posted on November 6, 2002 07:18:56 PM
USPS announced yesterday that an accountant found they were overfunding their pension plan by a couple Billion so there would be no postal rate increases forthcomming for several years.
I'll bet it never occurred to anybody there to DECREASE rates with the found money.
But it hurts the economy having the unnecessary higher rates, especially internet sales. The new Priority rates for Zones not only complicates things, but hurts my sales of heavy items to the Left Coast. It costs over $10 to send 4 lbs now from Detroit to LA.
posted on November 6, 2002 10:13:02 PM
The government wants to get rid of pennies to save a billion or more a year. Now that would be fine if the money saved trickled down to the people, but it never does.
It would most likely go to adding another benefit to government workers, or how about another pay raise.
It doesn't surprise me that the post office
will not opt to lower postage.
posted on November 18, 2002 06:05:52 AM
koto1
posted on November 17, 2002 10:42:17 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmmm...sounds like you have a beef with federal employees
Just curious, what side are you on? Based on your post below (from the other current USPS thread), it is hard to be sure.
posted on November 17, 2002 08:29:37 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The problem with the Postal Service is that the agency is totally top heavy; they have almost as many "supervisors" as they do carriers and counter personnel. It's ridiculous.
One thing they could do to increase incoming monies is to do away with the bulk rate mail they offer for all of the magazines and junk mail out there. Imagine the increase in revenue if they just charged everyone the same amount for mailing, regardless of the item. Of course, they could still offer the discount for non-profits and charities.
Another is to cut the funding of the US cycling team, as mentioned by someone earlier. I can appreciate the support they give to the Olympic team, but 24 million? For this people are losing their jobs, and service at the offices will be lacking more than they already are?
Finally, what the Postal Service did with Priority Mail in the previous rate increases was totally idiotic. I'm sure many eBayers, like myself, started shipping more through FedEx and UPS. So, instead of increasing revenue, the Postal Service most likely actually decreased revenue by decreasing volume. In my opinion it wasn't a very smart business move.
I'm a federal employee (thankfully with an agency most Americans think highly of), and what the US Postal Service has done over the past 4-5 years, combined with the lack of service both in delivery and at the Post Office counter, is embarassing to me.
posted on November 18, 2002 12:33:28 PM
Even though I think the USPS is incompetent, they are not THAT incompetent. There is no doubt in my mind that they knew about this, but decided to pass the high rate increase because there would be some sympathy because of 9/11 - They took advantage of us to get a rate increase across with no opposition when there should have been tons of it. I am glad the rates will stay the same until 2006, but they are much too high compared to a couple of years ago, and I have no doubt that it has affected sales a great deal. I can tell you that I used to buy things on ebay, some for resale, but with the new rates, it cuts into the slim profit margin enough to make it just not worth it at all. For personal items that I wouldn't have resold, I now buy almost everything locally, sales tax is not an issue here since I live in a tax free state.
posted on November 18, 2002 05:09:34 PM
Damariscotta >> I am a federal employee, so I was questioning whether mcjane has a problem with, or low opinion of, federal employees in general.
As for the other thread, I do have a beef with the USPS...I think some of the actions they (the agency) have taken in the past place a black mark next to anything "federal". I agree with a lot of other posters' negative comments about the USPS.
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
Sniping works up a thirst"