View Full Version : Save the Post Office: we can do it and here's how
jon_norstog
04-25-2020, 02:48
It looks like the Post Office is going to close in a few weeks without a bailout. I'm not going to go into the causes except to say it was a setup.
It would be crazy to let the Post Office go down the tubes, and an insult to the founders, especially Ben Franklin, who saw the need for it. I get my heart pills in the mail, no waiting in line and Kaiser pays for the stamp. We write to our grandkids in Idaho, cards and letters, it makes their day. The closest thing we have to secure, private communication in these days of total internet surveillance is US mail. This is not a red or blue issue. We need the Postal Service, and should no more lose it than we should lose a branch of the military.
One of the things I learned from the lobbyists when I was working for Navajo Nation, those trips to DC trying to get a settlement of the so-called Navajo-Hopi "land dispute": If a Senator or Representative gets fifty letters on an issue - real, hand-written letters from his/her constituents - he will assign a staff person to work on that issue. If he/she gets a whole mess of letters, there WILL be action.
In the case of the Postal Service, it looks like the Senate is where you've got to change some minds. I sent letters today to both my senators at their DC offices. It didn't take long and cost maybe a buck for postage. Since the anthrax scare, mail to the DC offices goes through a kind of lengthy processing, so I put a msg on the outside of the envelope: "Save out Post Office"
You can post all you want on the internet or click on a "survey" or "petition" but it doesn't have the weight of real communication. Write your own letter, that way they'll know the issue means something to you.
And go buy a sheet of stamps!
Thank you in advance to any and all who do this, no matter your political persuasion.
jn
Roadkingtrax
04-25-2020, 03:46
I cannot understand the current political forces that would weaponize and leverage the Post Office's existence to strike about against political or business adversaries.
Someone will have to explain that to everyone else, because it is a damn shame and a national embarrassment.
Totally agree. But the PO is 'always' going broke.
clintonhater
04-25-2020, 04:28
I cannot understand the current political forces that would weaponize and leverage the Post Office's existence to strike about against political or business adversaries.
The attempt to privatize mail delivery--that is, turn it over to UPS, Fedex, other private companies--actually began several years ago when Repubs controlled the House & certain mad-dog USPS haters & "free-enterprise" fanatics among them began demanding that USPS "pay for itself" (you know, like police & fire depts.) or die. That was when the law requiring USPS to pay in advance for future medical & retirement benefits was passed, which no other business is required to do, & this financial drain is one of the things killing the PO. Those mad-dogs (it takes only a few key members to stifle legislation) are now suppressed, but there's still opposition from Senate Repubs. These are the same FAHs who were too incompetent, too stupid, too lazy, to "build the wall," or do anything else productive, when they had total control of Congress, but they're now making up for that by destroying the PO.
jcg&jmbfan
04-25-2020, 05:06
Reminds of the saying "all I want the federal government to do is deliver my mail and protect the borders." They can't even do those two things efficiently and effectively.
Yeah seems like someone forgot to tell DC that the post office isn't a hated enemy in rural USA.
Reminds of the saying "all I want the federal government to do is deliver my mail and protect the borders." They can't even do those two things efficiently and effectively.
That was a saying?
There are a lot of things that need saving. How about saving Clear Skies. Clear Skies? We saved the Redwoods and Buffalo when they were almost gone. That worked because there wasn't much left to save and someone stood up. Starlink(I know this is new to you guys) sent 60 satellites into low obit recently. More recent they sent another 60 sats up. Eventually it's going to be 1200 and maybe a max of 4000. I know this isn't effecting your delivery of meds, but it is the end of mooning with your girl under a beautiful starry night. Nothing stays the same. And nothing stays the same faster these days. A little rant.
Alright, to stay on topic, I worked for the PO for thirty years. Twenty, I was a "carrier"(get it?). Ten in maintenance. Postal mean anything too you? We had a couple of instances but nothing that went to "ten". I can't imagine what it's like now in a building with about 100 people working close together during a crisis. Probably OK for the most part. But,it's unionized and the whiny ones will use that. One of my shipments is a week late.
