The USPS is good and necessary

[Gulo Blue]

The more I think about the post office, the more I like it - in terms of a nostalgic, good ol' days, conservative, make America great again, Normal Rockwell-esque view of the past, the USPS is the best and we really should cough up the annual subsidy, if needed, to keep it going.



People that want to kill it are anti-American, Soviet bootlickers.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I write letters frequently. I still mail in a couple of bills. The demise of personal, hand-written communication is yet another sign of the de-humanization of mankind. If that option to mail communications is denied us, it will not, IMO, be accidental nor beneficial to humanity. There is information all over the internet on the benefits of hand-written letters. And writing a letter and scanning it is not comparable.

I will not be anymore dependent on the internet than necessary, which is already way too much. 3.8 billion people have "Smart" Phones. 254 million Americans estimated. They look at them an average of 47 times a day in the U.S.

How long have ordinary people been corresponding with hand written and delivered communications - 200 years? 300 years?

Over a 5000 year history of humanity?

 

[Mitchrapp]

And there's nothing like getting a letter in the mail. Certainly beats an email.

 

[byco42]

How long have ordinary people been corresponding with hand written and delivered communications - 200 years? 300 years?

Over a 5000 year history of humanity?

The answer is probably somewhere in here. And here.

(With apologies to Google Analytics)

That something is a relatively recent enhancement is not a determinant of whether or not it's presence or absence is beneficial nor detrimental. Anyone who discounts the benefits of writing and mailing letters and that being prevented from this practice is harmful, well, I'll just remind my representative with a letter to preserve the USPS, if only for that reason alone.

 

[tinselwolverine]

And there's nothing like getting a letter in the mail. Certainly beats an email.

Yeah, but it doesn?t beat an all expenses (including hookers and the first 25 K in gambling losses) paid weekend in Vegas - it doesn?t even come close.

?Thanks for the letter Aunt Sally happy your hip is healing. Laters, I gotta jet.?


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow7YCgkdN3Y

 

[byco42]

Another important benefit of hand-written mail: it can't be hacked or intercepted. Sure, the recipient can publicize it, but that's another matter altogether.

 

[tomdalton22]

I don't like auto-pay, because I don't like being in the position of having to ask them for my money back when they over-bill me. I want to control when I pay and how much. And I like being able to read paper invoices.

every single bill that I have set up on auto pay has the option of paying it online "manually" every month, so you most likely you would be able to pay exactly what you want. I choose paperless billing...you could still look at your invoice...just print it on a piece of paper.

I get the birthday card thing...some people still like getting cards. My wife sends cards out all of the time. Like I said earlier in the thread...probably not going to do away with the postal service, but certainly streamline it. Cut it down to 2 or 3 days a week. What is the purpose of delivering mail every single day?

 

[Michchamp]

every single bill that I have set up on auto pay has the option of paying it online "manually" every month, so you most likely you would be able to pay exactly what you want. I choose paperless billing...you could still look at your invoice...just print it on a piece of paper.

I get the birthday card thing...some people still like getting cards. My wife sends cards out all of the time. Like I said earlier in the thread...probably not going to do away with the postal service, but certainly streamline it. Cut it down to 2 or 3 days a week. What is the purpose of delivering mail every single day?

What is the purpose of cutting it? It's not losing money, and a lot of people use it. it employs a lot of people with decent jobs around the country, especially in rural areas. And just because you don't need to get mail every day, doesn't mean there aren't other businesses and jobs that depend on it.

there are so many intangible benefits to regular mail service... (that's why we have a USPS in the first place).

it's bizarre we live in a country that has gotten so corrupt, every public good is on the table for some profiteer to seize and cut up for his own benefit.

It's really gross. The guys that push this crap - defunding public goods for their own private benefit are mutants... completely deformed human beings. They should be pilloried for it. Too bad they work to gut the press so we can't hear about it.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Is the USPS even controversial?

If it is, I had no idea.

I’ve thought it was a proud and respected American institution.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aeqOkYDqNw8
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gOl19-30dPg

 

[Gulo Blue]

Is the USPS even controversial?

If it is, I had no idea.

