need another bailout

[RIROCKHOUND]

Come on Spence.
the world can live on UPS, FEDex and DHL for mail!

[spence]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Come on Spence.
the world can live on UPS, FEDex and DHL for mail!

If we did I'm sure the price of a regular first class letter would be at least 2-3 bucks.

As usual, there are multiple aspects to this topic. I do think the USPS has helped subsidize commerce and personal quality of life through cheap and reliable mail service. Especially before the big shipping companies came about I'm not sure there were many other options.

The flip side, and this is big, is that the USPS -- precisely because of it's cheap rates -- is also a willing accomplice to the murder of billions of beautiful oxygen belching trees.

How much of your mail every week is complete junk? 90% 95%?

When catalog season rolls around and people make jokes about the heavy mail bags the carriers just laugh, they love it because it keeps them employed.

I think there's value in keeping the USPS afloat, but also working to restructure it to be more efficient and make junk mail more expensive. There's no reason the taxpayer should be subsidizing a FOUR POUND Restoration Hardware catalog that's only going to be tossed in the recycle bin because it's easier to look online.

-spence

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Come on Spence.
the world can live on UPS, FEDex and DHL for mail!

For the type of service those couriers provide they are more reliable than the Post Office and they are more sustainable because their labor cost is less. For small, personal letters, more and more people use the internet which is faster, more reliable, and cheaper. The Postal System pretty much relies on junk mail to survive. If the employees would accept a competitive pay and benefits structure and recapture the quality and dedication of the past, it might, on a smaller scale, be functional.

[justplugit]

Most of my mail is bills and junk mail.
You can pay bills on line and do without the junk using
web search for the catalouge items you really want.
The pony express has had it's day.

[striperman36]

Another example of government oversight. Should've gotten into the email certification business or something value add.

Still looking for that magic bullet to opt OUT of all 3rd class bulk sorted mail.

I do like Priority Mail that is value add, wonder if they take a loss on that.