Major Tom
04-26-2020, 05:15
No Mail? Good! No more bills. LOL Because my computer usually goes down quite often, I do not subscribe to "paperless bills". If I don't get a bill in the mail, I can't pay it. Talk about a economic breakdown!
jcg&jmbfan
04-26-2020, 05:25
That was a saying?
There are a lot of things that need saving. How about saving Clear Skies. Clear Skies? We saved the Redwoods and Buffalo when they were almost gone. That worked because there wasn't much left to save and someone stood up. Starlink(I know this is new to you guys) sent 60 satellites into low obit recently. More recent they sent another 60 sats up. Eventually it's going to be 1200 and maybe a max of 4000. I know this isn't effecting your delivery of meds, but it is the end of mooning with your girl under a beautiful starry night. Nothing stays the same. And nothing stays the same faster these days. A little rant.
Alright, to stay on topic, I worked for the PO for thirty years. Twenty, I was a "carrier"(get it?). Ten in maintenance. Postal mean anything too you? We had a couple of instances but nothing that went to "ten". I can't imagine what it's like now in a building with about 100 people working close together during a crisis. Probably OK for the most part. But,it's unionized and the whiny ones will use that. One of my shipments is a week late.
Well, I didn't state it was an old saying, but I have read a variation of that comment on the internet many times over the years. My take is it's not an all inclusive statement, but that the gov needs minimal involvement in the functions of our lives. I am a small gov proponent, but think the PO should remain a part of the gov, properly managed of course.
not sure how it is around anyone else's area, but here in Central VA the post office gets more right than wrong,
I ship a few hundred items a month, and most (98%) go thru USPS w/o any issues,
cannot say the same of Fedup and OOPS
Sandpebble
04-26-2020, 03:09
I'm with Lyman on this one.... we have a government funded military, police, fire and emt services.... why not a postal service like other civilized nations ?
I'm with Lyman on this one.... we have a government funded military, police, fire and emt services.... why not a postal service like other civilized nations ?
that is like the 2nd or 3rd time we have been on the same page,
does this mean RED will call me a stooge??
oh wait,,,,
he already has,, and sent me his resume,,,
Gillibrand suggests letting the PO get back into the low end banking business as a way of allowing it to broaden its service portfolio. I have bought a lot of gun related items over the years with USPS money orders.
clintonhater
04-27-2020, 02:44
Gillibrand suggests letting the PO get back into the low end banking business as a way of allowing it to broaden its service portfolio. I have bought a lot of gun related items over the years with USPS money orders.
I'd be worried if she involves herself in the PO's affairs, as she's one of the most rabid gun-haters is the Senate, who recently wrote a letter to the Supremes trying to influence them about an important gun case in NYC. Maybe one of her ideas will be further restrictions on shipping guns. That two-faced bitch began her political career in my Congressional district by running ads bragging about her mother being a NRA member, because she thought that would be an asset in a formerly Repub district. Once she got to the Senate & could count on fellow gun-haters in NYC to keep her in office, she turned her coat, & has since then become one of the leading gun prohibitionists.
jon_norstog
04-27-2020, 02:58
Hey! Looks like we have agreement among a bunch of people who love to disagree. Well, damn!
OK it might take a half-hour to write those letters. Get enough letters and those senators WILL pay attention.
TIA
jn
-Since the anthrax scare- I worked for the PO back then. We got sent out to clean up sidewalks if someone saw a little bird poop on it. The fire department(now first responders) would show up in full gear at first, but that got old fast. I love deja vu. I have made a note to write my senator. We got HEPA vacuum cleaners. I didn't know what HEPA was before anthrax. Refresh my memory.
Thank you for contacting me regarding your support for the United States Postal Service (USPS) and postal workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciate your thoughts on this important issue.
