Some Facts You May Not Know About The United States Postal Service

[Playinghardball]

The party that’s always yelling about the Constitution is choosing to conveniently ignore it when it comes to this.



Found on ARM’s Facebook page/MoveOn.org

[lib2DaBone]

1. I love my post office...

The people are friendly... and the one-size ships all envelops are great.

My neighborhood mail carrier even delivers books, packages and magazines to my door, so I don't have to walk out to the street mail box.

As usual, the Republicans, Tea Bags, Conservative, Nut-case obstructionists are the problem.

[meti57b]

7. I completely agree with all the above!!! ....well-said!!!

[Cresent City Kid]

21. UPS dumps my stuff anywhere, no need to stop the truck

I also recommend the flat rate shipping boxes, two days from rural Texas to rural Oregon for cheap, arrived on a Saturday. My incoming UPS package from Las Vegas took the weekend off and ended up in the grass in 40 degree weather, not good for electronics.

Also, my uncle was a lifetime carrier and has a comfortable pension. Not extravagant, but well earned. It's the kind of thing we can do if we had our priorties straight. I watched Michael Moore's Sicko last night and was flabergasted with what Canada, France and Great Britain can do for their people without the some of the advantages of resources we have here.

[green for victory]

27. 2 democrats co-sponsored H.R. 6407

As usual, the Republicans, Tea Bags, Conservative, Nut-case obstructionists are the problem.

assumptions are,among other things, killing this country

H.R. 6407 (109th): Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/109/hr6407

Cosponsors:
show cosponsors (3)
Davis, Danny<<<DEMOCRAT
McHugh, John
Waxman, Henry<<<<<BIG TIME DEMOCRAT

going to hold these creeps accountable?

[southern_belle]

2. Thank you

for bringing this issue up.

[rhett o rick]

3. Has there been any talk about privatizing the trust fund.

Can someone explain to me what pre-funding health benefits for 75 years means?

[ReRe]

9. It was one of those many greedy grabs by GWB...

... in order to weaken/place burden on the postal system so that it would fail. Then the greedsters could come in and say "See, gubment doesn't work, so it will have to be privatized!" Greed has no bounds.

[Kingofalldems]

4. K and R for the NALC

[bagimin]

5. a self-serving K&R

[mrmpa]

6. Another fact..................

My older brother will retire from the Post Office on Friday of this week @ the end of business. He has about 28 years in, he took the buyout they offered.

He has a part time job lined up. One of his customers is in every day with packages to ship from his pharmacy. Since my brother knows all the ways to ship, he will be packaging the shipments daily & delivering them to the Post Office for shipment. The customer really likes my brother.

Another fact, my mother retired from the Post Office in 1990. She is now 82.

[Brigid]

8. This is all well and good. Many excellent points made.

But I just want to know how to stop all the stupid junk mail. It really is a nuisance.

[KoKo]

11. Our Internet now has tons of Ads so does Network and Cable.. So...

Junk Mail kept the PO going.

There's just not enough people who want to view the ads and deal with the junk mail to support it all.

I'll take some Junk Mail to support our Post Office...but, with Newspapers and others in hard times...the lack of folks mailing cards or writing letters to each other because of the ease of E-Mail and Facebook (other social media) it's tough times for them.

I miss the cards and letters and wonder if once the "Hooplah" over the Internet/Social Media starts to take on the same problems as what we all LEFT...that a resurgence of the "OLD" will take place.

Stranger things have happened. I can actually still buy "VHS" tapes to record shows with my old VHS Recorder while I still can watch what I want in Blue Ray when I so choose. I have access to much media but still like to watch my old VHS on multi player and in a pinch record a PBS on VHS that I missed to view later.

It's all good and if the PO can hold on...they might gain back something and innovate for the rest of it. Just saying ........

[frogmarch]

10. K&R I didn't know this.

Thanks!

I mailed several packages USPS Priority today. I'd compared shipping costs online between USPS, UPS and Fedex, and I saved a bundle shipping by USPS. I sent four packages for what UPS and Fedex would have charged for just one of the packages.

After reading your post, I support USPS for an even better reason than its having lower shipping costs than UPS and Fedex.

