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Downfall of the USPS

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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Having mail delivered right to our homes is something we take for granted. There is no single reason why the USPS is on the verge of collapse, but most attribute it to either the internet/e-mail, failure of higher-ups to adapt to changing times, and the junk mail boom. Regardless, USPS employees across the country are suffering from major hour cuts and branch closures. The USPS is the 2nd largest employer of American civilians behind Wal-Mart, so this has major impacts on everyday people. Hour cuts also means much slower mail for everyone.

Yes, there are problems and disconnects with the way the USPS has been run and is currently run, but this is an American institution that should not go down. I'm creating this thread is because I had a very upsetting conversation this morning with some local USPS workers regarding their hour cuts. I've also always been a firm believer that snail mail is much more meaningful and personal than an e-mail.

I'd encourage everyone to go out and mail a card or send a letter via USPS this week (Mother's Day is coming up)... and again next week... and again and again. Make a habit out of it, because I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely love getting mail that isn't a bill.... and I absolutely love my postman.
May 4 2012 11:30AM
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
Getting mail is so exciting. It means alot more when someone takes the time to put it in an envelop, stamp it, and send it off. Takes alot more effort than just typing and hitting send. Send cards, letters, whatever you want. The receiver will be much happier than an e-mail.
May 4 2012 11:32AM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
"I'm creating this thread is because..." yay for not proof-reading!
May 4 2012 11:32AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
i have to go to the post office to get mail
May 4 2012 11:34AM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Yeahhh as soon as I posted and re-read what I wrote.... I thought about P.O. boxes and what not.... everything else still applies. Snail mail is still awesome.
May 4 2012 11:36AM
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Mr.Sloth
Posts: 5091 - Karma: 13,469
Anthrax? But in all seriousness, let's do this...
May 4 2012 11:37AM
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Abu_Hajaar
Posts: 2751 - Karma: 3,907
This is Pretty sad, I love that feeling of sending a letter it's much more exciting then an email or text message. Its funny how the government calls out big companies for failing when the can't even keep their own house in order, but on the other hand I hate how so many people get screwed because of a few dipshit leaders.
May 4 2012 11:41AM
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Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,019
cool. now we can all send weed packages without getting searched nearly as easily.
May 4 2012 11:51AM
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act.resist
Posts: 8875 - Karma: 513
lets have an ns letter exchange!
May 4 2012 11:55AM
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sugar~glider
Posts: 142 - Karma: 13
its a lot cheaper than ups, thats for damn sure. plus im sending my grandma a birthday card this week.
May 4 2012 12:05PM
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ajax
Posts: 2852 - Karma: 1,245
Haha dude she said no SINGLE reason, implying there are many reasons. sheesh
May 4 2012 12:08PM
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JOP177
Posts: 392 - Karma: 424
Here's yet another problem:

The U.S. Mail is more than 50% junk mail. In 2011, Americans received 85 billion pieces of junk mail weighing 4 million tons. Does anybody read junk mail? Does any one want it? Yet taxpayers subsidize and encourage it with a postal rate far lower than a first-class stamp. And less than half of junk mail gets recycled.


May 4 2012 12:15PM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
lol i love my drug dealer. he's friendly, straight business, and always on time!
May 4 2012 12:24PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104

Wow... your attack is slightly nauseating.  Your opinion is valid.  I agree with the notion that monopolies do not foster a healthy economy.  However,  I do not feel it necessary to call your thoughts and views "indecent" just because I disagree with some of them.

I clearly need to research into this further, but this thread is in direct response to speaking with local workers who are directly suffering pay cuts and not pay raises.

May 4 2012 12:26PM
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jblaski
Posts: 5566 - Karma: 1,078
This is yet another example of how unions are the root of the problem. One of the guys I worked with at the fire department, worked full time for the USPS as a letter carrier. He was making over $40/hour.

$40 fucking dollars an hour. To deliver mail. Plus full benefits, which he paid exactly nothing for.

There is absolutely no reason why anyone should get paid that much money for that job.
May 4 2012 12:32PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Fo real?  That is a tad excessive.
May 4 2012 12:33PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i fucking hate getting mail. i actually never even really check my mail. i do everything important online, so there's no real need to check it.
May 4 2012 12:39PM
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pho[tog]rapher
Posts: 2618 - Karma: 494
I wrote a book about this very issue so my 2 cents come with a lot of research and thought about the topic:

The USPS is a hybrid of government and business functions, which essentially has it in a chokehold. It is the only 'business' written into our Constitution, and Congress has been given the responsibility, (for hundreds of years) to make and establish postal routes/roads/offices.

Many Americans complain about the USPS, but you have to remember that it is a SERVICE, by which I mean that it is a guaranteed right for all Americans to have access to mail; deliveries to their area as well as goods and services priced at a rate that is affordable.

One of the major issues right now, is that the USPS has been forced to pre-fund its pensions, which is a MANDATED payment of $5.5 BILLION ....ANNUALLY.

Most people do not know that the USPS receives NO tax dollars to run itself. It has to sell things like stamps to make money. Stamps, if you actually think about it, are extremely cheap. 45 cents to send a letter to ANYWHERE in the country is amazing.

There is so much more I could say, but there's always the next post..
May 4 2012 12:44PM
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pho[tog]rapher
Posts: 2618 - Karma: 494
THIS IS SO WRONG.
May 4 2012 12:45PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
Really?
May 4 2012 12:46PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
HAHA exact same quotation.  nice.
May 4 2012 12:46PM
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acc
Posts: 4122 - Karma: 222
This kind of stuff doesn't help either...