Veterans, seniors, and people across Arizona rely on the USPS to deliver their mail quickly and reliably. The USPS is especially important for rural Arizonans to be able to receive mail and packages at an affordable rate. I have recognized the importance of USPS facilities during my time in Congress. During my time in the House of Representatives, I successfully fought to prevent the closure of the Cherrybell postal processing facility in Tucson. More recently, I have worked with members of Arizona’s House delegation to support the effort for a new post office in Prescott.
As Americans practice social distancing to fight COVID-19, they still need to receive their mail and packages. The USPS and postal workers who still go to work during this pandemic are critical to ensure that individuals can continue to communicate and receive vital supplies. However, like so many businesses across the country, the USPS is experiencing substantially decreased revenue from a slowed economy, which leads to difficulty maintaining regular operations. As Congress debates the best way to help healthcare workers, businesses, local governments, and more in a future COVID-19 relief package, I will keep your support for USPS assistance funds in mind.
As the 116th Congress addresses the many challenges facing our nation, I hope you will continue to share your thoughts and concerns. To keep up with my work in Congress, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook, or visit my website at mcsally.senate.gov where you can sign up to receive my e-newsletter. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns. Please continue contacting my office regarding issues that you feel are important to you and Arizona.
Back in the day... if you wanted to ship a small 2 0r 3 oz package, the USPS would take it. If you needed to ship something larger, you took it to the bus station and sent it via Greyhound... So along comes a new company that was trying to compete, the United Parcel Service. So in 1975, the postal service gave up on package delivery and the UPS and others took over.
If you want to "save" the Post Office... you would also want to save phone booths and aluminum toothpaste tubes. You would have to make it illegal to post catalogs or to send text messages on the internet, or send bulk packages via any other medium.
In order to stop getting billions of taxpayers money to keep an archaic system alive... increase the price of a 1st class stamp to $5.00 instead of $.50.
It probably doesn't matter, the United States Post Office is as dead as is the printed newspaper...
You can add brick and mortar stores to the eulogy.
clintonhater
04-30-2020, 08:10
If you want to "save" the Post Office... you would also want to save phone booths and aluminum toothpaste tubes.
I do! I love phone booths almost as much as I hate cell phones.
Anybody remember tinsel made with real lead foil?
Former Cav
05-01-2020, 12:55
you haven't lived until you try to mail something from Belgium or Tokyo.
and NO, I don't work for the Post Office!
It costs astronomically more to mail stuff from overseas to here in the good old USA.
I paid something like 4 dollars to mail a two page letter to my wife from Tokyo (was there on a business trip...which is "another story') and the paper was like tissue paper in terms of light weight and thin. You could barely write on it.and that was way back in 1980.
In Belgium, we went to mail some clothes home to lighten the load. The biggest box you could mail was the size of a shoe box. They sold you the box in their P.O. you packed it, labeled it, and then they weighed it and it could not be more then 2 Kilograms. Cost was about 25 Euros which was 1.33 to a Euro back then in 2003.
and wouldn't you know that ONLY ONE of my shoes made it back!!
The US PO is much better in price and delivery!
clintonhater
05-01-2020, 02:20
you haven't lived until you try to mail something from Belgium or Tokyo.
Cost to Canada is 2 or 3 times what the same package would cost here. Except that, now, the Chink flu hysteria has almost stopped trans-border shipments!
You know, I have to say this, and I said to another poster before..Who didn't like me saying it to him. But that the use of the word "chink" instead of Chinese, is a poor choice of words and I'm sure insults any viewers here who might be Chinese or family members who are..My Brother who was in the Korean war always used it when he came home as that was the normal talk by GI's then. I'm not a prude by any means, but now days the use of the word does not project well..and it reduces the quality of this forum...Okay I've said it again, now lets hear the defense of using the word. Ray
Gun Smoke
05-02-2020, 05:30
You know, I have to say this, and I said to another poster before..Who didn't like me saying it to him. But that the use of the word "chink" instead of Chinese, is a poor choice of words and I'm sure insults any viewers here who might be Chinese or family members who are.. And I'm not a prude but it does not project well..and it reduces the quality of this forum and any poster that uses...Okay I've said it again, now lets hear the defense of the word. Ray
I assume this is directed mostly at me although this is the first I've read about it.
