPS PO closest to me. If I go on Saturday, it is usually 2-10 minutes, on a weekday in the city of buffalo 15-40 minutes. In the suburb of Buffalo known as Williamsville on the way to my mom's house on a weekday it is usually 5-10 minutes. I definitely notice that wealthier neighborhoods have better USPS staffing and service than in poorer ones, as I have shipped many packages in many different places in the Buffalo metro area, because if i need to go somewhere on any given day for something besides shipping packages, I will look for a USPS office along my path of travel.

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

How much were the shipping costs?

Give an example.

USPS tracking code is only 50 cents extra.

Can your private shipping company deliver a book for under $5, in 2 days?

Or, within a week, cheaper than First Class mail?

Don't be dense. It doesn't cost 5$. Sure, it may be what you paid at the counter, but that's only because others have paid for you -- ergo, the price of the USPS is far greater than what they charge to users. How about they stop getting any government assistance and we will see the true cost of the USPS and let me assure you, it will be far higher than any private sector equivalents. Besides, Lysander Spooner showed how inept the USPS was in the 1850s and they shut him down, because he was destroying the USPS through competition.

Anyways, I think I'll put you on ignore with Galileo. You are both epic trolls.

PS: Tracking (Delivery Confirmation) is 1.20$ish @ USPS.

 

[silverhandorder]

Why do people argue with WaltM? He wants you to pay for his shit there is very little room to discuss anything. It is like a thief telling you to give him your money. You either agree or don't. You are not going to convince him that he really does not want your money. You are not going to make him realize how in the long run he is hurting him self.

 

[WaltM]

Why do people argue with WaltM? He wants you to pay for his shit there is very little room to discuss anything. It is like a thief telling you to give him your money. You either agree or don't. You are not going to convince him that he really does not want your money. You are not going to make him realize how in the long run he is hurting him self.

I don't want people to pay for my shit.

I'm the only person who actually doesn't believe in rights, yet I'm called a socialist.

Ask yourself, not what you prefer, not what's moral, but are societies better when there is a healthy infrastructure, or not?

 

[WaltM]

Don't be dense. It doesn't cost 5$. Sure, it may be what you paid at the counter, but that's only because others have paid for you -- ergo, the price of the USPS is far greater than what they charge to users.

So if a person being alive in another part of the city has a cost to me, I should eliminate him?

How about they stop getting any government assistance and we will see the true cost of the USPS and let me assure you, it will be far higher than any private sector equivalents.

Just like i can assure you our country would be more prosperous and healthy if less people were alive, so what?

Besides, Lysander Spooner showed how inept the USPS was in the 1850s and they shut him down, because he was destroying the USPS through competition.

Anyways, I think I'll put you on ignore with Galileo. You are both epic trolls.

PS: Tracking (Delivery Confirmation) is 1.20$ish @ USPS.

that's not true. I deal with delivery confirmation on a near daily basis.

it's 75 cents with first class, 65 cents or less with Priority, even less online.

 

[angelatc]

I don't think it matters on our end.

They just worry about making it to the shore, the rest is taken care of usually in bulk, unless they paid for expedition.

if that's so, who's investing in chinese yuan?

I have no idea who investing in the yuan, but they only recently allowed to to float, and it is still very controlled. : http://www.forexrazor.com/Analysis/...4/Why-Chinas-Unpegging-of-Yuan-Is-a-Sham.aspx

And I don't understand how they can ship anything that size for $1.88, bulk or not. Unless I don't understand what bulk means, which is a possibility here.


I really don't understand how they can make, package, and ship that thing across the ocean for $1.88.

 

[Disconsolate]

The real question is if coercion is involved. If things are voluntary I have no issue with them.

You can't steal from one person to give to another and objectively say we're better off. Even if it's to a puppy farm creating jobs for homeless people.

 

[tpreitzel]

So if a person being alive in another part of the city has a cost to me, I should eliminate him?

Oh dear God ... Hilariously irrelevant! Hardy har har ... ! Choice!

Just like i can assure you our country would be more prosperous and healthy if less people were alive, so what?

Double Choice! I can't stop laughing! Hehehe ...

 

[silverhandorder]

I don't want people to pay for my shit.

I'm the only person who actually doesn't believe in rights, yet I'm called a socialist.

Ask yourself, not what you prefer, not what's moral, but are societies better when there is a healthy infrastructure, or not?

I don't believe in rights either. I do believe in the fact that I want to pay less taxes.

Infrastructure is better then no infrastructure. However the fact is that for the past 50 years we spent very little on infrastructure. Another fact that you keep ignoring is that all crucial infrastructure has been done by the private sector before. What you are afraid is that you may end up being one of those that can not afford it. That does not mean the rest of us are worse off.

 

[WaltM]

I have no idea who investing in the yuan, but they only recently allowed to to float, and it is still very controlled. : http://www.forexrazor.com/Analysis/...4/Why-Chinas-Unpegging-of-Yuan-Is-a-Sham.aspx

And I don't understand how they can ship anything that size for $1.88, bulk or not. Unless I don't understand what bulk means, which is a possibility here.

it probably works like this.

they make the price cheap, and collect a big series of orders.

(if there's not enough, they refund you and forget about it).

if there's a big number, they ship it in bulk to a US distributor, who then ships it domestically. this might sound like it's 2 processes, but there's probably a magic threshold number that makes it work.

I really don't understand how they can make, package, and ship that thing across the ocean for $1.88.

oh, they can make the product for less than 50 cents, won't surprise me.
shipping about a dollar, if it's the slowest method.

 

[WaltM]

I don't believe in rights either. I do believe in the fact that I want to pay less taxes.

Infrastructure is better then no infrastructure. However the fact is that for the past 50 years we spent very little on infrastructure. Another fact that you keep ignoring is that all crucial infrastructure has been done by the private sector before. What you are afraid is that you may end up being one of those that can not afford it. That does not mean the rest of us are worse off.

i definitely think I'll be one of those who can't afford to set up infrastructure, and I doubt any pro-privatization people here can either (not that they'd be worse off without it).

 

[silverhandorder]

i definitely think I'll be one of those who can't afford to set up infrastructure, and I doubt any pro-privatization people here can either (not that they'd be worse off without it).

Well then you will just have to vote for w/e socialist that will actually make investments in infrastructure.

 

[WaltM]

Oh dear God ... Hilariously irrelevant! Hardy har har ... ! Choice!

Double Choice! I can't stop laughing! Hehehe ...

she cant stop laughing either
YouTube - ‪Glenn Beck - "Hillary Clinton Laugh Montage" (10/2/07)‬‎

 

[WaltM]

Well then you will just have to vote for w/e socialist that will actually make investments in infrastructure.

and good luck to you finding venture capitalists willing to waste money on it.

 

[tpreitzel]

she cant stop laughing either
YouTube - ‪Glenn Beck - "Hillary Clinton Laugh Montage" (10/2/07)‬‎

Good for you ... You have a future as a career politician, just not in my state.

 

[WaltM]

The real question is if coercion is involved. If things are voluntary I have no issue with them.

You can't steal from one person to give to another and objectively say we're better off. Even if it's to a puppy farm creating jobs for homeless people.

so if nobody wants to voluntary feed a starving a person, our choice to refuse to feed exceeds his right to life, is that correct?

 

[WaltM]

Good for you ... You have a future as a career politician, just not in my county.

no, you're the one who can't stop laughing.

I'm not interested in politics. Thanks for the compliment anyway