[ReRe]

12. K&R

Last edited Mon Dec 10, 2012, 10:23 PM - Edit history (1)

times 1 gazillion. This needs to go viral in the big cloud. VIRAL.
Rock on, USPS

[freckleface]

15. Another lame-duck, lame-brained piece of legislation

brought to us by the ilk of those who are bringing shame to the state of Michigan! There isn't a corporation in the world that would require funding retirement within a 10 year window for workers for the next 75 years! It was rammed through before Speaker Pelosi took the gavel. Closing small rural post offices will cripple small businesses and create hardships for seniors who get their meds by mail Unfortunately, this seems to be what the repubs (and some Dems) are talking about... actual translation: privatization. In addition, UPS and Fed-Ex do not deliver to all remote locations. The USPS completes the delivery!

I will gladly recycle all junk mail, call, write, petition and generally annoy pols to support an historic part of Americana which provides such a vital service.

[ReRe]

16. Like Alan Grayson, their answer to senior citizens in rural areas whose meds are delayed:

"Die". Remember when Rawmoney said he would repeal Obamacare if he was elected? Why did Congress not repeal this insane postal law when they had the majority in 2009-2010? I hope it is something that could squeak thru in the 113th Congress, and for sure after the 2014 mid term election when we retake the House.

Welcome to DU!

[freckleface]

36. Absolutely right; Speaker Pelosi should have brought this to the fore out of the gate.

Haven't spent a lot of time on computer lately; not sure how much time allowed for responses, but...
Thank you for the welcome!

[green for victory]

25. H.R. 6407 was co sponsored by Waxman (D)

H.R. 6407 (109th): Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act

Cosponsors:
show cosponsors (3)
Davis, Danny [D-IL7]
McHugh, John [R-NY23]
Waxman, Henry [D-CA30]

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/109/hr6407

then look at the weasel run around his backyard doing CMA

Waxman Opposes USPS' Decision To Sell Santa Monica Post Office

Rep. Waxman Responds to Possible Sale of Beverly Hills Post Office

Rep. Henry Waxman: Save the Venice Post Office. - Change.org

[loudsue]

13. You know...I'm fixin' to take up the Post Office's cause. Drawing the line @ privatization

should start with the mail. The Schools. The Prisons. The Military.

Some things our tax dollars DON'T HAVE TO PAY PROFITS ON!

[Danmel]

14. my mail didnt come till 7 pm tonite

Saturday at 6:45. My service is atrocious.

[We People]

17. I think there have been some recent cutbacks of service and probably layoffs, so it wouldn't be

surprising if mail carriers are now having to do the jobs of 1-1/2 people now. I know that the people in the local post office are always shorthanded. They're always busy at Christmas time, and it's even worse this year. Still, at least we still have mail delivery now, and it would be much worse if it gets shut down.

There are some people out there who know little to nothing about this USPS crisis and they're loudly complaining how bad it is, and how we don't need it anyway. That's just icing on the cake to the Corporatocracy and their congressional shills.

[Danmel]

18. i am sure that is true & trust me, i am a pro-worker person

But this guy takes naps (i have seen him) and apparently does not have any medical issues. We have never gotten our mail before 4:30-5:00. Now it is closer to 7 pm. There have been days (without bad weather) when we hace had no delivery at all. It is ridiculous.

[Occulus]

20. Where, in general, are you located?

[Danmel]

23. long island

[Occulus]

24. Yeah, I thought your claims were impossible

but I had to be sure.

I work for USPS ans have for more than 15 years. Our carriers' clock rings are measured by the 1/100th of an hour and are tracked by remote. Scrupulously. What you're describing cannot- literally, can not- be true.

Your stated delivery times are also impossible. I know this to a 100% certainty because, among other things, I'm a dispatcher FOR carriers, and I know for a fact that we do not, ever, deliver mail so late as you claim. It simply does not happen, period.

Frankly, you're outright lying.

[Danmel]

28. no, i am not lying

Our mail was delivered at 6:59 pm yesterday, Monday.
The day after Veterans Day, which was Tuesday the 13 th, it was not delivered at all in my neighborhood. This past Daturday, it was delivered after 6 pm. I resent you calling me a liar.

[lbrtbell]

29. Danmel is not lying

I have a friend in L.A. who routinely gets his mail between 5pm and 7pm.

I strongly support the USPS, but that doesn't mean there aren't screw-off workers there who make the USPS look bad.

One time, I received a rolled poster in the mail. The mail carrier folded the tube in thirds (what kind of strength did THAT take?) and crammed it into our curb mailbox. But when I called to complain, his supervisor reamed him a new one.

