USPS Price increase, WOW!!! 0

[fastballspecial]

I got stung by international shipping to Canada yesterday. $2.00 increase.

[fastballspecial]

Congress has pretty well ensured the downfall of the USPS sooner or later. The pension requirement was the last strike. I don't see how anyone can recover from that.

 

[01TheDude]

no use whining about the USPS imo-- just update your shipping charges to reflect the costs and move on.

 

I updated all my eBay and just finished upping my price on all my Amazon offerings (since Amazon dictates what the acceptable charge to collect is without regard to real shipping costs). I send my stuff using priority mail-- even though Amazon charges some standard charge for practically everything (3.99 thinking you can simply send it media mail). You can't - well at least not reliably.

 

If someone else wants to take less for their stuff-- great-- good luck. Mine costs this much and that is the bare minimum to get me to pack this stuff up in the first place.

[kav]

Kevin Costner can rectify this mess

[FlyingDonut]

The problems started when Congress decided the USPS needed to be run like a business and fund itself. It's a service provided by the government and should be funded through taxes like everything else - highways, ship ports, airports, etc. How come no one demands that the US interstate system be self-sufficient?

 

This is wrong. Sorry, but you're wrong here.

[FlyingDonut]

We aren't paying to move our packages.

 

We are paying to support bureaucratic mismanagement for decades.

 

 

No we aren't . We are paying to support forward payment of benefits that NO OTHER COMPANY in the history of the world has had to pay. This ruling was made by Congress, and the two leaders of the Congressional committee who pushed this through represent Memphis and Louisville, homes of the shipping hubs of Federal Express and UPS. Such a coincidence.

 

When Congress kills the USPS, and rates to ship things quadruple - and they will - I do hope that everyone who about the USPS remembers what they had.

 

Yes. A thousand times yes.

 

USPS was doing fine until Congress and W started making ridiculous demands. But yeah, blame the Post Office.

 

I've never understood why this was so unreasonable. It just means that when everything else is insolvent because the bill finally came due, that USPS employees might actually get what they were promised. Better than a "trust fund" that is actually just a big stack of IOUs. Benefits cost money, and just passing that buck onto future generations doesn't actually make them easier to pay for in the long run.

 

Because no other business in the history of the world has had to do this. Because the USPS was in a crater and everyone knew it, and putting a requirement to fund 75 years of retirement pension fundings up front will put USPS in a serious hold. Because the two Congressmen who led the fight for this have Louisville and Memphis as their constituencies. Such the coincidence.

[FlyingDonut]

The USPS is required to have 75 years worth of retirement benefits funded. So they are funding retirements for a large number of people that are likely neither currently USPS employees or even born yet.

 

Required. By Congress. No other business in the history of the world has had to do this. And, again, I'm sure it was just a coincidence the the leaders of the subcommittee that put this requirement on USPS represent Louisville and Memphis.

 

Again, when USPS goes away and rates to ship your slab quadruple, I don't want to hear any person_without_enough_empathying whatsoever.

[FlyingDonut]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

Not in dispute.

 

The USPS is not "most employers." It is a unique, quasi-governmental entity, in a position that makes it neither governmental agency nor private enterprise.

 

Further discussion is hampered by the inability to discuss politics, so my posts will, unfortunately, probably still not make any sense to you.

'

It isn't unique. It is larger than other fee-based quasi-governmental agencies, but at the core, it is the same as FDIC, PTO, and some others. The only different is that USPS has large private competitors - although I would strongly argue that USPS' "competitors" don't provide the same service the USPS does.

[FlyingDonut]

USPS's competitors don't have to do the ONE THING that USPS is Congressionally mandated to do - provide Universal Service. Every address in the United States that has a Zip Code must be able to receive mail at the same cost.

 

AND USPS's competitors also can market price their services, which USPS cannot. If I ship a slab to my neighbor next door, it costs exactly the same as if I ship one to RMA in California. If I use FedEx or UPS, that slab to California will cost significantly more.

 

AND USPS's competitors do NOT have to forward fund their retirement plans for 75 years. Then again, no other company EVER has had to do that.

 

Any discussion of USPS and how it has problems must address these three points. If you are not going into a discussion with these three concepts, you are at best naive and misinformed.

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

AND USPS's competitors also can market price their services, which USPS cannot. If I ship a slab to my neighbor next door, it costs exactly the same as if I ship one to RMA in California.

 

That's not true unless you use the flat rate services. It cost me (before this) $5 and some change to ship a slab to my next door neighbor, and a minimum of $9 to ship it to you in Virginia.

