USPS woes :(

[bubbie]

It's not a business. It's a public service. Like the military.

I agree, completely. There is no reason it should be stuck in times, however. Efficiencies can be found and they should be implemented.

Just to give a bit more information. A lot of towns in the USA have laws about mailboxes, and how they can be in the community. Some places outlaw mailboxes at the front of the road.

Interesting. I know some neighbourhoods have a dedicated space for them that is not right on the the side of the road, more like a drive-in/walk-in type space.

Also, I should have been more clear. I said for years, but this is not true for the entire country. The community box program was mainly rolled out during Harper (conservative) government and the door delivery was slowly being eliminated since. However, all new developments, as far as I know, started going this way before Harper. When Trudeau came in the office, the program has been halted, if I remember correctly, which is a shame, IMO. So there is still mail being delivered door to door in urban Canada (much of rural population hasn’t seen too many changes). Of course, it came with job losses, which many opposed, obviously. There were cries about mail being privatized and the like, but here were are, the world didn’t end and Canada Post is still a Crown corporation, as it should be.

It is $0.55 in the U.S. to send a letter domestically. Bear in mind that a letter in the U.S. may travel over 4000 km to its destination.

Our current rates are 97 cents if you buy your stamps in bulk or $1.07 for a single stamp.

From Wikipedia: In terms of area serviced, Canada Post delivers to a larger area than the postal service of any other nation, including Russia (where service in Siberia is limited largely to communities along the railway).

$1.05 for a domestic letter in the Netherlands and $1.75 for a letter within Europe.
FWIW, I find domestic kind of expensive!

How much is it in the States again?

I am wondering, do you have mail delivered on weekends and do you have door-to-door delivery?

[bubbie]

Untie USPS from congress (that’s common sense, IMO), increase stamp prices, cancel weekend mail delivery, put neighbourhood boxes in place and get rid off to-the-door delivery with the exception of larger packages. That would be a start.

It doesn't have to be profitable though, it's a public service. If we can afford what we spend on bombs and tanks we can certainly afford to pay the people that provide the service that everyone uses.

Forgot to add to this. While this is a service that everyone uses, the money can also go towards building a road, a bridge, a hospital, funding education, etc. $2B (and more before that) is a big chunk of change for public sector to loose, no matter where you are from.

[jjttdw]

It is $0.55 in the U.S. to send a letter domestically. Bear in mind that a letter in the U.S. may travel over 4000 km to its destination.

Our current rates are 97 cents if you buy your stamps in bulk or $1.07 for a single stamp.

From Wikipedia: In terms of area serviced, Canada Post delivers to a larger area than the postal service of any other nation, including Russia (where service in Siberia is limited largely to communities along the railway).

Larger area but fewer people than in California. Has Canada Post retired their sled dogs?

[fallstaff]

My recollection from news reporting over the years is that due to Republican hostility towards unionized postal workers (and presumably the living wage it provides) many Repubs have made a dedicated effort to derail other revenue streams like copy machines that could help the PO operate in the black.

Also the usage of the term “efficiency” in Capitalist doctrine is a highly-coded term that doesn’t carry over very well into a public service economy. One of the most important benefits of the PO is its willingness (and mandate) to be “inefficient.” For instance if a public transit system is privatized, that firm will quickly identify inefficient routes with low ridership and move to cut back service, more than likely in a low income neighborhoods that relies on that service.

I think a strong and solvent post office is vital to a strong and thriving democracy.

[35mmpaul]

reducing days and limiting where postal works drop off things isn't 'efficient' it's limiting to what people actually need.

'efficient' would be having a robust workforce that can handle the load.

more fuel efficient vehicles, better website (this is something they have improved on). more locations for dropping off and picking up mail.

reducing when and where mail is delivered isn't helping anyone. except some some bottom line that doesn't need to exists because its a public service people the world over use.

the only advantage for fedex and ups is they have is that they might call me when they are outside. plenty of issues with the way they deliver things.

[aldo]

Forgot to add to this. While this is a service that everyone uses, the money can also go towards building a road, a bridge, a hospital, funding education, etc. $2B (and more before that) is a big chunk of change for public sector to loose, no matter where you are from.