My uncle worked for the post office for a long time as a mailman. He just retired. He made a lot of money for a job that he milked the shit out of & now he collects a great pension. His route probably could have been done in 6 hours and it would take him 9 because of socializing, playing keno, extended lunch breaks, watching my cousin's sporting events, etc.. There were many like him and probably still are. By far one of the worst managed businesses ever.

The junk mail is ridiculous. The USPS wants more because they do make money off of it, yet most American's throw that shit in the trash and some finally recycle it. So much money being wasted all over the place.

And their reliability sucks...and their employees steal shit. Although UPS or FedEx would prefer that you don't send cash through their services, it will actually get there. With USPS you don't stand a chance. *Not that I'm saying you should mail cash, just an example.
May 4 2012 12:59PM
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JOP177
Posts: 392 - Karma: 424
The USPS just highlights how beneficial unions and large pension funds are to government and businesses.  Paying someone their wage, after they stop working for you and creating value for your firm is a sound business decision with few, if any drawbacks.

I mean, look at Detroit, or Greece - both of these have small union presences and are in incredible financial shape.  Unions create value to firms and customers, as well as taxpayers by being flexible, encouraging efficiency, and not carrying enormous pension burdens.
May 4 2012 1:01PM
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sherwood4099
Posts: 1173 - Karma: 22
Who has been covering USPS massive defict for the last few years then?
May 4 2012 1:15PM
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acc
Posts: 4122 - Karma: 222
Is my sarcasm meter broken or are you a complete fool?
May 4 2012 1:24PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104

Just wanted to add that he saved me from paying $200 for new car keys after I thought I lost them post-alcohol rage!!  Still stoked on this. 

Also, arguing and debate aside (I didn't intend to start a shit storm).... man, do I love sending and receiving mail!  I'd offer to send everyone mail, but.... apparently I'd be supporting injustice of sorts.

May 4 2012 1:24PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
I think your sarcasm meter is broken : )
May 4 2012 1:24PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104

Also lol at my karma rapidly going downwards

May 4 2012 1:25PM
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acc
Posts: 4122 - Karma: 222
Who needs NS Karma when you have real friends? =)

I like getting mail. I don't get much honestly. My car payment and car insurance are still paper bills mailed, my mom still sends me cards at the holidays, 401K/stock stuff and Verizon, Subaru & credit card companies still spam with me junk.
May 4 2012 1:29PM
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doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315

Keep in mind you are paying taxes to keep this failure operational...let them fail and let the free market decide!  You're feelings of nostalgia will still remain intact when sending/receiving mail, because snail-mail isn't going anywhere.

May 4 2012 1:33PM
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Bill.Nye
Posts: 4060 - Karma: 2,109
Plus the fact that congress passed a bill in 2006 that requires the postal service to fund 75 years worth of it's pension fun in only 10 years, a requirement no other government agency has.
May 4 2012 1:38PM
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monkatizer
Posts: 4704 - Karma: 1,518
everyone should just send tons of SASE's to companys for stickers
May 4 2012 1:50PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
GENIUS
May 4 2012 1:55PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175

If a company isn’t economically or socially viable it has to fail.  That’s basically what capitalism is right?  I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.  You have to attribute a majority of this to poor management.   If your company is losing market share you just sit back and raise your prices like they continue to do to stamps to maintain revenue-youre doing someting wrong.  Its common sense you adapt to changing times.  They should have gotten involved with secure online bill paying 10 years ago.  They should of somehow cornered that market before it exploded.  Not sure exactly how by that’s why I’m not a ceo yet.

Huge manufactures of extinct technologies go under if they don’t adapt to current markets.  It’s just the cyclicality of business.  Dell is down around 150 percent from its highs in the late 1990’s.  The let apple walk in and did nothing about it.  Sprint is down 1000’s of % since its high in the early 2000’s then throughout the mid 2000’s, and will not likely recover.   It happens constantly.

You have to feel for people that lose their jobs but companies can’t be stagnant, if so you die.  Business 101.  The USPS could go down in history IMO as one of the worst run ‘corporations’ of all time.  Then again it ran by the govt so what would you expect.            

May 4 2012 3:53PM
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Bill.Nye
Posts: 4060 - Karma: 2,109
The post office isn't just any other company. It's written directly into the constitution, kind of like the army.
May 4 2012 3:57PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
I agree with you on this. I don't think that the already existing and once thriving system should have any reasons of being shut down. I will personally send some letters on behalf of this.
May 4 2012 4:17PM
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sherwood4099
Posts: 1173 - Karma: 22
I would be happy if mail was privatized and companies competed on rates like ups, FedEx etc. I'm so sick of junk mail and slow service. I also want weekend delivery. Hope it crashes and burns
May 4 2012 4:39PM
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Static
Posts: 8561 - Karma: 4,139
OP sucks sooo fucking bad... makes this cry baby thread about the USPS, when ppl like woozy come in with real facts and arguments he doesn't have shit to say, just ass kisses some other equally misinformed re-re's Fuck you OP, fuck you in your pee hole with a priority package.
May 4 2012 4:43PM
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tds103
Posts: 679 - Karma: 74
YES lets do it!!
May 4 2012 4:44PM
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Static
Posts: 8561 - Karma: 4,139
must be into sounding if you think only girls have tight pee holes
May 4 2012 4:49PM
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RoofDaRoofieDogg
Posts: 3090 - Karma: 1,989
Up here in Canada, mail is aerials.


literally

May 4 2012 5:00PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
...or I just have a hard time being an asshole like most ns'ers and will accept when I'm wrong about something. I welcome learning from other people.... if that makes me suck soooo fucking bad then so be it!
May 4 2012 7:12PM
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PagesHouse
Posts: 6024 - Karma: 104
This. Never thought this thread would turn into what it did. It was made with good intentions!
May 4 2012 7:13PM
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