I've been writing to many penpals since 1980, so I obviously LOVE the USPS! But there's a rotten apple in every bushel. If there's a problem with the service, call and let the local post office know. They want to help.

[Occulus]

38. USPS has not delivered mail in the evening since the 1980s.

We simply do not do what you're claiming.

[drmeow]

34. Are there not regional

and/or local supervisors? Maybe the region that covers where you work is better run than the region that covers LI. Maybe it is a very local problem. I remember having some pretty crappy mail delivery on LI (admittedly over 10 years ago) but have always had very good service here in AZ (except that they keep delivering the mail for the ### West Streetname to my house at ### East Streetname (my partner gets really pissed at the carrier and just complained at the post office about it - I blame the sorters more than the carrier for that).

[drmeow]

33. I had some pretty crappy

mail service on LI myself.

Have you contacted the post office to complain/report? Supervisors don't necessarily know about poor performance in those sorts of jobs unless someone complains. It could be as simple as calling the post office and asking why you didn't receive a mail delivery on a certain day (not filing a complaint, just asking a question).

[Danmel]

35. I have

That is how I know he isn't napping because he is sick. I was told they can't do anything about delivery time-apparently 7 pm is ok, but failure to deliver is unacceptable. Let's see how late we go tonight.

[Occulus]

37. That is flat-out untrue

[Danmel]

41. I would very much appreciate it if you stop calling me a liar.

Nothing that I have said is untrue or even an exaggeration. I was told in person by my area manager that she can't do anything about the delivery time. She said the failure to deliver would be addressed. It has happened on more than one occasion when there were no weather issues like snow or hurricanes. I don't know why you insist that I am lying, but it is extremely rude and totally inappropriate for you to call me a liar. I am not delusional, suffering from dementia or possessed of a vendetta against the postal service. I was simply relaying the truth about my delivery issues.
I am awaiting your apology.

[Egalitarian Thug]

30. Gee, I wonder why that might be?

[Occulus]

39. His and the other's claims are simply not possible

Our delivery schedules are set nationally for mornings, mostly because of the airlines we use to transport mail long distances, but also because of when the mail gets processed for delivery. I've done all the related jobs except the actual deliveries, and thus know when they occur.

I've seen liars on USPS thread on DU before. I can counter them, because I apparently know the system more intimately than anyone else here. If there are postal employees on DU with more experience than I have, I don't know they post here.

In virtually every way, I seem to be the only thing DU has resembling an expert on this topic. I say this out of mystification, and not to brag. WHERE are the other postal workers? Am I really the ONLY one here?

[Egalitarian Thug]

40. You know that the USPS is far from uniform, don't you?

I have two close relatives that work for them in AZ. I talked to one yesterday and told her about what you wrote (remote tracking and clock rings), no such thing there. Didn't even know what you were talking about.

OTOH they are using a prototype system (I forgot the name) that pre-sorts their flats before it's brought out to the station. Of course it doesn't work very well and they have to re-do it when it gets there in addition to adding the stuff the machine can't handle. Last Friday her mail didn't get to her until almost noon, as a result she was not finished with her route until a little after 6.

They are regularly losing positions and are having new counts(?) two and three times a year, all to reduce the carriers pay.

The bottom line to all of this is that there is a determined effort going on in Congress to fuck up the best mail delivery system in the world.

[DirkGently]

19. The Post Office is a true example of "exceptional" Americanism.

It works. And it helps people. And it makes no one rich in the process. Therefore, apparently, it must be destroyed.

[Egalitarian Thug]

22. USPS is the envy of the world, just about the only thing left that we do well,

and we just can't stop shitting on it.

[HiPointDem]

26. kr. this is the same pre-funding scam used on social security & on many public pensions.

[Gregorian]

31. Wow!

[drmeow]

32. I do a decent amount

of foreign travel and used to send post cards to everyone from overseas (now I just send them to my nieces and nephews). The US postal service is cheaper than any other postal service I've used (based on how much it costs to send a post card to Europe from the US vs to the US from Europe) and more efficient. You would not believe how expensive it is to send mail in other countries!

I have stopped using UPS for my personal shipping (I wish I had a choice when shopping on-line but I don't). I will even pay more to use USPS rather than UPS or Fed Ex because I not only support the post office but I also reject the downright abuse of UPS "contract" employees.