Would you support an Amendment to allow the Federal Gov't to get out of the postal business

[OmahaBlueDog]

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1971 as an "independent establishment of the executive branch", responsible for providing postal service in the United States. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution. While officially known as the "U.S. Postal Service," despite the passage of nearly 40 years the public still colloquial refer to it as the "Post Office" or "U.S. Mail"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service

[Overseas]

1. Hell no! I love the USPS!

I don't have a car to drive to the remote pick up locations for private parcels delivered while I'm out. I can walk 20 mins or take a bus to the USPO to pick up packages on Saturday.

We have great service at our post offices in my city.

[Kennah]

2. +8

[abelenkpe]

3. no. nt

[Ken Burch]

4. What's the point of the "yes, but with a five year delay" option?

What's the case for that?

[OmahaBlueDog]

13. The theory is that one is arguing that the Post Office is not quite obsolete, but...

...we're conceding that it soon will be obsolete. (if one, in fact, believes that the Post Office is past it's usefulness)

[originalpckelly]

14. That's how long it will take to get to you.

:spank:

[FormerDittoHead]

5. To quote Ben Franklin: "Fuck that shit" n/t

[OmahaBlueDog]

21. I don't remember that part of Poor Richard's Almanac

I remember he did say that about vegetarianism when he smelled the frying fish, however.

[FormerDittoHead]

34. Franklin was the 1st postmaster general of the USPS, so I'm thinking the feeling would be there. n/t

...for others, in case they didn't know the relationship between Franklin and the USPS.

[Ozymanithrax]

6. I do not support further privatizing of the postal service. n/t

[msongs]

7. we use usps instead of ups every chance we get. a letter for florida for 47 cents? yay nt

[OmahaBlueDog]

30. You send letters?

[JitterbugPerfume]

45. some of us send letters, birth announcments, etc

:shrug:

[JitterbugPerfume]

8. do not privatize the commons--

I want the people that deliver my social security check to be trained professionals , not some untrained kid which is what would happen if it was privatized.

[OmahaBlueDog]

17. Your Social Security check should not be delivered - it should be deposited electronically to a CU

...or a rechargable debit card.

[JitterbugPerfume]

31. It is

I was just using that as an example of something important that is delivered by a mail-person

[Shagbark Hickory]

9. If there's any reason you think the USPS sucks, (and there are plenty of reasons), you have...

fedex and ups to thank. They spend tens of millions of dollars buying legislation that makes the postal service uncompetitive.

[OmahaBlueDog]

19. I don't think it sucks.

First, I'm really just posing the question (and playing a little devils advocate). I do think it is a service that is becoming obsolete thanks to electronics.

[JDPriestly]

37. Electronics is not reliable.

For many legal purposes, you need to be able to prove that you sent a letter on a certain date. You get a proof of mailing or you send certified mail. If you do away with the Post Office, other delivery services will raise their rates -- and ordinary people will not be able to prove they mailed their rent checks on time because they won't be able to afford the private delivery services.

No. The USPS serves a service that cannot be duplicated.

[Shagbark Hickory]

41. That's precisely the problem. Their core business is postmarking letters when it should be...

advertising, parcel delivery and air freight.
Just like their 3 and sometimes 4 largest competitors. Who are all solvent.
Only problem is, those 3 and sometimes 4 competitors have bought laws that make usps un competitive in those areas.

Edit.
Can I just say something... There is a fedex drop box on right in front of our post office. Like 10 feet from the door. Not on a public sidewalk, ON the post office's lot.
That's like opening up a burger king kiosk inside of McDonalds.

[Shagbark Hickory]

40. There is nothing obsolete about advertising, air freight and parcel delivery.

But lemme guess how you got the notion the usps was obsolete.

The USPS delivers about $6.00 worth of junk mail to my house each and every day. It takes all of 10 seconds to stop and deposit that trash in the mailbox.

Compare that to UPS delivering a $6 package.
They have to drive that big bulky truck about a third of a mile from the nearest other stop, turn off the engine, go find the package in the back of the truck. Walk all the way to the front door. Ring the bell, they used to ask for signatures- now they charge extra for that, then they gotta walk all the way back to their truck, turn it on, drive a third of a mile to the next stop. The whole process takes like 6 minutes.

Yet UPS is solvent.

How could that possibly be when it takes 6 minutes vs 10 seconds?

[OmahaBlueDog]

54. It takes much longer than 10 seconds. To prevent identity theft, most of the junk has to be shredded

Especially the preapproved offers of credit.

