Bailout of the US Postal Service?

Haha this is funny................30 years from now our kids will be bailing out the USHS..........United States Healthcare System. If this doesn't prove how obsolete and inefficient government is I don't know what does. Although I don't like using UPS/Fed Ex, they are actually fairly pricey for sending small packages and other documents through the mail......I agree the USPS needs some major overhauls. But are you crazy? Those people who are USPS employees would riot if they thought their jobs were in jeopardy. Most of them have a cake job with great benefits like most gubmint employees.

reply to post by Jvillezbank


Uspc always suffers during recessions. Last year gas prices crippled them. Gov just needs to fund it better during these times.

We don't say the military is getting a bailout each time they need more funds for war. Or nasa. Or the cia. Or any other gov agency.. why the usps

i think with there current prices people are just using alternative companies i know it has made me look for better pricing on several occasions
maybe they have priced themselves outta work

The problem, that I see, with privatizing the postal system is that UPS and Fed-Ex (and any other competitors) would essentially have to both cover the same territory, even though they were splitting business, effectively doubling transportation-related costs.

This is why I'm not convinced that prices could be brought down to less than what they already are with our centralized postal service.

This is why business still relies heavily on USPS, I think. It's cheaper for them. And what's cheaper for them, is probably ultimately cheaper for us (you certainly don't think that they would be the ones to take on the increased price of shipping, do you?).

Of course, I could be completely off base here. I'll try to dig up some data and run some numbers later tonight.

[edit on 6-8-2009 by theWCH]

reply to post by theWCH


The USPS is NOT tax payer funded. They make their revenue off of the products they sell. They are considered an autonomous branch of the US Government, and have not been taxpayer funded since 1982.

This is the reason they suffer during recessions. Gas prices go up, but people aren't rushing out to send packages and letters.

USPS Performance: self-sufficiency

[edit on 8-6-2009 by rogerstigers]

Funding the USPS would be a good idea because the government option keeps private companies like FedEx and UPS from raising prices, although historically the USPS can be pricier. Ought be made more efficient I s'pose.