I call the muslims ragheads sometimes. They are the enemy of the world. I don't hold back.
Chink. Someone long before us came up with the name so the ill feelings go way back.
Now, who has caused more bloodshed in the world other than the Asian's? We fought with them--we fought against them in Vietnam and Korea. We fought them in WW2 as they tried to take over the world. During the early development of America so many Chinese came here that laws had to be created to stop them. Again trying to take over the world.
Now there's this virus that they tried desperately to hide, cover up, and lie about. They are still covering up everything they can but the rest of the world is not quite so dumb. They were so frantic about hiding and stuffing people in large buildings to die that they tore down one building (to build something larger) that was already being used as a hospital with people in it.
I'm not a supporter of other countries invading and killing Americans, especially when unprovoked. Me and apparently many others don't have kind words for these people.
Italians of the WW2 era were called wops.
Germans of the WW2 era are called Nazi's or Krout's (until it was discovered that this was a German word for cabbage).
We are at war with the Asians still through trade imbalance and military might (mostly courtesy of Bill Clinton). China is just the tip of the iceberg. No mention has been made of Japan and others that dominated trade long before the Chinese. While this is not entirely their fault there is a lot of politics and conniving present. Now this virus, which the Chinese are clearly responsible for, killing about a million people so far, that we know of.
Sorry. Though mostly done in humor, I don't have kind words for these people. We could call them much worse but this is a public forum and they don't need to be taking this in stride either. They get enough brainwashing already from the democrat's media who praises China and WHO for all they've "done".
Fine but what about the American people of who are Chinese or Asian decent and who some may even be on this forum....Are they the enemy of the US..Anyway, you're a big boy and you certainly can say any thing you want, I only gave you my opinion..I just I feel it degrades the quality of this forum..
Back in the day... if you wanted to ship a small 2 0r 3 oz package, the USPS would take it. If you needed to ship something larger, you took it to the bus station and sent it via Greyhound... So along comes a new company that was trying to compete, the United Parcel Service. So in 1975, the postal service gave up on package delivery and the UPS and others took over.
If you want to "save" the Post Office... you would also want to save phone booths and aluminum toothpaste tubes. You would have to make it illegal to post catalogs or to send text messages on the internet, or send bulk packages via any other medium.
In order to stop getting billions of taxpayers money to keep an archaic system alive... increase the price of a 1st class stamp to $5.00 instead of $.50.
It probably doesn't matter, the United States Post Office is as dead as is the printed newspaper...
You can add brick and mortar stores to the eulogy.
the first company I worked for used the bus service to deliver order forms and a few other things,
then they went to using an intracompany mail for the stores,
as in hand a heavy canvas bag full of stuff to the truck driver making a delivery, and we sent stuff back to the warehouse and offices the same way,
BTW, USPS never gave up on packages, Parcel Post was a thing (and still an option) before they started Priority Mail,
clintonhater
05-02-2020, 06:54
I'm not a prude by any means, but now days the use of the word does not project well..and it reduces the quality of this forum...Okay I've said it again, now lets hear the defense of using the word. Ray
If you'd kept your mouth shut, instead of making an issue of it, few would even have noticed the word. But you HAD to make your PC "statement." Chinese movies primarily intended for the Asian market routinely cast a Caucasian as the principal "bad guy," and make use of the MANY derogatory slang words the Chinese have for Westerners, such as (when translated into English) "round eyes," "ghost," "foreign devil," etc. Any of those offend you? How about "honky," & whatever else blacks call whites? "Gringo" & "boleo" (white bread), used by Mexicans? I laugh at them all. Only those with an inferiority complex or a chip on their shoulders take offense.
clintonhater
05-02-2020, 07:02
BTW, USPS never gave up on packages, Parcel Post was a thing (and still an option) before they started Priority Mail,
OF COURSE, "USPS never gave up on packages"! Most of what I buy on line is shipped that way, including recently a pair of 5' long steel rocker-panel covers for my rusted out Cherokee.