A "Do Not Mail" list would be appreciated.

[Shagbark Hickory]

55. I was referring to the 10 seconds it takes to deliver it. However long it takes to sort and shred it

well that's your problem.

I'm not saying I enjoy getting junk mail, don't get me wrong.
Hell there's very little mail that I like getting. Since most of it is bad news, I've nicknamed the mailbox the "Bad news box".

Nevertheless, there's money to be made if it weren't for the competitors of the postal service sabotaging their business.

[jmowreader]

10. Here's the problem the Republicans refuse to face

The private mailing services--specifically FedEx and UPS--would be overjoyed to take over the USPS's Express Mail and Priority Mail parcel shipping. They do NOT want the Priority Mail flat rate stuff, First Class Mail, or the various bulk mailing services the Post Office handles.

If the private carriers were told "you can take over the government postal service, but you have to retain First Class Mail and Bulk Rate Mail at a rate set by the government, with the level of service provided by the government," none of them would want the Postal Service. "Profit" for these guys is completely contingent on getting rid of First Class and Bulk Rate, and if they can't do it they won't want the work. (Numbnuts like Thomas Sowell are all "oh, it's so terrible that it costs 44 cents to mail a letter across town," but mailing a letter across town for 44 cents is what subsidizes mailing one from Coeur d'Alene to New York City for 44 cents.

[OmahaBlueDog]

15. Yes, but the .44 cent letter across town has pretty much been replaced with e-mail

..and almost no one I know want's the "junk" mail they get every day.

[JDPriestly]

38. I already answered your post. If you worked for a court or as a lawyer

you would understand why we have to have the USPS.

Let's say you mail your mortgage payment on the first of the month so that it gets to your landlord on the fifth. You need to be able to prove that fact. You get a proof of mailing and trace the letter.

You can pay on your computer, but only if your landlord permits it and, if you pay by direct transfer, proving it in court is more difficult. That is just one example of the kinds of things you need the mail for.

Lawyers have to serve documents within certain time periods. They can hire a delivery service or use other delivery companies, but the US mail is the best method.

[jmowreader]

56. The 44-cent letter across town with my electric bill in it hasn't

[Urban Prairie]

11. Yeah, privatize it..heh!!

So any Tom, Dick, or Harry has unfettered access to your private mailbox, perhaps stuffing it with junk mail multiple times a day, and no longer having a federal watchdog Office of the USPS Inspector General to investigate suspected mail fraud, prevent ID theft, or stealing from mailboxes, or someone pretending to be a mail carrier from casing your home during the day in order to burglarize it.

Good idea.

[hobbit709]

12. That noise you hear is Ben spinning in his grave.

[OmahaBlueDog]

16. I'm not so sure - Ben was a huge believer in modernity and progress

I suspect he'd love the Kindle and the digital press. I think he'd be amazed by the internet and e-mail.

[hobbit709]

18. I don't think he would care for the modern corporate mentality though.

[OmahaBlueDog]

20. He was pretty gung ho on small business and capitalism

.. and pretty French girls - but that's another subject.

[hobbit709]

22. SMALL business

And not just French women, he liked them all.

[pitohui]

25. unlike some people my guess is he'd figure out that nobody can ship their ebay "prize" by email

yes, he could see why a postal service was ESSENTIAL to the small business person

what shocks me is why someone in the 21st century can't see that

the postal service ain't broke, don't fix what ain't broke

what's stupid-ass is this requirement that the postal service make money, do we require all our highways and bridges to make money? what's next? let's bring back the fucking toll roads and make the whole country new jersey?

we MUST stop nickle and diming the working man to death

we really do need to stop proposing stupid-ass ideas that will harm everyone who works for a living and not even be noticed by the rich

[OmahaBlueDog]

29. I ship my e-bay prizes FedEx Ground

The USPS hemmorages money. Other services very effectively sip packages.

I will be the first to concede that a letter across the continent in 3-4 days for less than $0.50 is amazing value; it probably ought to be raised to a busk -- it would still be an amazing value. That said, other than cards, I can't remember the last letter I received. 80% of my mail is junk (advertising), and most of it is unsolicited. 15% are bills & bank statements; I get more & more of these online. There's a tiny amount of governmental correspondence and thank you/holiday/invitational cards that make up the balance. The postcard has been replaced with the e-mailed I-Phone image, and the letter has been replaced with e-mail. I have estimates faxed to me.

In short - while I like the USPS, it could go away, and I don't think most Americans would be worse for wear.

