Postal Service warns of default, bleeds money

USPS posts net loss of $5.7 billion for nine-month period

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service posted a net loss of $3.1 billion in its third quarter and warned again it would default on payments to the federal government if Congress did not step in.

The mail carrier, which does not get taxpayer funds, has struggled to overhaul its business as mail volumes fall. It has said personnel costs weigh heavily and is facing a massive retiree health benefit prepayment next month.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking the link below.
Link to Article

So here is my take on this. Since the U.S. Postal Service isn't funded by taxpayer dollars we the people have the responsibility to help them out. Okay, hear me out here because I have a plan that just might work if enough people take action and we will not pay one cent.

You know all those annoying credit card applications, insurance applications and so on that we receive in the mail? Of course you do. Well, each and everyone of them come with a pre-paid return envelope for you to send back your information. I've never seen anything that says we are not permitted to send back an empty envelope.

The banks are already putting it to us all with ungodly high interest rates so I say, let's redirect some of that money and send the banks their envelops back to them one by one. Thus helping out the Postal Service.

The banks are already getting a lower bulk mail rate so the cost to them per envelop is pennies compared to what we pay for postage. ----- I put that in there just in case someone is feeling bad for the banks that rob each of us everyday.

Thoughts?

reply to post by KnightFire


I didn't know the Post Office didn't get tax payer funds? Really? I'd vote on a Post Office bailout before I'd bail out any Too Big to Fail Banks. Let them fail, they are fail, but we need our post office!

Originally posted by KnightFire

The mail carrier, which does not get taxpayer funds, has struggled to overhaul its business as mail volumes fall. It has said personnel costs weigh heavily and is facing a massive retiree health benefit prepayment next month.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking the link below.
Link to Article

So here is my take on this. Since the U.S. Postal Service isn't funded by taxpayer dollars we the people have the responsibility to help them out. Okay, hear me out here because I have a plan that just might work if enough people take action and we will not pay one cent.

Not you but the quoted info is somewhat misleading, my ex wife is a postal carrier, and from what she says, only the carriers themselves are not paid from taxpayer funds. However, defaulting on loans from the fed government does in fact mean the tax payers are footing the bill, just on the back end.

You know all those annoying credit card applications, insurance applications and so on that we receive in the mail? Of course you do. Well, each and everyone of them come with a pre-paid return envelope for you to send back your information. I've never seen anything that says we are not permitted to send back an empty envelope.

Again, the ex does much the same thing, she orders catalogue after catalogue, I personally get about 15 different ones that she has ordered in my name for my daughter to enjoy browsing when she is here.

Originally posted by Swills
reply to post by KnightFire

 

I didn't know the Post Office didn't get tax payer funds? Really? I'd vote on a Post Office bailout before I'd bail out any Too Big to Fail Banks. Let them fail, they are fail, but we need our post office!

edit on 5-8-2011 by Swills because: (no reason given)

The carriers pay comes from the sale of stamps, its all the other crap the tax payers pay for.

reply to post by Swills


Let failing business plans FAIL! No bailout, no Congressional support, nothing! What does the USPS do anyway? They deliver junk mail. That's about it. They can raise the cost of postage, and raise the cost of junk mail, and streamline operations, and survive, or they can go out of business.

I like their shipping costs, they are a little better than FedEx or UPS in my opinion, but that is probably why they are failing.

Most things are going paperless, so why dump money into a doomed endeavor?

This is a CAPITALIST society. We don't bail out bad plans, we let the market take care of it, and we let newer, more innovative businesses replace the old failing ones. We reward companies that make a profit and find creative solutions.

We cannot continue to reward the businesses that are making bad decisions and failing.

Sure, people will lose their jobs, and those people will be the innovators that fill the void when this business fails.

How the hell can they afford someone who just
drops letters in your mail box full benefits, with healthcare
pensions for retirement, matching 401k's...

IT IS A SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN MILKED..

They are not worth 20 dollars an hour....

Originally posted by NuroSlam

Originally posted by KnightFire

The mail carrier, which does not get taxpayer funds, has struggled to overhaul its business as mail volumes fall. It has said personnel costs weigh heavily and is facing a massive retiree health benefit prepayment next month.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking the link below.
Link to Article

So here is my take on this. Since the U.S. Postal Service isn't funded by taxpayer dollars we the people have the responsibility to help them out. Okay, hear me out here because I have a plan that just might work if enough people take action and we will not pay one cent.

Not you but the quoted info is somewhat misleading, my ex wife is a postal carrier, and from what she says, only the carriers themselves are not paid from taxpayer funds. However, defaulting on loans from the fed government does in fact mean the tax payers are footing the bill, just on the back end.