 

AND USPS's competitors do NOT have to forward fund their retirement plans for 75 years. Then again, no other company EVER has had to do that.

 

Like most "decades out" governmental programs, this will be resolved long, long before any of those "75 years" are reached. Yes, I understand that's what's happening now. But, like "10 year budgets", which mean nothing to each new Congress, that will be addressed at some point, in some way.

 

[FlyingDonut]

AND USPS's competitors also can market price their services, which USPS cannot. If I ship a slab to my neighbor next door, it costs exactly the same as if I ship one to RMA in California.

 

That's not true unless you use the flat rate services. It cost me (before this) $5 and some change to ship a slab to my next door neighbor, and a minimum of $9 to ship it to you in Virginia.

 

AND USPS's competitors do NOT have to forward fund their retirement plans for 75 years. Then again, no other company EVER has had to do that.

 

Like most "decades out" governmental programs, this will be resolved long, long before any of those "75 years" are reached. Yes, I understand that's what's happening now. But, like "10 year budgets", which mean nothing to each new Congress, that will be addressed at some point, in some way.

 

You're not using flat rate? Shame on you.

 

Yes, there are many problems with USPS - bloat, terrible mismanagement in the 1980s and 1990s, a unwillingness to change with the times during that time period, a rapidly aging workforce, a dramatic drop off in first class mail - but all of those can and are being addressed. The current USPS leadership is outstanding.

 

But they are being completely hamstrung by things that are completely out of their control. To complain about USPS and talk about it against FedEx and UPS is not understanding what the issue is.

[NP_Gresham]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

now, perhaps, usps should not have allowed itself to have such large pension/retirement obligations. that's fair, but those obligations were cut WAYYYY back in 1985..basically if you started work then (and did like 27 or whatever years) you get a pension that is about half as much as workers who started in 1984 or earlier (this was not a usps specific thing, all federal benefits got much less generous)..so 25% of salary vs. 50% of salary for a pre-84 hire. So it seems like a typical mail carier hired after 1984 might be in line for about a $15,000 pension when they retire. better than nothing, but hardly posh living.

Additionally, the USPS is barred from owning its own planes.

Because of typical corporate welfare the USPS is mandated to use the airlines at whatever rates they choose to impose.

[NP_Gresham]

The USPS employers make upwards $60,000 a year.Plus their benefits are some of the best in the country. That might be a problem. Most usps mailman and cashiers make more than cops and firefighters.

Prove any of this.

I quit the USPS and now my wage is over 400% more. I could never have bought a house on the USPS wages. My top earning year was way below those numbers you pulled out of your rear end.

[DeadpoolJr.]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

now, perhaps, usps should not have allowed itself to have such large pension/retirement obligations. that's fair, but those obligations were cut WAYYYY back in 1985..basically if you started work then (and did like 27 or whatever years) you get a pension that is about half as much as workers who started in 1984 or earlier (this was not a usps specific thing, all federal benefits got much less generous)..so 25% of salary vs. 50% of salary for a pre-84 hire. So it seems like a typical mail carier hired after 1984 might be in line for about a $15,000 pension when they retire. better than nothing, but hardly posh living.

Additionally, the USPS is barred from owning its own planes.

Because of typical corporate welfare the USPS is mandated to use the airlines at whatever rates they choose to impose.

No they don't, your just making stuff up now. they have set contract that companies bid on like any other other government contract.

[FlyingDonut]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

now, perhaps, usps should not have allowed itself to have such large pension/retirement obligations. that's fair, but those obligations were cut WAYYYY back in 1985..basically if you started work then (and did like 27 or whatever years) you get a pension that is about half as much as workers who started in 1984 or earlier (this was not a usps specific thing, all federal benefits got much less generous)..so 25% of salary vs. 50% of salary for a pre-84 hire. So it seems like a typical mail carier hired after 1984 might be in line for about a $15,000 pension when they retire. better than nothing, but hardly posh living.

Additionally, the USPS is barred from owning its own planes.

Because of typical corporate welfare the USPS is mandated to use the airlines at whatever rates they choose to impose.

No they don't, your just making stuff up now. they have set contract that companies bid on like any other other government contract.

 

You're saying the same thing. The USPS cannot own its own planes. They bid it out, but they have to pay for the planes.

[NP_Gresham]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

now, perhaps, usps should not have allowed itself to have such large pension/retirement obligations. that's fair, but those obligations were cut WAYYYY back in 1985..basically if you started work then (and did like 27 or whatever years) you get a pension that is about half as much as workers who started in 1984 or earlier (this was not a usps specific thing, all federal benefits got much less generous)..so 25% of salary vs. 50% of salary for a pre-84 hire. So it seems like a typical mail carier hired after 1984 might be in line for about a $15,000 pension when they retire. better than nothing, but hardly posh living.