But my biggest gripe against USPS is that PP has, for all practical purposes, been made pointless, because the price difference between PP & Priority is now negligible, except possibly for the very heaviest items.
Gun Smoke
05-02-2020, 07:23
Fine but what about the American people of who are Chinese or Asian decent and who some may even be on this forum....Are they the enemy of the US..Anyway, you're a big boy and you certainly can say any thing you want, I only gave you my opinion..I just I feel it degrades the quality of this forum..
This was the sentiment of the Americans prior to WW2. Because of all the Japanese embedded into American society along with the native Hawaiians who are chinky looking themselves, many of them were spy's sending info to Japan about Pearl Harbor making the attack as successful as it was. Most considered themselves citizens, some wanted to help, some even wanted to serve and fight against them but none could be trusted. That's why over 100,000 of them were corralled and put in camps so they could be watched. At the time we didn't know what all was going on or what to expect next. Not a whole lot different from now.
No other culture/race/society has caused more grief to the world.
Degrading this forum would be taking a liberal point of view of how great the Chinese are, how we shouldn't say bad things about them or call them names, how the world can't survive w/o them, and say they cause and do no harm.
I believe you said you were a former cop. As you know, a few bad apples spoils the whole bunch sometimes.
OF COURSE, "USPS never gave up on packages"! Most of what I buy on line is shipped that way, including recently a pair of 5' long steel rocker-panel covers for my rusted out Cherokee.
But my biggest gripe against USPS is that PP has, for all practical purposes, been made pointless, because the price difference between PP & Priority is now negligible, except possibly for the very heaviest items.
true,
not sure why they even offer PP any longer,
many times, Priority is cheaper,
I used to ship some periodicals etc media mail when sold, until the post office (local) started inspecting them on receipt,
claims were folks were shipping non periodicals via MM, but the local post office wanted to inspect to make sure and did not want to add insurance at their cost for any damage done to the contents when opened,
This was the sentiment of the Americans prior to WW2. Because of all the Japanese embedded into American society along with the native Hawaiians who are chinky looking themselves, many of them were spy's sending info to Japan about Pearl Harbor making the attack as s million + people killed globally in WW2. 1 million killed globally now. No other culture/race/society has caused more grief to the world.
uccessful as it was. Most considered themselves citizens, some wanted to help, some even wanted to serve and fight against them but none could be trusted. That's why over 100,000 of them were corralled and put in camps so they could be watched. At the time we didn't know what all was going on or what to expect next. Not a whole lot different from now.
1
Degrading this forum would be taking a liberal point of view of how great the Chinese are, how we shouldn't say bad things about them or call them names, how the world can't survive w/o them, and say they cause and do no harm.
I believe you said you were a former cop. As you know, a few bad apples spoils the whole bunch sometimes.
I was born just before WII got started and I think I have a pretty good idea of the time period..
Yes a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch, but don't blame the rest of the bunch...Enough said by me..I just hate for this forum to become known as a bigoted site..
This was the sentiment of the Americans prior to WW2. Because of all the Japanese embedded into American society along with the native Hawaiians who are chinky looking themselves, many of them were spy's sending info to Japan about Pearl Harbor making the attack as successful as it was. Most considered themselves citizens, some wanted to help, some even wanted to serve and fight against them but none could be trusted. That's why over 100,000 of them were corralled and put in camps so they could be watched. At the time we didn't know what all was going on or what to expect next. Not a whole lot different from now.
1 million + people killed globally in WW2. 1 million killed globally now. No other culture/race/society has caused more grief to the world.
Degrading this forum would be taking a liberal point of view of how great the Chinese are, how we shouldn't say bad things about them or call them names, how the world can't survive w/o them, and say they cause and do no harm.
