U.S. Postal Service Has Not Earned a Profit in Almost a Decade

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: neo96

So that's an excuse to privatize it an put it in the hands of corporatations that have NO accountability to the people?

At least the USPS has the proper channels in place for some kind of public accountability.

I suppose you all are for private police forces, private prisons, private court systems, private fire departments.

"Dang Gary, you should have upgraded to the platinum police plan --they won't respond to any act of violence unless it involves a firearm. You're leaving yourself pretty exposed..."

If a private service costs more, how much more?

Why should I have to pay taxes to have your mail delivered?

If the USPS had died a natural death in the 1800's, the postal rates would be lower and less able to be intercepted at any time by the political entrepreneurs

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: ketsuko

Except that's not what happened. I don't know where you got this notion.

From your own post.

Congress passed a mandate. There was nothing about any kind of restructuring or plan to go with it.

a reply to: ketsuko

What is it that you think Congress mandated?

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: ketsuko

What is it that you think Congress mandated?

That the postal service must be solvent.

Congress does this all the time. They do not have to pass plans. These are called unfunded mandates among other things. CAFE standards are another good example. They set standards for car companies, but they don't tell anyone how to reach those standards.

So, just because a standard has been mandated doesn't mean there is any workable plan for how they will or can get there.

It satisfies the idea that something has been done, but the reality is that no one really knows what should be done. All they did is kick the can down the road to another Congress.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

I am for Privatizing the Dinosaur that is the USPS . It has been Done with the Federal Prison System, and Privatization would also Force the USPS to be Competitive in the Mail and Package Delivery Business or Face Bankruptcy . Forget To Big To Fail , Just like in the Animal Kingdom , Social Darwinism Dictates the Survival of the Fittest , and the Inevitable Extinction of Life Forms that Cannot Adapt or Change .

a reply to: ketsuko

I'm not seeing the similarities. Congress didn't pass a bill that mandated the USPS be solvent. They passed a bill that mandated the USPS must fund its benefits package for the next 70 years, within 10 years. The USPS has had to pay 5.5 billion/year since 2006.

Without that mandate the USPS would be profiting 1B a year.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

So that's an excuse to privatize it an put it in the hands of corporatations that have NO accountability to the people?

Corporations don't scare me.

Government does.

a reply to: neo96

They should Both Scare All of us . The Perfect Marriage of Power.................

Only in the People's Republic of America does 'corporation' become a dirty word.

Comrades.

a reply to: neo96

Mussolini is that you?

a reply to: neo96

Only in the People's Republic of America does 'Mafia/AKA Organized Crime' become a dirty word.

Wiseguys .

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: neo96

Mussolini is that you?

Mao is that you?

originally posted by: Zanti Misfit
a reply to: neo96

Only in the People's Republic of America does 'Mafia/AKA Organized Crime' become a dirty word.

Wiseguys .

That's what the Us Government is.and the USPS

Where else can one blow 50 billion dollars and not be called a 'criminal'.

When the USPS does make a "profit", who gets the money?

originally posted by: xuenchen
When the USPS does make a "profit", who gets the money?

I believe it works the same way as the Federal Reserve does.

a reply to: neo96

I'm not advocating for state control over everything, you're advocating for corporate control over everything.

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: neo96

I'm not advocating for state control over everything, you're advocating for corporate control over everything.

NEITHER am I.

As I said earlier getting government out of the business of owning business.

Doesn't make one 'Mussolini'.

a reply to: neo96

Privatize everything... you're not advocating for that?

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: ketsuko

I'm not seeing the similarities. Congress didn't pass a bill that mandated the USPS be solvent. They passed a bill that mandated the USPS must fund its benefits package for the next 70 years, within 10 years. The USPS has had to pay 5.5 billion/year since 2006.

Without that mandate the USPS would be profiting 1B a year.

Lol! A business that can't fund itself rapidly ceases to be a business.

If they couldn't pay for the benefits they promised their workers, then they shouldn't have made that promise. And if that promise puts them underwater, then they deserve to go out of business. In a normal market, that's how it works, and that's why normal employees at normal businesses do not get the kinds of benefits packages that government employees. They are economically stupid.

Without the mandate, WE would be subsidizing the USPS and there still would be NO profit. That 1B isn't enough to cover the idiotic promises no one could afford to pay the USPS employees, and if the company isn't paying it's way because it's being subsidized, that 1B isn't a profit, it's just money that makes you feel better about the situation while the whole ship is still sinking. Call it the pump working overtime on the Titanic.

a reply to: ketsuko

You're still lost. 1B profit after they've paid for everything including their salary and benefits obligations for the year... you know like most businesses and government agencies do... not 70 years in advance.