US Postal Service just defaulted

[Matt]

They need to get rid of the fat lazy sloths that operate the cash registers. The one in Saginaw is the worst one I've ever seen.

[aggie97]

You guys are funny! 40% of the population requires the usps to deliver their gubment checks. IRS requires usps for tax collection..... and 535,000 postal workers are paying into the federal employee retirement system. Where do you think the money from all the budget shortfalls are coming from? The fed owes usps about 50 Billion in over payments compared to other fed organizations. Its the only organization in the fed that generates revenue. It ain't going anywhere but they are trying to restructure it and shrink the operation. Congress won't allow it.....simple as that.

[ceyko]

Funny how NO politician will touch this topic with a ten foot pole right now

To me, this speaks volumes of them too. No need to address everyday issues, much-less the big issues unless they generate votes.

I like the thing about the USPS only running twice a week too.

[32valves_of_pleasure]

all the unskilled labor hanging onto their jobs for a pension and healthcare benefits because without a job you won't get health insurance, and once a certain age is reached health expenses increase. same reason american airlines has a bunch of old grannies as stewardesses and all the foreign airlines has hot young things working the aisles.

but it's really about the $5.5billion they have to pay every fiscal year for future retirees that's gouging them. congress might want to fix that.

[SMKR]

You guys are funny! 40% of the population requires the usps to deliver their gubment checks. IRS requires usps for tax collection..... and 535,000 postal workers are paying into the federal employee retirement system. Where do you think the money from all the budget shortfalls are coming from? The fed owes usps about 50 Billion in over payments compared to other fed organizations. Its the only organization in the fed that generates revenue. It ain't going anywhere but they are trying to restructure it and shrink the operation. Congress won't allow it.....simple as that.

Not much longer, govt is going direct deposit

[aggie97]

Not much longer, govt is going direct deposit

that's great and all....but the end user has no bank account. I see it every 1st of the month HUGE lines picking up their checks. You should see it when the mail is late to the station! It's a mad house.

[aggie97]

I like the thing about the USPS only running twice a week too.

If there is more than a 2 or 2.5 day delay in delivery, mail volume is still high enough that they have no place to store it and the LLV's can only carry so much mail....and your mailbox can only hold so much mail. They have to deliver or it backs up at the P&DC.

The current management team at HQ has some great plans to shrink the infrastructure but the public, and therefore congress won't allow them to do it. They are even pinching pennies on toilet paper...but the union and congress won't let them touch the BIGGEST operational cost which is payroll. They have cut everything else.

I've been in 900 post offices over the last 5 years and I can tell you the service isn't bad everywhere. It's terrible in larger cities but in the rural areas, going to the PO isn't all that bad. Consider that if you can when you need to go there. It will also help keep your local small PO's open if they can show gains in revenue.

I'm not defending the USPS of old as that plan/system was going to fail. the new PMG and his staff are going about it in the right way to scale back and make the USPS a viable entity for years to come, but their hands are tied as to what they can do because of politics and the union. If Romney is elected, I think you might see a sweeping restructuring of the USPS as that was his/Bain's bread and butter for years. If Barry does bail them out....it will be with their own money they already paid in! LOL!

[CexMashean]

aggie97 = postal worker?

[forbes]

i say get rid of the mailmen, just give all the mail to the Jehovah Witnesses and let them hand it out as they go door to door

[SMKR]

that's great and all....but the end user has no bank account. I see it every 1st of the month HUGE lines picking up their checks. You should see it when the mail is late to the station! It's a mad house.

Making them to go a card that has the money loaded onto it

[ceyko]

If there is more than a 2 or 2.5 day delay in delivery, mail volume is still high enough that they have no place to store it and the LLV's can only carry so much mail....and your mailbox can only hold so much mail. They have to deliver or it backs up at the P&DC.

That makes sense and I know where you're coming from about USPS not being bad everywhere. A lot of the small town ones are fine, almost pleasant.

I know I'm not telling you anything you don't know - everyone generally is spun up because it is another business type venture f'ed up by the federal government and they think they can handle health care? haha

Any way, from my perspective I see less and less NEED for USPS going forward. Yes, old folks may need it and maybe there is an option for them. However, I MOSTLY get junk mail as everything is handled electronically.

Guess what I think needs to happen is make it competitive and allow FedEx/UPS/DHL...who-ever to utilize the mailbox if we just HAVE to have junk mail brought to us on top of the light amount of important snail mail.

If I want my bank statements, let my bank choose who sends it. If the IRS wants to send me something - let them choose who sends it. (probably USPS, but probably cheaper via another carrier)

[aggie97]

aggie97 = postal worker?

I wish then i would have job security. I am a contractor on the operations side.

[BradM]

aggie97 = postal worker?

I wish then i would have job security. I am a contractor on the operations side.

So, yes, indirectly.

[Forever_frost]

If they cut unions completely, refused to allow unions to form in government agencies, we'd not have these problems. Legacy costs and affirmative action is killing the postal system

[aggie97]

If they cut unions completely, refused to allow unions to form in government agencies, we'd not have these problems. Legacy costs and affirmative action is killing the postal system

Not just usps.... the entire united states.