[pitohui]

23. a strong reliable inexpensive postal system is necessary for a successful nation

the founding fathers knew this

it is not important that the postal service make money every year, it IS important that ALL residents & citizens have a safe, reliable way to send mail

there are countries where sending/receiving packages and letters is pretty much a waste of time, because the package or letter will likely be stolen

i tried to buy a stamp in bolivia to mail a postcard, i couldn't do it, "why would you want that? it probably wouldn't get there!" true, i was in a rural area but in the usa the postal service guarantees that even the most rural area can be in communication w. the world...a strong mail service is partly a subsidy to business, OK, but it is ALSO a way for family and friends to link over the miles and not every business is a big city business that can send stuff DHL, some "businesses" are a housewife selling a few craft items to raise xmas money, do they not deserve access to a postal service?

keep it as it is & don't fix what ain't broken

"private" package delivery systems have no legal requirement to force them to serve everyone 6 days a week

we have the best postal service in the world, for god's sake, let's keep it that way

[3lyford]

24. I don't know about abolish

but maybe rework their business model. Were changing with less physical mail and that is better for everyone.

[customerserviceguy]

26. Would it really require an amendment?

Or could it just simply fall into disuse, like letters of marque have? They're mentioned in the Constitution, too.

[freshwest]

27. No way in hell or any other GOP/Koch/Teabag nexus.

[TransitJohn]

28. I'd rather see them take over email and sms. n/t

n/t

[Nye Bevan]

32. "Snail mail" as we know it will be dead in the next 10 to 20 years anyway.

Almost everything financial I do online. Many friends and family use e-cards. There is always a large pile of stuff in my mailbox but most days it is just catalogs and advertising circulars. Snail mail's days are numbered, whether it is publicly or privately owned.

[OmahaBlueDog]

33. That was really the point of the wait-five-years choice

It's going away - no matter what one thinks of the USPS

[Posteritatis]

47. Yes, I'm sure parcels will be delivered through email in The Future.

Oy.

[Nye Bevan]

50. Right, because there are no alternatives to the USPS for parcel delivery (nt)

[denbot]

35. Letter U.S.P.S. Los Angeles to souther Colorado 44 cents 2-3 days

UPS ground 5 bucks, and it takes about a week to get there.

[JDPriestly]

36. Do away with the USPS and the alternatives will raise prices like

nobody's business. Besides, the US mail is used for certain legal purposes - -like setting deadlines for giving notice of motions and appearances in court. No way you can do away with the USPS and maintain our legal system.

How much do you pay to send a letter or envelope containing a bill or legal document via other transportation? The country won't work without the post office.

[defendandprotect]

39. It's privatization that's the villan here -- we're not letting PO actually compete with

business -- PO has been put on its knees before businesses and their needs!!

[OwnedByFerrets]

42. It's a stupid fucking idea. Period.

[My Good Babushka]

43. Aw hell naw!

I have a small business and I routinely ship via USPS. I get a delivery confirmation number for 0.75 and my packages arrive in 2-3 days. USPS never lost a package. That's the kind of infrastructure small business NEED to EXIST.

[Kingofalldems]

44. This is a republican/conservative idea

Therefore it is useless and likely to be very costly in the future.

[old mark]

46. NO! I don't care if it cost a dollar to mail a letter-it is a bargain, and the service is

reliable and relatively fast and honest. Privatizing it would be a fucking mess and would end up costing much more for less service.

mark

[ozone_man]

48. No, but end the junk mail subsidy.

There's no reason why we should have to receive unwanted junk mail, and if USPS is subsidizing this, meaning tax payers, then we need to end it.

[Baclava]

49. Hell no! - my mailman delivers to my maibox in front of my house

They tried to get our neighborhood to sign up for the central boxes on a bigger street but it was voted down, we told the Post Office no, we want curb delivery. If a package is too big for the box, the mailman carries up to my door and rings the doorbell.

Sometimes I leave him cookies.

[OmahaBlueDog]

51. You do realize that this model will go away even with the USPS

There is serious discussion of ending "door to door" service and setting up neighborhood multi boxes (anyone from Columbia, MD knows what I'm talking about).

[Zorra]

52. Private enterprise recently destroyed our economy. Government saved it.

Any questions?
;-)

[OmahaBlueDog]

53. No. Greed and abuse nearly destroyed our economy.

Well run private business is the backbone of our economy. I would agree that governemt needs to provide strong oversight, and needs to perform tasks that cannot or should not be run profitably (police, fire, prisons, hospitals). I don't necessarily see the operation of a delivery service, at this time in history, as being one of those items.