$2b is .0004% of the US government's budget each year. It's a rounding error.

We have 10 new Nimitz-class aircraft carriers planned for the future. We have 10 currently active. They cost $9 billion each. Cancel two of the planned ones and we're good on the USPS for the next decade and we'll still have 18 aircraft carriers for all the naval battles we do nowadays.

[mobius006]

My recollection from news reporting over the years is that due to Republican hostility towards unionized postal workers (and presumably the living wage it provides) many Repubs have made a dedicated effort to derail other revenue streams like copy machines that could help the PO operate in the black.

Also the usage of the term “efficiency” in Capitalist doctrine is a highly-coded term that doesn’t carry over very well into a public service economy. One of the most important benefits of the PO is its willingness (and mandate) to be “inefficient.” For instance if a public transit system is privatized, that firm will quickly identify inefficient routes with low ridership and move to cut back service, more than likely in a low income neighborhoods that relies on that service.

I think a strong and solvent post office is vital to a strong and thriving democracy.

this

[35mmpaul]

Forgot to add to this. While this is a service that everyone uses, the money can also go towards building a road, a bridge, a hospital, funding education, etc. $2B (and more before that) is a big chunk of change for public sector to loose, no matter where you are from.

$2b is .0004% of the US government's budget each year. It's a rounding error.

We have 10 new Nimitz-class aircraft carriers planned for the future. We have 10 currently active. They cost $9 billion each. Cancel two of the planned ones and we're good on the USPS for the next decade and we'll still have 18 aircraft carriers for all the naval battles we do nowadays.

i think the navy should only work every other weekend. i mean, who really needs the navy EVERY DAY. they should also just work on lakes. it would be more efficient

[trarex]

I've used 3 stamps this year and 95 percent of the mail i get is junk
Postal service still runs like its the 1950s

[Codeblue]

Yer not doing yer job stimulating the economy then. Do better.

[trarex]

Yer not doing yer job stimulating the economy then. Do better.

Sending and getting packages like everyone theses days .
Thats why they need to play to their strengths

[ygolohcysp]

My recollection from news reporting over the years is that due to Republican hostility towards unionized postal workers (and presumably the living wage it provides) many Repubs have made a dedicated effort to derail other revenue streams like copy machines that could help the PO operate in the black.

Also the usage of the term “efficiency” in Capitalist doctrine is a highly-coded term that doesn’t carry over very well into a public service economy. One of the most important benefits of the PO is its willingness (and mandate) to be “inefficient.” For instance if a public transit system is privatized, that firm will quickly identify inefficient routes with low ridership and move to cut back service, more than likely in a low income neighborhoods that relies on that service.

I think a strong and solvent post office is vital to a strong and thriving democracy.

this

Here here

[fredo]

Forgot to add to this. While this is a service that everyone uses, the money can also go towards building a road, a bridge, a hospital, funding education, etc. $2B (and more before that) is a big chunk of change for public sector to loose, no matter where you are from.

$2b is .0004% of the US government's budget each year. It's a rounding error.

We have 10 new Nimitz-class aircraft carriers planned for the future. We have 10 currently active. They cost $9 billion each. Cancel two of the planned ones and we're good on the USPS for the next decade and we'll still have 18 aircraft carriers for all the naval battles we do nowadays.

i think the navy should only work every other weekend. i mean, who really needs the navy EVERY DAY. they should also just work on lakes. it would be more efficient

Gummint hands offa mah Fleet Week!

[ygolohcysp]

Looks like dejoyous stopped just in time! Just kidding, he stopped just in time to drymount certain places.

https://mobile.twitter.com/FlossdnParad ... 8474524678

Assuming this overlay and source data is correct it's pretty damning in terms of what was targeted by his decisions that have already been carried out.

[fredo]

I mean, they are the population hubs of the US (ones in big/medium red circles). If you’re reducing the overall numbers of sorting machines etc then those places will see the largest drop in raw delivery numbers. You can’t reduce capacity significantly in Laramie.

Not that it matters- they’re effing people with this nonsense.