I believe you said you were a former cop. As you know, a few bad apples spoils the whole bunch sometimes.
could be construed that calling them names is a rules violation,
maybe,
and Ray does have a point,
we could try to limit the slang and just use the proper name,
Gun Smoke
05-02-2020, 09:41
So we shouldn't call Negro's blacks or whites Caucasians or Canadian's Canuck's or British people Limey's? Where do you draw the line? Some words offend most anyone.
While I agree we shouldn't purposely offend an individual for no reason I don't see having a liberal PC attitude toward those who attack, invade and kill us.
I guess I'm just funny that way.
So much for freedom of speech huh?
So we shouldn't call Negro's blacks or whites Caucasians or Canadian's Canuck's or British people Limey's? Where do you draw the line? Some words offend most anyone.
While I agree we shouldn't purposely offend an individual for no reason I don't see having a liberal PC attitude toward those who attack, invade and kill us.
I guess I'm just funny that way.
So much for freedom of speech huh?
Smoke,
that line in the sand is forever shifting,
if sysad says it is bad, she may add it to the nannyware, or not,
clintonhater
05-02-2020, 01:28
So we shouldn't call Negro's blacks or whites Caucasians or Canadian's Canuck's or British people Limey's? Where do you draw the line? Some words offend most anyone.
And more to the point, some people (or rather many) go out of their ways to find excuses to BE offended!
And more to the point, some people (or rather many) go out of their ways to find excuses to BE offended!
And some people, (or a few), go out of their way to be offensive...
Question for CH and GS: how does use of the slur advance your argument?
Answer: it doesn't. In fact, it undercuts it completely because it demonstrates unreasoned animosity as the real driver, with the virus as just a convenient topic. The slur makes everything with it irrelevant.
Kudos to Ray for pointing this out.
To the OP: so outsourcing the USPS to the China to save money is probably off the table now, right?
clintonhater
05-02-2020, 05:03
... it demonstrates unreasoned animosity
UNREASONED??? China has been a force for evil in this world ever since they drove out our WW II ally, Chiang Kai-shek, with Stalin's military aid. They encouraged the N. Korean invasion of the South, & then supported that invasion with several hundred thousand of their own troops. Without their economic assistance, the North would have imploded & we wouldn't face Kim's nuclear threat. North Vietnam would never have been able to wage their war against the South without economic & military assistance from China. Tibet? An ancient & peaceful culture deliberately obliterated!
But the MOST evil & despicable war they have ever launched is their war against endangered wildlife all over the world! The stone-age craziness called "Chinese medicine" has resulted in the extinction of one species of rhino & severely endangered the others. Their insatiable craving for ivory nicnacs has pushed African elephants to the brink of extinction. They sustain the illegal market in countless other endangered animal "parts."
And now, almost without opposition from the cowardly West, they have colonized the South China Sea!
And look, you managed to get your point across, that much more persuasively, for not resorting to a slur!
Yes he did.. and an interesting and informative post .....
jon_norstog
05-13-2020, 09:06
OF COURSE, "USPS never gave up on packages"! Most of what I buy on line is shipped that way, including recently a pair of 5' long steel rocker-panel covers for my rusted out Cherokee.
But my biggest gripe against USPS is that PP has, for all practical purposes, been made pointless, because the price difference between PP & Priority is now negligible, except possibly for the very heaviest items.
As the OP I would like to get the topic back to the Post Office. I mentioned there were some political issues that were giving the PO no option but to raise rates. It has long been a dream in some quarters to cut mail delivery out of the commonwealth, sell it for pennies on the dollar, and turn it into a profit center. These political issues include a requirement that the PO fully fund in the present its future pension obligations. This is the only government agency required to do this, far as I know. Let USPS pay as it goes and the problem disappears. One of the legislative houses is adamant that this requirement stay in place. That's why I am saying write your senators. You have two of them and they both represent you. They get fifty letters and they will listen.
jn
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