I’ve thought it was a proud and respected American institution.

It's partisan now. Good for America, so the Russians have convinced the far right it's bad.

 

[tinselwolverine]

What is the purpose of cutting it? It's not losing money, and a lot of people use it. it employs a lot of people with decent jobs around the country, especially in rural areas. And just because you don't need to get mail every day, doesn't mean there aren't other businesses and jobs that depend on it.

there are so many intangible benefits to regular mail service... (that's why we have a USPS in the first place).

it's bizarre we live in a country that has gotten so corrupt, every public good is on the table for some profiteer to seize and cut up for his own benefit.

It's really gross. The guys that push this crap - defunding public goods for their own private benefit are mutants... completely deformed human beings. They should be pilloried for it. Too bad they work to gut the press so we can't hear about it.

I get my Netflix regularly in my mailbox.

Man, I must be living with my head in a hole.

I had no idea that this is a real thing.

 

[tomdalton22]

What is the purpose of cutting it? It's not losing money, and a lot of people use it. it employs a lot of people with decent jobs around the country, especially in rural areas. And just because you don't need to get mail every day, doesn't mean there aren't other businesses and jobs that depend on it.

there are so many intangible benefits to regular mail service... (that's why we have a USPS in the first place).

it's bizarre we live in a country that has gotten so corrupt, every public good is on the table for some profiteer to seize and cut up for his own benefit.

Didn't they lose $8.8B last year?

According to google, it was originally created to send letters back to England. I suppose it was also a good way to communicate with people over a long distance. Back in the 1700's, if I wanted to communicate with you and you were in TX, I suppose I would have sent you a letter. Now, I can jump on this message board and you will get my thoughts in a matter of seconds. I would have to guess is if they had the internet back then, most of the colonists would have just sent emails to England.

I guess they do create some good paying jobs. The guy down the street from me was a mail carrier. He would cut his grass during his shift. My current mail carrier takes a nap in her postal vehicle around the corner from my house almost every day. She may be on her break though...I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. My UPS driver runs down my driveway to put packages on my porch, then runs back to his truck.

Some other facts I learned. The USPS uses over 150M gallons of fuel every year. Maybe by only delivering 2 or 3 days a week they would reduce that cost. Of course, I really do NEED my valpack coupon book delivered today!

 

[Gulo Blue]

How many billions are in the USPS pension and health care funds now? I wonder if any part of this is an effort to break the USPS so the fund can be raided.

 

[tomdalton22]

I just heard the truck that delivers my mail drive by. I'm going to see what I got. Probably some really important stuff.

Got it. Some really important stuff.

First item. A large tri fold flyer advertising the local vocational school (for high school students). Our youngest child graduated in June. Landfill.

A letter letting me know that the Sirius XM expired on our 2010 Dodge Ram. I sold that vehicle 3 years ago.

Another ad for the local appliance store.

That's it. No birthday cards, no letters from long lost friends, no bills...just junk.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I just heard the truck that delivers my mail drive by. I'm going to see what I got. Probably some really important stuff.

Got it. Some really important stuff.

First item. A large tri fold flyer advertising the local vocational school (for high school students). Our youngest child graduated in June. Landfill.

A letter letting me know that the Sirius XM expired on our 2010 Dodge Ram. I sold that vehicle 3 years ago.

Another ad for the local appliance store.

That's it. No birthday cards, no letters from long lost friends, no bills...just junk.

There was a day when the arrival of parcels was a source of great joy and glee.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g8LHlJSBkg0

 

[Mitchrapp]

There was a day when the arrival of parcels was a source of great joy and glee.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g8LHlJSBkg0

I thought this was a goof ad at one point until I saw people I recognized.

 

[Michchamp]

There was a day when the arrival of parcels was a source of great joy and glee.

Yeah, but that's only acceptable because Wells Fargo is a privately held company... so ... you know... they're "more efficient than government"

Tough to square that with things like this, but whatevs...

 

[Michchamp]

Didn't they lose $8.8B last year?

...

You missed the part of them being sandbagged by having to fund their entire health benefits pension funds up front. Take that arbitrary requirement away, and they make money. they efficiently deliver our mail for cheap. That's their job.



