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2009-08-16 Economy

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Posted by Anonymoose 2009-08-16 10:50|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 The USPS has a mandated (read Federal Law) service requirement. They are not ALLOWED to alter that requirement. To me that means they are NOT a private company. They are a federal organization mandated to pay for itself through fees and Congress approves those fees.

I know that some don't like the USPS but at least in Idaho we have good service. My regular delivery man is working serious overtime and they (management) are talking about consolidating routes which will probably aggravate the problem. Of course full time employees on overtime and double time has to be a real budget killer but for some reason (??) there is no budget for temp workers that could bring that cost down when folks are sick or on vacation. Can't blame this one on the Unions.

Considering the final word in management is the Congress it is amazing to me that they don't have more problems.

Posted by tipover 2009-08-16 14:04|| 2009-08-16 14:04|| Front Page Top

#2 I read somewhere that the USPS is bound by law to contribute sizeable sums of money to pay for their employees retirement expenses, way over & above what other companies do. I also know that labor contracts forbid the USPS to lay off employees. The USPS position sounds impossible, if so things can only go from bad to worse. Perhaps the only solution is to have the USPS go bankrupt & re-organize a la GM & Chrysler.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-08-16 15:17|| 2009-08-16 15:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Apparently there are a lot of other 'gotcha's' in the financing of the USPS. Found this on a blog somewhere, supposed to be from a USPS employee: If a person works for the US Military,GSA,Forestry Service,Dept. of Interior,
the Federal Gov't.,etc, but retires from the USPS, the entire retirement is charged to the USPS. DOD spends no money for the 4 ,8,or 12 year stint. Ditto the other agencies. This becomes a stamp tax on every US citizen.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-08-16 15:35|| 2009-08-16 15:35|| Front Page Top

#4 I've not seen service to match the US post office elsewhere in the world, nor price either. I realize my experience is limited to Europe, though, so perhaps elsewhere there is a national postal service that does exceed the American one.

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-08-16 15:46|| 2009-08-16 15:46|| Front Page Top

#5 If you're sending a batch of Christmas cards from a German Post Office you'd better bring a rather large sack of Euors.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-08-16 15:49|| 2009-08-16 15:49|| Front Page Top

#6 Obama cited the USPS as an example of a government agency that can't compete successfully with the private sector but asserted that a similar agency in the form of a public healthcare insurance option is needed - by his logic - to provide competition to the private health insurance companies.

And the USPS is having problems meeting its health and pension obligations.

Is this not amusing?

Posted by WTF 2009-08-16 17:49|| 2009-08-16 17:49|| Front Page Top

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