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Old 09-20-2011, 09:05 AM
 
7,329 posts, read 16,367,573 times
Reputation: 9692

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Quote:
Originally Posted by hnsq View Post
Or better than the pony express, we could rely on private companies such as USP and FedEx which have been extremely profitable providing the same service that the USPS has been providing at a loss for years.

Why would you ever be against using a more efficient, most cost-effective system?
They don't really provide the same service. They deliver to businesses and to a small percentage of homes everyday, compared to the post office that delivers little pieces of paper to almost every home in the US almost every day (pretty labor intensive, no?). Maybe they could do the job better and more efficiently, maybe not. Should we try to find out? Maybe. I'm really not sure.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:06 AM
 
Location: KCMO, returning to Indy in 2012!
121 posts, read 132,645 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhawkins74 View Post
The USPS could go to one day a week delivery and that would be more then sufficient for me.
Well, since it's suits YOU then I guess that's what they should do. Who cares how any other American feels on the subject.

What the hell has happened to this country?
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:07 AM
 
Location: West Michigan
12,372 posts, read 9,279,412 times
Reputation: 7364
Quote:
Originally Posted by t206 View Post
There has to be some middle ground on that funding. If its too much it should be reduced, however I find it funny that in today's day and age we would question a practice that should be helpful in making sure that an entity can live up to the promises that they made to their employees to pay future benefits....there are too many instances of pension and benefit shortfalls. That money needs to be accounted for and in place.
The law that made it mandatory that the post office fund pensions for people not even born yet was intended to break the post office. It was practically written for congress back in 2006 by the lobby for UPS.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:12 AM
 
Location: KCMO, returning to Indy in 2012!
121 posts, read 132,645 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by subject2change View Post
They don't really provide the same service. They deliver to businesses and to a small percentage of homes everyday, compared to the post office that delivers little pieces of paper to almost every home in the US almost every day (pretty labor intensive, no?). Maybe they could do the job better and more efficiently, maybe not. Should we try to find out? Maybe. I'm really not sure.
You are correct, they do not provide nearly the same service and would require billions in taxpayer-funded subsidy from the federal government to increase the size of their companies to replace the work that the USPS does today, assuming the USPS no longer existed.

Ask any executive at UPS or FedEx what they think of residential home delivery. They'll tell you that they'd get out of that business in a heartbeat if they could.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:13 AM
 
12,772 posts, read 7,938,398 times
Reputation: 4332
Quote:
Originally Posted by Who?Me?! View Post
So sorry you can't understand , "NO other entity does".

I did try to draw attention to it but obviously it just frightened you.
I don't care that "nobody else does it" its still the responsible thing to do, IF the amount being funded is reasonable. The "nobody/everybody else" argument was something I understood very well...when I was 6 years old and just wanted to put to get my way without applying any reason or logic to a situation.

As far as I am concerned it is reasonable, smart thinking, and a good step in making sure the union members get what they were promised. Now the current amount is probably too much, which is what I've tried to say twice now...but I'd have no issue with forcing an "over payment" of some small % to ensure that the fund balance keeps up with what are likely to be increasing costs that are inputs into the overall expense of the program. Pension funds have become insolvent in the past, why are you against making sure this doesnt happen here? Do they already have something in place to make sure that the costs of administering current benefits doesnt become an issue in the future? If they do then thats great...but I didn't think they did.

Trust me, you did nothing other than insult and disappoint me though with your name calling and the short sighted "nobody else does" argument...laughable to think you frightened me...although I guess it is kind of frightening to think people are fine with the status quo of accounting tricks and non-forward looking financial policy that has already done serious harm to the financial industry and many employees who were part of pension programs that came to find out they were getting less than expected.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:16 AM
 
Location: KCMO, returning to Indy in 2012!
121 posts, read 132,645 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by t206 View Post
I don't care that "nobody else does it" its still the responsible thing to do, IF the amount being funded is reasonable. The "nobody/everybody else" argument was something I understood very well...when I was 6 years old and just wanted to put to get my way without applying any reason or logic to a situation.

As far as I am concerned it is reasonable, smart thinking, and a good step in making sure the union members get what they were promised. Now the current amount is probably too much, which is what I've tried to say twice now...but I'd have no issue with forcing an "over payment" of some small % to ensure that the fund balance keeps up with what are likely to be increasing costs that are inputs into the overall expense of the program. Pension funds have become insolvent in the past, why are you against making sure this doesnt happen here? Do they already have something in place to make sure that the costs of administering current benefits doesnt become an issue in the future? If they do then thats great...but I didn't think they did.

Trust me, you did nothing other than insult and disappoint me though with your name calling and the short sighted "nobody else does" argument...laughable to think you frightened me...although I guess it is kind of frightening to think people are fine with the status quo of accounting tricks and non-forward looking financial policy that has already done serious harm to the financial industry and many employees who were part of pension programs that came to find out they were getting less than expected.
Better yet...lets abolish the pension funds in general, across the board and move everyone into 401k's.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:16 AM
 
12,772 posts, read 7,938,398 times
Reputation: 4332
Quote:
Originally Posted by EmmanuelGoldstein View Post
Private companies already move a ton of mail for the USPS at a greatly reduced cost, they're called HCR's. Look it up.

And yes, HCR's do everything they can to reduce their own costs already.
My point exactly...for the most part, private companies seem to be much better at finding more efficient and cost effective was of doing things than government entities.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:19 AM
 
12,772 posts, read 7,938,398 times
Reputation: 4332
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayland Woman View Post
The law that made it mandatory that the post office fund pensions for people not even born yet was intended to break the post office. It was practically written for congress back in 2006 by the lobby for UPS.
Again, what I am saying is that yes, this seems excessive at the current $ figure, however it is NOT a bad idea to be proactive and try to fund things SLIGHTLY ahead of the pace of current expenses when you are dealing with the main means of people being able to retire. Its just the responsible thing to do.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:20 AM
 
12,772 posts, read 7,938,398 times
Reputation: 4332
Quote:
Originally Posted by EmmanuelGoldstein View Post
Better yet...lets abolish the pension funds in general, across the board and move everyone into 401k's.
Unfortunately you cant just wipe it out for those who have already made financial plans based on that system, but I'd be 100% behind a 401k only type plan for all new USPS employees.
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Old 09-20-2011, 09:25 AM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 35,044,864 times
Reputation: 22693
Well, I would think that it would hurt the economy to do this, since companies will have to give you a longer grace period to pay your bills, since mail does not run every day "It's not my fault that it wasn't on time".

20yrsinBranson
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