Posted on 09/05/2011 6:03:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” But unless Congress steps in, bankruptcy will.
The New York Times reports that unless the House and Senate take drastic action in the next few months, one of the nation's oldest institutions — which employs 574,000 Americans — may be forced to shut down.
A combination of labor costs and a declining number of packages and letters has the United States Postal Service running short on cash. The independent government agency will be unable to make a $5.5 billion payment to its employee healthcare plan by the Sept. 30 due date.
“Our situation is extremely serious,” the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe, told the Times. “If Congress doesn’t act, we will default.”
To avoid insolvency, Donahoe says needs Congress to approve the elimination of Saturday delivery and the undoing of the agency's contract with its union to allow it to layoff up to 120,000 works. The Post Office is also planning to close 3,700 locations.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
And someday...the free computer will be implanted behind your pituitary!
I know I do. Do you, Big Giant Presumptuous Misrepresenting What I Said Rude Head?
$500 a check is alot. I saw where the retirement fund is over-financed by $60 billion. Anyway, are you saying you aren't in a union? I thought postal workers were unionized?
Virtually ANY government job.
I refuse to join. I’m everything a union worker isn’t supposed to be. I go out of my way to serve my peeps to the best of my ability. I break the stupid rules if I have to to serve a mailbox. I dismount for folks that I’m not “authorized” to dismount my vehicle for. My customers are MY responsibility, and I don’t go all “union” on them. They are the ones paying for stamps, I service them. Not the union.
Of course! In fact, liberal fascists can make a much better case for taking over the internet, than they ever could for taking over health care. After all, even the Founding Fathers made constitutional provision for it: they called it the post office. Private parties could have carried the communications, yet the federal government was given the power.
So...why does it cost me so much money if it’s free?
I don’t think the USPS should be abolished but it definitely needs to be “re-invented”. How to go about it, I have no clue because politicians are in charge of that. But it’s a shining example of unions-gone-wild running a company into the ground. A good start; stop Saturday delivery, close smaller post offices, supplement PO’s with 3rd parties - Office Depot, Mailboxes, etc., charge more for 1st class and junk mail, and start dismantling years of asinine union contracts.
What do you make an hour?
Damn straight I do. I believe EVERY advertisement was paid for my someone trying to run a business. I treat every piece of business mail as if it were the most important letter of the day.
But if you follow the logic of what you said, about the so -called "junk mail" you're mad that they're advertising, and mad that it's coming conveniently directly to your mailbox, and mad that it's regionally targeted to an area that you should be able to access should you be interested in their business.
As a retired DOD civilian employee, I had the health plan provided by the U S Post Office Union. Until I changed my supplemental coverage, from the Postal Workers policy, I was charged approximately $400 per month for my wife and I. At the same time, the postal worker got full coverage for his entire family for only $90. Now you know why the USPS is broke. Oh yes, I was required to join the Postal Workers Union each year!
My point is, you speak as if you’re ill-informed. Our benefits are NOT free.
NO MORE BAILOUTS!!
“””I don’t think the USPS should be abolished but it definitely needs to be “re-invented”. How to go about it, I have no clue because politicians are in charge of that. But it’s a shining example of unions-gone-wild running a company into the ground. A good start; stop Saturday delivery, close smaller post offices, supplement PO’s with 3rd parties - Office Depot, Mailboxes, etc., charge more for 1st class and junk mail, and start dismantling years of asinine union contracts.”””
I agree. When you have a combination of politicians, unions, and government bureaucrats that is a guarantee nothing will change for the better. The Post Office reminds me of Eastern Airlines. The mechanics union refused to budge and the company went out of business. Too bad the same cannot happen to the post office.
THis one is simple. Privatize it. Sell it off lock, stock and barrel.
Someone will buy it, lean it out and have it running much more efficiently than at present.
Evidently you live in a right to work state!!
And if Big Giant Head ISN'T a union employee, THIS is most likely what he has to put up with each day (from comments on site dedicated to postal worker issues):
"...It is about time! Damm time of NON UNION MEMBERS aka SCABS RIDING OFF UNION MEMBERS BACKS AND GETTING THE SAME FRINGE BENEFITS OF UNION PAYING MEMBERS. NO OTHER UNION WOULD EVEN BLINK TO A NON PAYING MEMBER. ONLY THE A.P.W.U. WHO FEELS OBLIGATED TO FILE GRIEVENCES AND DEFEND NON UNION WORKERS IN ANTICIPATION THAT MAYBE THEY WILL JOIN. AROUND, WHERE I COME FROM IF YOUR NOT IN THE CLUB, YOU CAN NOT PLAY! THATS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE WITH THE A.PW.U. AND NON UNION MEMBERS aka SCABS..."
There is some talk there about having to become an APWU associate member to get the same benefits, but it is my suspicion that is like being a little bit pregnant.
Take your “logic” elsewhere. Thanks.
“””I get nothing through the mail that I could not wait a couple of days for cut back delivery to two days a week(Mon. and Wed. and Tues. and Fri.) Fire half the carriers dissolve the union contract and pass a law making it illegal for public employees to unionize!!! “””
I agree. Most people see it the same way. Only those who want big government object to downsizing the post office.
I would go so far to advocate once a week delivery. So if a post office currently has 5 trucks and 5 delivery persons, that would be reduced to one person and one truck.
So on Monday the person would do delivery person #1’s route. Tuesday #2’s route. etc, etc.
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