Government services don't "lose" money... we get what we pay for.

 

[turok]

If you believe that, why even have a government? For profit corporations should own and run everything.

That's kinda the drift I'm getting...but for a more detailed list, just check out the late David Koch's Libertarian platform from 1980 when he ran as VP.


Of course we will ignore the part where an unlimited amount of privatized "carriers" working PT/temp for peanuts will have access to your mailbox/porch/door slot, and jam or dump all kinds of crap in/on it, some while scoping out your digs for potential home invasions or robbery.


Or the Office of the Inspector General, who "used" to investigate wire/mail fraud among other criminal activities involving mail bombs, poison, toxins, chemicals, and the like.


Or the fact that the mails, parcels, and packages will no longer be under federal jurisdiction or theft/assaults on postal property/employees a federal felony.

Or the postal police...who will no longer check for illegal items like drugs and booze being sent through the mail, or theft by postal employees.




But hey...the most interesting things that would happen if the USPS is broken up, privatized, and sold off piecemeal to competitors is that they would have absolutely no incentive to cooperate with other competitors in pricing, collection, transport, transfer, and delivery btw adjoining, parallel, separate, or intersecting boundaries of their territories. And 3rd Class (Bulk) mailers who currently save MILLIONS of $$$ from postage discounts monthly from the USPS for their COMPLETELY unnecessary presorting of their mail, before it gets unsorted @ USPS mail processing centers. There is NO WAY that for profits will permit that, Bulk Mailers' DC lobby or not!!






Hell...privatize the Armed Forces too, b/c if anything is bloated and wasteful, the DoD/MIC sure is!! Couldn't pass their very first audit! Almost 3/4 Trillion a year budget...that's just obscene!!


I'm sure that Eric Prince could run a tighter and leaner operation than that!!:tup:

The Cold War went virtual over a decade ago, and some don't seem to care that we are so vulnerable to attacks by Cosshackers/Sinopens....cough...MoscowMitch...cough..LeningradLindsey...cough...TsarTrumpov...cough...BorshtBarr...

 

[tinselwolverine]

That's kinda the drift I'm getting...but for a more detailed list, just check out the late David Koch's Libertarian platform from 1980 when he ran as VP.


Of course we will ignore the part where an unlimited amount of privatized "carriers" working PT/temp for peanuts will have access to your mailbox/porch/door slot, and jam or dump all kinds of crap in/on it, some while scoping out your digs for potential home invasions or robbery.


Or the Office of the Inspector General, who "used" to investigate wire/mail fraud among other criminal activities involving mail bombs, poison, toxins, chemicals, and the like.


Or the fact that the mails, parcels, and packages will no longer be under federal jurisdiction or theft/assaults on postal property/employees a federal felony.

Or the postal police...who will no longer check for illegal items like drugs and booze being sent through the mail, or theft by postal employees.




But hey...the most interesting things that would happen if the USPS is broken up, privatized, and sold off piecemeal to competitors is that they would have absolutely no incentive to cooperate with other competitors in pricing, collection, transport, transfer, and delivery btw adjoining, parallel, separate, or intersecting boundaries of their territories. And 3rd Class (Bulk) mailers who currently save MILLIONS of $$$ from postage discounts monthly from the USPS for their COMPLETELY unnecessary presorting of their mail, before it gets unsorted @ USPS mail processing centers. There is NO WAY that for profits will permit that, Bulk Mailers' DC lobby or not!!






Hell...privatize the Armed Forces too, b/c if anything is bloated and wasteful, the DoD/MIC sure is!! Couldn't pass their very first audit! Almost 3/4 Trillion a year budget...that's just obscene!!


I'm sure that Eric Prince could run a tighter and leaner operation than that!!:tup:

The Cold War went virtual over a decade ago, and some don't seem to care that we are so vulnerable to attacks by Cosshackers/Sinopens....cough...MoscowMitch...cough..LeningradLindsey...cough...TsarTrumpov...cough...BorshtBarr...

I?m pretty sure you can mail booze.

Just can?t mail it to a minor.