Additionally, the USPS is barred from owning its own planes.

Because of typical corporate welfare the USPS is mandated to use the airlines at whatever rates they choose to impose.

No they don't, your just making stuff up now. they have set contract that companies bid on like any other other government contract.

Wrong, in real competition the USPS buys its own planes like its competitors do. Who do you think lobbied to saddle the USPS with airline contracts besides the airlines?

[kav]

I'm gonna start carpet bombing this thread with Kav posts now

[DeadpoolJr.]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

now, perhaps, usps should not have allowed itself to have such large pension/retirement obligations. that's fair, but those obligations were cut WAYYYY back in 1985..basically if you started work then (and did like 27 or whatever years) you get a pension that is about half as much as workers who started in 1984 or earlier (this was not a usps specific thing, all federal benefits got much less generous)..so 25% of salary vs. 50% of salary for a pre-84 hire. So it seems like a typical mail carier hired after 1984 might be in line for about a $15,000 pension when they retire. better than nothing, but hardly posh living.

Additionally, the USPS is barred from owning its own planes.

Because of typical corporate welfare the USPS is mandated to use the airlines at whatever rates they choose to impose.

No they don't, your just making stuff up now. they have set contract that companies bid on like any other other government contract.

Wrong, in real competition the USPS buys its own planes like its competition does. Who do you think lobbied to saddle the USPS with airline contracts besides the airlines?

You seem to use trigger words like corporation, and lobbyist without knowing about them. It was a bid contract where USP lost out and FedEx got it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-04-23/fedex-to-fly-mail-for-postal-service-for-10-5-billion

 

You know that the USPS has lobbyist themselves also, or that much of FedEx's, and USPS's lobbying funds also help the USPS right?

 

https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00010322&cycle=2016

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000143&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientissues.php?id=D000000089&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/issuesum.php?id=POS&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=M01&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000030737

[darkstar]

I'm gonna start carpet bombing this thread with Kav posts now

 

can you tell me the start and end dates for each comic age?

[NP_Gresham]

Who do you think manages the USPS? The bureaucracy. The forward payment of benefits was precisely what I had in mind when I made my post in the first place....and that is a direct result of bureaucratic mismanagement.

 

Congress doesn't manage anything. The bureaucracy does. Congress only legislates.

-------

 

RMA, your post makes no sense. There may very well be mismanagement. But that's not what is in play on this issue. At the bequest of USPS competitors, Congress imposed a rule that other agencies and businesses do not have to follow, jacking up their costs exponentially requiring stuff to be pre-funded entirely that most employers do not.

 

now, perhaps, usps should not have allowed itself to have such large pension/retirement obligations. that's fair, but those obligations were cut WAYYYY back in 1985..basically if you started work then (and did like 27 or whatever years) you get a pension that is about half as much as workers who started in 1984 or earlier (this was not a usps specific thing, all federal benefits got much less generous)..so 25% of salary vs. 50% of salary for a pre-84 hire. So it seems like a typical mail carier hired after 1984 might be in line for about a $15,000 pension when they retire. better than nothing, but hardly posh living.

Additionally, the USPS is barred from owning its own planes.

Because of typical corporate welfare the USPS is mandated to use the airlines at whatever rates they choose to impose.

No they don't, your just making stuff up now. they have set contract that companies bid on like any other other government contract.

Wrong, in real competition the USPS buys its own planes like its competition does. Who do you think lobbied to saddle the USPS with airline contracts besides the airlines?

You seem to use trigger words like corporation, and lobbyist without knowing about them. It was a bid contract where USP lost out and FedEx got it. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-04-23/fedex-to-fly-mail-for-postal-service-for-10-5-billion

 

You know that the USPS has lobbyist themselves also, or that much of FedEx's, and USPS's lobbying funds also help the USPS right?

 

https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00010322&cycle=2016

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000143&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientissues.php?id=D000000089&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/issuesum.php?id=POS&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indusclient.php?id=M01&year=2015

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000030737

 

From your own links

 

"All contributions to candidates from US Postal Service came from individuals"

 

Bottom line (if you actually READ) the USPS is FORCED to use airlines either passenger or freight, because they can not buy their own planes. UPS and FEDEX bid on the lucrative contracts (using the words in your linked article) because they HAVE THE PLANES. They profit from the USPS and actively lobby to force the USPS into contracts they wouldn't need if they could own their own fleet.

Corporate welfare