No More Saturday Mail Delivery
Whatever. I guess I can live with two days in a row of no catalogues, no bills, no special offers. But if the Post Office cuts any more delivery days, I might have to start watching Netflix movies online instead of receiving DVDs in the mail. 21st century, here I come.
But most people are aware — or should be — that the Post Office’s problems haven’t been caused by Saturday mail delivery, or e-mail replacing snail mail, etc.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been drowning in red ink because of Congress’ braindead Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. This bill was introduced and passed in December of 2006 by a lame duck Congress. Dumbya signed it. And both parties voted overwhelmingly in favor of this bone-stupid law, so you can’t even blame Republicans. Not entirely anyway.
Because of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the U.S. Postal Service is required to pre-fund all employees’ retirement pensions for the next seventy-five years. Name ONE other government agency — or ONE private company — that’s required to do this. That’s right, you can’t.
And THAT’S why the Post Office needs to eliminate Saturday mail delivery, starting in August. But that’s OK; we’ll still have mail delivery five days a week. For now.
In just a few decades, your neighborhood mailman (or woman) has gone from being an icon of Americana to just another overpaid government bureaucrat. Same with teachers, government employees in general, labor unions…
In the 1950s and early ‘60s, even Republicans paid glowing tribute to labor unions. Maybe they didn’t mean any of it, but they didn’t dare say otherwise. What happened between then and now? And who will be the next group to go from hero to villain? Which occupation — which segment of society — will devolve from today’s integral part of our culture to tomorrow’s lazy meddling bureaucrat who should be replaced by the private sector?
Labels: Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, Saturday mail delivery
posted by Tom Harper @ 2:04 PM
9 Comments:
How about Congress?
There was a concern that this might hurt the deliver-ability of mail-in voter ballots as well as tax forms around April 15th.
I heard some radio interviews on CBS Radio regarding this, and the people acted like they didn't care - saying things like "Great no more Junk Mail", "I tweet anyway", "They wasted too much money, let a private company take them over!" (that last one must of been a Republican).
The mail is still the most secure way to send a message, theft is relatively low as opposed to e- messages. We are in real trouble if we all have to convert to e-communications instead of mail, if we do, then I'm going into the permanent hacking business.
The Big Reason why UPS and Fed-Ex Prosper is because they get the choice cuts of delivery areas, they don't want the postal routes and know they can't deliver for only 45 cents
We must save the Post Office
Erik
Good post and comments. I don't want to lose the postal system!
It's good to see them cutting costs! ...lol.
What they need to do, is figure out a way to get the FUCKING ASSHOLES from wasting all the time at the branches. You know, people buying just one stamp, or asking questions about just one stamp...
Just think of "efficiency rewards", if they put up a big display in front : FREE STAMP - IF YOU ONLY TAKE ONE, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, and LEAVE NOW!
Sort of like how before tomatoes got so expensive, ketchup packets used to be made available, the annoying among us got to take a few extra ketchup packets, got to "screw the man/clown", and all was ok.
Don't worry, private enterprise and their legendary perfection will pick up the slack.
The GoOpers want to privatize USPS like they have done with other things. Ever noticed that if you take stuff to Fed Ex or bog brown it is about 50% more to ship than USPS. Lot of donations must have gone to the fright wing to make this shit happen.
Jerry: LOL. Congress certainly belongs in that category. Corporate donors love congress critters because they're so easy to purchase; other than that, Congress serves no purpose.
Erik: We definitely need the Postal Service, as inefficient as they are. UPS and FedEx are great if you live in an urban area, but they aren't gonna deliver mail to South Bumfuck, Nevada.
Life: No, we definitely can't afford to lose it.
Randal: Ah yes, someday we'll have a bunch of minimum wage employees scurrying their asses off to deliver the mail, and we'll be paying $1 for a postage stamp. Can't wait.
Jess: I think that's exactly Congress' motive, to eliminate the Post Office as their Fed Ex/UPS donors have insisted. And besides, what good are all these Voter ID laws doing if people can vote through the mail?
Endnote:
Back in the 70's Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. (I said Junior) introduced a bill the allow Corporate Sponsoring of Stamps. You would pay the same rate, but because Coco-Cola paid a large fee, the Post Office would make more of a profit- I never heard about it again.
Every time I hear about Post Office money problems I think they should have followed Mr Goldwater’s idea. Today they wouldn’t made as much money, but with sponsors like Microsoft, and Walmart they would have still made some money.
I happened to contact him a few years ago (he was amazed I still remembered) and he said the Stamp Collector Lobby defeated the bill (who knew there was one?)
Erik
Erik: Thanks for the info. I didn't know any of that. I think that law made sense. A stamp collector lobby -- I guess every hobby has its lobbyists.
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