USPS Ends Saturday Delivery

The Postal Service has announced it is stopping Saturday delivery.

Yep, except packages. Not a big deal but it probably won't help that bottomless money hole.

Sal wrote:

nochain wrote:Yep, except packages. Not a big deal but it probably won't help that bottomless money hole.

What created the "bottomless money hole" at the USPS?

It will NEVER happen because the credit companies are campaign contributors..

Stopping Saturday delivery is only a drop in the bucket compared to the debt accrued by the Postal Service.

They should go ahead and halt deliveries on Tuesday and Thursdays as well along with closing half the post offices in operation. Sell the properties, freeze hiring until attrition has brought down the number of employees by at least 30%.

The Post Office ignored their small shippers of packages and treated them in slow motion like the rest of the service. UPS started and the Post Office lost the majority of their lucrative small shippers.

The Post Office ignored giving any sort of faster mail. I remember having to take closing packages to the Greyhound bus station here in Tallahassee and having someone drive to the bus station at the destination city to pick up the package. The Post Office just turned up their nose and giving any sort of service beyond what everyone else received. Regardless of what they were willing to PAY.

Along comes Federal Express, now called FedEx and presto, they are a multi-billion dollar company who the Post Office pays to handle their overnight mail.

Like newspapers who had their nose in the air when the Internet began to compete. All of a sudden, newspapers realized their base was gone and their clocks had been cleaned. Now few are anything more than Liberal Tabloids.

There is still nothing nicer than a nicely written card or letter in the mail, the snail mail. Of course, I don't think they even teach cursive writing in school anymore so I guess that is dead too.

What remains will still be happily received on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Occasionally someone will ask why UPS and FedEx can make money and the Postal Service cannot.

2 reasons: 1. UPS and FedEx can adjust rates as expenses change. Fuel, Airport fees and toll charges, etc. The Post Office must go to Congress for approval.
2. The Postal Service must deliver to every, and all structures that have an address. Even if the address is accessible only by boat or float aircraft. Neither UPS or FedEx must make such deliveries.

Markle wrote:
Along comes Federal Express, now called FedEx and presto, they are a multi-billion dollar company who the Post Office pays to handle their overnight mail.

Like newspapers who had their nose in the air when the Internet began to compete. All of a sudden, newspapers realized their base was gone and their clocks had been cleaned.

That's far from a complete picture of the FedEx/Post Office relationship:

FedEx does not have a comparable infrastructure in place to deliver ground mail just as the Post Office does not have a comparable infrastructure to deliver overnight parcels as efficiently as FedEx. That's why the Post Office handles a large percentage of FedEx's ground shipments.

Here's some general background on some of the problems facing the USPS. I am hoping this is just not another case of privatization of a public service.

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2013/02/05/time-to-save-the-postal-service/

History:
The Constitution and the Post Office

In June 1788, the ninth state ratified the Constitution, which gave Congress the power “To establish Post Offices and post Roads” in Article I, Section 8. A year later, the Act of September 22, 1789 (1 Stat. 70), continued the Post Office and made the Postmaster General subject to the direction of the President. Four days later, President Washington appointed Samuel Osgood as the first Postmaster General under the Constitution. A population of almost four million was served by 75 Post Offices and about 2,400 miles of post roads.
The Post Office received two one-year extensions by the Acts of August 4, 1790 (1 Stat. 178), and March 3, 1791 (1 Stat. 218). The Act of February 20, 1792 (1 Stat. 232), continued the Post Office for another two years and formally admitted newspapers to the mails, gave Congress the power to establish post routes, and prohibited postal officials from opening letters. Later legislation enlarged the duties of the Post Office, strengthened and unified its organization, and provided rules for its development. The Act of May 8, 1794 (1 Stat. 354), continued the Post Office indefinitely.
The Post Office moved from Philadelphia in 1800 when Washington, D.C., became the seat of government. Two horse-drawn wagons carried all postal records, furniture, and supplies.

http://about.usps.com/publications/pub100/pub100_005.htm

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:The Post Office is already dead. The people just haven't figured it out yet.

What Congress needs to get hot on is passing a "Do Not Mail" law that is similar to the Do Not Call list. This would allow citizens to opt-out of receiving direct mail solicitations. It would save millions of trees, tons of fuel, manhours, and lots of money. It likely would also put the Post Office out of business, as their total mail volume would be reduced by about 50%.

I mean, why should the Post Office deliver mail that gets 80% thrown away unread, or shredded (credit card offers). This is something that truly needs to be addressed.

My husband gets most of his meds from the VA through the mail. We also still mail our monthly bills.