You know all those annoying credit card applications, insurance applications and so on that we receive in the mail? Of course you do. Well, each and everyone of them come with a pre-paid return envelope for you to send back your information. I've never seen anything that says we are not permitted to send back an empty envelope.

Again, the ex does much the same thing, she orders catalogue after catalogue, I personally get about 15 different ones that she has ordered in my name for my daughter to enjoy browsing when she is here.

Yes, I agree! The article was misleading for me as well because I have always thought the taxpayers funded the Postal Service. Also, thank you for the knowledge about how the carriers get paid.

They are failing because they pay way to much, and the benefits are outrageous, if they changed some of these packages like other companies they could become profitable in my opinion, but then that just screws the workers, fire whos ever in charge of the finances cus damn they truely suck at their job. Course this is all screwed up by their union sooo cant do much there. Let it fail, ups and fed ex are good enough

As a side note: when they say going postal, they are not referring to the carriers, they get to get out of the nightmare to do their job. It's always the clerks who loss it.

reply to post by hillynilly

They are not worth 20 dollars an hour....

I believe that that is their starting wage. It is more in the $30 an hour range.

A friend of mine works for the PO and he started at 18 something an hour.....That is Starting

There are always several supervisors standing around our post office. I know because I worked at the local news paper and delivered the mail papers almost daily. 2 or 3 people making $40 an hour to stand around is bad business. They could trim costs by cutting wages a hair and eliminate a few positions.

I do not feel sorry for their poor business practices..

Originally posted by liejunkie01
reply to post by hillynilly

 

They are not worth 20 dollars an hour....

I believe that that is their starting wage. It is more in the $30 an hour range.

A friend of mine works for the PO and he started at 18 something an hour.....That is Starting

There are always several supervisors standing around our post office. I know because I worked at the local news paper and delivered the mail papers almost daily. 2 or 3 people making $40 an hour to stand around is bad business. They could trim costs by cutting wages a hair and eliminate a few positions.

I do not feel sorry for their poor business practices..

I am glad someone
totally understands
my posts. =)

Seems like a scam to me....
USPS has raises rates probably once or twice every year for at least 5 years now it seems like.
Then with more people unemployed, you would think theres alot more people
selling stuff online wether it be personal items to make the mortgage, or trying to start a new income because
they can't get work elsewhere.

Great idea sending in postage paid envelopes.
I would take it a step further and glue the envelope to a brick,
Or some other heavy object. Isn't the postage paid by weight?
Perhaps if these companies get enough bricks they will take your name off if the junkmail list
Just a thought.

do we really need mail delivered 6 days a week?

couldn't half of employees be sufficient and each address get mail twice a week?

I utterly hate the USPS, let them fail, already, that affirmative action Pony Express. I'll never forget, after having been out of touch with my family for 9 years, then finally when I'm back in touch and I send my mother a six dollar express letter, (I even forget what those are called exactly, now) it --vanishes-- , and she finally recieved it 6 months later, there was no telling where it'd been, while we were trying to officially track it down. Then another time, my mother sent in a snailmail bill payment (money order) and it was stolen. All my utility bill payments and banking are now done online. To hell with them [slur]

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by Swills

 

I like their shipping costs, they are a little better than FedEx or UPS in my opinion, but that is probably why they are failing.

Sure, people will lose their jobs, and those people will be the innovators that fill the void when this business fails.

The USPS isn't making the money they once did, because people can send an e-mail, instead of writing a letter. Companies can send out news letters via e-mail and so on. At one time the USPS made so much profit they'd throw extravagant parties for the employees. Those are bygone days now.

it makes sense, however its better than Canada Post, they went on strike, lots of lost money, people getting billed late, etc etc due to unions. I don't trust them for anything.

The constitution requires a postal service, so it would take a constitutional amendment to get rid of it. Long story short i wouldnt hold my breath waiting on that.

Originally posted by rebeldog
do we really need mail delivered 6 days a week?

couldn't half of employees be sufficient and each address get mail twice a week?

My ex informed me this week they are considering going to 3 days a week. It also seems that a lot of the things that the carriers union was able to stop are no longer stoppable, like carriers losing there jobs for at fault auto accidents.

Originally posted by system.robot
Great idea sending in postage paid envelopes.
I would take it a step further and glue the envelope to a brick,
Or some other heavy object. Isn't the postage paid by weight?
Perhaps if these companies get enough bricks they will take your name off if the junkmail list
Just a thought.

Thanks! I've actually been doing this for years because all their junk mail pisses me off. I figure the banks and other companies have an adverstising / marketing budget and it wouldn't hurt them to help others without really knowing they're helping them.