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| Economy |
| Pres. Trump threatens to block aid for U.S. post office if it does not raise prices for Amazon |
| 2020-04-25 |
 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to block federal aid for the U.S. Postal Service unless it raises shipping rates for online companies like Amazon.com, prompting criticism that the move would hurt consumers relying more than usual on packages during the coronavirus outbreak. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #17 TW, that's a wonderful, succinct statement. There are some things that just need to continue, regardless. Of course which things is a good subject for discussion. Let me know then the rent-seekers hounding congress get the bitch slap they so deserve. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2020-04-25 17:12 |
| #16 Also, mail and packages from China. Let’s introduce some reality into their calculations. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2020-04-25 15:43 |
| #15 Negotiating tactic. He doesn’t want to cut money from the postal service, he wants to be the bad cop to give the USPS ammunition to renegotiate Amazon’s fee structure. Perhaps he would have felt differently had Amazon not lined up with the rest of the internet new industry bien pensants in opposing him, and turned the Washington Post to the purpose. We need a national postal service because the private carriers — FedEx, et al — are only interested in sending their trucks where the population density makes it profitable. Without a non-profit entity, vast swathes of the country would have no delivery whatsoever., which would impact not only their receipt of junk mail but also shipments from Amazon. After this definitely do junk mail, Mr. President. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2020-04-25 15:41 |
| #14 /\ So then what is Trump bitching about then? Besides, as I mentioned in #5, he just needs to butt out. On a side note, it appears that with the massive bail-outs and influx of money from the Treasury and the Federal Reserve, losses pretty much don't matter any more. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-25 12:47 |
| #13 Maybe because the Constitution says so - The Powers of CongressArticle I Section 8, the following: 7. To establish post offices and post roads; It doesn't say make a profit. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2020-04-25 12:35 |
| #12 I have remarked to my wife on many occasions that the only thing I get in my mailbox is junk mail -- literally, every bill I have is delivered online/auto-pay. Seriously, why have a government-operated postal service in this day and age? Are there legit benefits, other than keeping a bunch of people employed with government jobs? |
| Posted by: Jack Bonaparte7513 2020-04-25 11:34 |
| #11 /\ Makes all the sense in the world. It is also one of the problems (if not THE problem) they are having in Illinois. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-25 11:11 |
| #10 So, I have heard from a worker at the post office that the reason the Post Office is looking for a bailout has NOTHING to do with their package load, and EVERYTHING to do with their pension scheme, which they have determined is underfunded (probably due to the stock market shenanigans, honestly). I don't favor a bailout for them, under any circumstances, but it is always worth nothing just how heavily the US subsidizes mail and packages that ship from 3rd world countries as well (a far great discount than anybody in the country, including Amazon, receives). |
| Posted by: Vernal Hatrick 2020-04-25 11:08 |
| #9 @ #6 - Just what is a "fair share"? |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-25 11:07 |
| #8 prompting criticism that the move would hurt consumers relying more than usual on packages during the coronavirus outbreak. Might as well. User should pay for it, not society. Anne do the same for welfare for low-paid Amazon workers. |
| Posted by: gorb 2020-04-25 10:31 |
| #7 The US Post Office has been losing billions of dollars for years and years, and not because they are efficient. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-25 10:23 |
| #6 About time Amazon oligarchs pay their fair share. Wonder where the Washington Post falls on this issue? |
| Posted by: Regular joe 2020-04-25 09:40 |
| #5 A deal's a deal, Mr. President. Please butt out. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-25 08:45 |
| #4 Remember, the more you subsidize the more you get. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2020-04-25 08:25 |
| #3 ^ |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2020-04-25 08:24 |
| #2 Maybe just charge full price for bulk junk mail. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2020-04-25 05:12 |
| #1 No half-measures please. I recommend a Pilot Program. Pick a hand full of States and turn residential and small business US Mail delivery function over to Amazon. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-04-25 05:06 |