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Overhauling the Post Office for the 21st Century
The New York Times ^ | November 24, 2011 | Editorial

Posted on 11/24/2011 7:37:36 PM PST by danjoyal

Edited on 11/24/2011 7:38:45 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

The United States Postal Service spent its 200th year fending off default and pleading with Congress to give it the authority to compete in the booming world of e-commerce. Designed as a quasi-private business run without public financing, the Postal Service, nevertheless, is firmly under the thumb of the Capitol, where compromise is urgently needed if the service is to profitably reform.


(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: congress; nationaldebt; postalservice; uspo; usps
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The overhaul of the US Post Office is long over due. Any and all cuts made to their budget are beneficial to all Americans.
1 posted on 11/24/2011 7:37:40 PM PST by danjoyal
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To: danjoyal
did they turn a profit before they unionized?
2 posted on 11/24/2011 7:42:48 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: danjoyal

Abolish the USPS.


3 posted on 11/24/2011 7:44:46 PM PST by trumandogz (In Rick Perry's Nanny State, the state will drive your kids to the dentist at tax payer expense)
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To: danjoyal

Oh, I’m sorry, and when has the EPA or DOE turned a profit? At least the USPS Performs a useable service!


4 posted on 11/24/2011 7:52:53 PM PST by MrPiper
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To: danjoyal

The Post Office, unlike the EPA, DOE, (do I need to continue?) is explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, and unlike those other departments which dispense favors to you and yours, if not directly then through your beloved private enterprise, actually brings in revenue! Duh!


5 posted on 11/24/2011 7:56:08 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: trumandogz

Last I searched, the EPA had a budget of 70 billion, And the USPS is down 5???? Can you say whipping boy!


6 posted on 11/24/2011 7:58:06 PM PST by MrPiper
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To: Revolting cat!

You are so right my FRiend. At least they bring in money and do not punish business!


7 posted on 11/24/2011 8:01:33 PM PST by MrPiper
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To: Revolting cat!

————actually brings in revenue! Duh!

just not enough revenue......far far far far from enough....

the agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month and may have to shut down entirely this winter unless Congress takes emergency action to stabilize its finances.
“Our situation is extremely serious,” the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, said in an interview. “If Congress doesn’t act, we will default.”

In recent weeks, Mr. Donahoe has been pushing a series of painful cost-cutting measures to erase the agency’s deficit, which will reach $9.2 billion this fiscal year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/business/in-internet-age-postal-service-struggles-to-stay-solvent-and-relevant.html?_r=2


8 posted on 11/24/2011 8:04:24 PM PST by sgtyork (The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom, courage. Thucydides)
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To: sgtyork

I’m sorry, 5 billion??? Peanuts..... did you not see the budget for the stupid EPA and Dept of Energy or Education????


9 posted on 11/24/2011 8:09:15 PM PST by MrPiper
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To: sgtyork

I know it, Sgt, sir, but they do bring in revenue. Does the Department of Energy do? Education? Housing and Urban Development (WHAT?!) The Feds subsidize those 100%, let’s subsidize USPS __%. It’s Constitutional, and believe me, they do provide superior service.


10 posted on 11/24/2011 8:12:07 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: trumandogz

Actually, the USPS is one of the few Federal departments that has a specific Constitutional mandate.


11 posted on 11/24/2011 8:12:08 PM PST by reg45 (I'm not angry that Lincoln freed the slaves. I'm angry that Franklin Roosevelt bought them back.)
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To: reg45

Amend the Constitution to abolish the USPS.

And then we can use email and FedEx.


12 posted on 11/24/2011 8:16:40 PM PST by trumandogz (In Rick Perry's Nanny State, the state will drive your kids to the dentist at tax payer expense)
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To: danjoyal

If there is one government agency that works it is the postal service. If they don’t make money, it does not bother me. At least we get a direct service for it.


13 posted on 11/24/2011 8:17:26 PM PST by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: trumandogz

If you use Fedex, it will cost three times what the Post Office costs to send a package. Email? Can you say cyber attack? Did you know USPS handles a lot of Fedex packages?


14 posted on 11/24/2011 8:22:53 PM PST by MrPiper
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To: danjoyal

I was shocked, shocked traveling in Europe and seeing that all major cities had a post office that was open 24 hours a day, every day!


15 posted on 11/24/2011 8:26:29 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: MrPiper

What is sent via USPS that cannot be done on the Internet or FedEx?


16 posted on 11/24/2011 8:28:15 PM PST by trumandogz (In Rick Perry's Nanny State, the state will drive your kids to the dentist at tax payer expense)
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To: danjoyal

Start by eliminating the USPS monopoly on letter mail, and remove all lingering ties to the federal gov’t, so USPS is completely standalone and so there can be competition. Then wire remote control cattle prods to all 535 members of Congress and zap anyone who even thinks the phrase “too big to fail”. Let the free market work and the USPS will either vanish or it will reinvent itself into something new and sustainable. As long as gummint stays the hell out of it.


17 posted on 11/24/2011 8:29:17 PM PST by bigbob
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To: bigbob

Great ideer (as are all ideers on FR.) Now go implement it. We’re waiting holding our collective breath.


18 posted on 11/24/2011 8:30:54 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks danjoyal. Better raise taxes immediately for the bailout.


19 posted on 11/24/2011 10:29:49 PM PST by SunkenCiv (It's never a bad time to FReep this link -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: danjoyal

Maybe not all Americans, they are proposing closing our lttle post office. The next nearest one is 30 miles one way, they are proposing that we may actually have to go to the nearest sorting post office for packages- that is 45 miles from us- one way. Some people already drive 30-45 miles to get their mail here to begin with, so some people will be expected to drive 75+ miles one way to get packages.

I will figure out whatever I need to do to survive- UPS, online postal services but many here are elderly without computers and depend on the post office for stamps, packages and daily mail service. It will be really hard for some of them to get by if it closes.

I understand that economically running our post office likely doesn’t pay- but I imagine whatever system they come up with to replace it will likely cost more money, since that is how things usually work out.

I personally object to cutting the military, postal expenses and any other major cuts until the illegal drain on our economy is at least recognized and begins to be dealt with. Getting a grip on the astronomical cost of illegals being in this country would save tons of money but is not politically correct.


20 posted on 11/24/2011 10:49:25 PM PST by Tammy8 (~Secure the border and deport all illegals- do it now! ~ Support our Troops!~)
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