Yes, 44 cents is cheap. Of course, that’s not the real cost, as the post office is heavily subsidized and has been losing money for years. In FY 2010, they posted an $8.5 billion dollar loss. It would be interesting to understand what the true cost of that 44 cent letter, if this debt were paid by the user as opposed to from federal revenues.As for delivery to your home, versus pickup, I would point out that the idean of postal stations for delivery predates the delivery to one’s home (all the way back to ca.500BC, in Persia). Additionally, private services will most certainly deliver to one’s home.As to the motto quoted in the comic, it’s interesting to note that it also harkens back to ancient Persia, and Herodotus described the system in this way: “It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.”
Sorry, this seems like nonsense. The postal service makes no delivery promise for first class mail. If one posts a letter on Monday in San Francisco, there is no set schedule that says it will be delivered to Miami in 3 days (unless you pay for it, and then it is no longer 1st class mail).As for delivery on their schedule, our mail is delivered on wildly vacillating times over the day from 9AM to as late as 6PM. With commercial carriers, this may be the case, but they also have specific “delver before,” commitments they offer, as well. I’ve also had more items lost in the US mail than by commercial carriers, and for most commercial carriers, that loss is insured.
AND, that surplus of $8.4 billion is MORE than the individual budgets of the National Science Foundation ($6.9B), the Small Business Administration ($5.4B), the Securities & Exchange Commission ($1.1B). Privatize the Post Office, and we’d need to find another $8 billion to fund other programs.
The P.O. is the one of the best things we’ve got, thanks Ben Franklin. That they’re looking at shutting down small rural post offices is the exact OPPOSITE of Franklin’s intent to serve a nation at that time that was dispersing. They’re proposing shutting down offices that will force folks to go 13- to 50 miles to the “new” office, yet keep open ones where folks only have to walk 9 blocks from one to the other— “rural” America once again get it in the rear from “Wall Street” marketing techniques, despite the PURPOSE OF THE SERVICE!
^p.s. from the use at our library on the internet, only about 40% of our population can afford internet access, and many others don’t own computers- government saying “use the internet” is already causing HUGE PROBLEMS for folks just when doing their taxes, let alone all their other business if the Post Office shuts down.
d_legendary1 over 12 years ago
Yeah, let’s give this to the private sector. They can do a better job at it.
The better job being the making money part.
curtisls87 over 12 years ago
Yes, 44 cents is cheap. Of course, that’s not the real cost, as the post office is heavily subsidized and has been losing money for years. In FY 2010, they posted an $8.5 billion dollar loss. It would be interesting to understand what the true cost of that 44 cent letter, if this debt were paid by the user as opposed to from federal revenues.As for delivery to your home, versus pickup, I would point out that the idean of postal stations for delivery predates the delivery to one’s home (all the way back to ca.500BC, in Persia). Additionally, private services will most certainly deliver to one’s home.As to the motto quoted in the comic, it’s interesting to note that it also harkens back to ancient Persia, and Herodotus described the system in this way: “It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed.”
curtisls87 over 12 years ago
Sorry, this seems like nonsense. The postal service makes no delivery promise for first class mail. If one posts a letter on Monday in San Francisco, there is no set schedule that says it will be delivered to Miami in 3 days (unless you pay for it, and then it is no longer 1st class mail).As for delivery on their schedule, our mail is delivered on wildly vacillating times over the day from 9AM to as late as 6PM. With commercial carriers, this may be the case, but they also have specific “delver before,” commitments they offer, as well. I’ve also had more items lost in the US mail than by commercial carriers, and for most commercial carriers, that loss is insured.
worldisacomic over 12 years ago
Talk about going postal!
vhammon over 12 years ago
AND, that surplus of $8.4 billion is MORE than the individual budgets of the National Science Foundation ($6.9B), the Small Business Administration ($5.4B), the Securities & Exchange Commission ($1.1B). Privatize the Post Office, and we’d need to find another $8 billion to fund other programs.
Dtroutma over 12 years ago
The P.O. is the one of the best things we’ve got, thanks Ben Franklin. That they’re looking at shutting down small rural post offices is the exact OPPOSITE of Franklin’s intent to serve a nation at that time that was dispersing. They’re proposing shutting down offices that will force folks to go 13- to 50 miles to the “new” office, yet keep open ones where folks only have to walk 9 blocks from one to the other— “rural” America once again get it in the rear from “Wall Street” marketing techniques, despite the PURPOSE OF THE SERVICE!
Dtroutma over 12 years ago
^p.s. from the use at our library on the internet, only about 40% of our population can afford internet access, and many others don’t own computers- government saying “use the internet” is already causing HUGE PROBLEMS for folks just when doing their taxes, let alone all their other business if the Post Office shuts down.
myming over 12 years ago
i’m going to invest in ups,etc.the reason i buy via internet is because shippinf/handling make up for the price of gas !