Can you see the post office becoming extinct?

[K-9]

  On 7/24/2023 at 2:31 PM, Westside said:

Forget the post office, I see our species coming extinct. Lol.

Seriously, with the govt being able to print money whenever they want will keep the post office running. Have they ever been profitable? Just curious.

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The USPS recorded a $56 billion profit for fiscal 2022. 

[GoBills808]

i go to the post office at least once a week

 

not everyone wants ACH

[LeviF]

  On 7/24/2023 at 4:27 PM, K-9 said:

The USPS recorded a $56 billion profit for fiscal 2022. 

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Yes, because they no longer have to ensure that their retirees get their benefits in the future lol

 

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On a U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, the Postal Service had net income of $56.0 billion for the year, compared to a net loss of $4.9 billion for the same period last year, due almost exclusively to the one-time, non-cash impact of the PSRA.

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That being said, I hope the post office sticks around. There are certain benefits that government-adjacent services provide that are good returns for taxpayer contributions. I can think of many other government agencies I'd prefer to slash the funding of before the USPS.

[K-9]

  On 7/24/2023 at 5:08 PM, LeviF said:

 

Yes, because they no longer have to ensure that their retirees get their benefits in the future lol

 

 

That being said, I hope the post office sticks around. There are certain benefits that government-adjacent services provide that are good returns for taxpayer contributions. I can think of many other government agencies I'd prefer to slash the funding of before the USPS.

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My post was a tongue in cheek comment, but good on you for doing the research.

[boyst]

  On 7/24/2023 at 4:21 PM, ExiledInIllinois said:

The PO is funded only by price of stamps. NOT your tax dollars.

 

A first class letter to my neighbor OR Point Barrow, Alaska cost the same.

 

Of course it's gonna lose money. Should a letter to Alaska from the Lower 48 cost $40?

Once again... You have roads because of the Post Office. 

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the post office cannot even be self-sustaining. forget what it was even 20 years ago, grandpa.

 

you have some people arguing that, yes, it should be $40 to send that letter but that defeats the purpose of the organization.

 

ups and fed, among others do it better. let them do it.

  On 7/24/2023 at 5:08 PM, LeviF said:

 

Yes, because they no longer have to ensure that their retirees get their benefits in the future lol

 

 

That being said, I hope the post office sticks around. There are certain benefits that government-adjacent services provide that are good returns for taxpayer contributions. I can think of many other government agencies I'd prefer to slash the funding of before the USPS.

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the last 3-4 years the usps has started to get back on track. but jeesh, it was rough. the mandates for funding their retires bennies was funny and they just keep hiring contract workers.

[ExiledInIllinois]

  On 7/24/2023 at 6:12 PM, boyst said:

the post office cannot even be self-sustaining. forget what it was even 20 years ago, grandpa.

 

you have some people arguing that, yes, it should be $40 to send that letter but that defeats the purpose of the organization.

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And if it can't be self-sustaining, then we as tax payers should be forced to make it self-sustaining.

 

The PO is the cornerstone of free society.

 

Like somethings... 😉😉... It's inherently governmental. You can't get rid of it and let the other two non-governmental companies be the only show in town.  I think you missed my post above about NOT becoming a society to the elites.

 

The USPS serves a public check to the other big two.

 

All a fruitless effort... It ain't going anywhere being it's the cornerstone of society.

Edited July 24, 2023 by ExiledInIllinois

[Fleezoid]

Where would we employ all the Aliens?....

 

[QCity]

  On 7/23/2023 at 10:33 PM, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

the post office is so poorly run. It loses literally billions of dollars each year. 

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The Post Office is more of a public service than a business. Nobody goes around saying the military loses $750B a year.

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

  On 7/24/2023 at 10:05 PM, QCity said:

 

The Post Office is more of a public service than a business. Nobody goes around saying the military loses $750B a year.

 

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good point. I do think they fall behind even their modest projections though.
 

But one would think congress could set them up a little better to succeed; should be able to at least break even when private companies like UPS and fed ex turn nice profits. 

[Augie]

This thread made me think of another dinosaur. We were in NYC recently and went to my wife’s office, a huge commercial enterprise. A MASSIVE floor with hundreds of people.

 

We went by a large room that seemed to be a storage area. Nope! It was the “Copy Room.” Remember those? Everybody needed a copy room in the office, especially something that big. Now? Everything is digital. They still had copiers, but they were not really there to be used. We went to the museum later that day, but didn’t see any copiers. Yet.

 

I had a couple friends decades ago in the copier sale/office supply business. I wonder what they are doing now? And when it had to change. 

[QCity]

  On 7/24/2023 at 10:09 PM, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

 

But one would think congress could set them up a little better to succeed; should be able to at least break even when private companies like UPS and fed ex turn nice profits. 

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Agreed, there's a lot of potential for profits in shipping now compared to 30 years ago. Someone posted in this thread that they actually turned a profit last year.

[Saxum]

  On 7/23/2023 at 10:33 PM, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

the post office is so poorly run. It loses literally billions of dollars each year. 

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The US Post office is mandated by congress and micromanagement agencies to provide services which are uneconomical.  The US Post office needs to get approval for almost everything including closing of uneconomical post office locations and raising cost of postage.  It is impossible to run the postal system economically.

  On 7/24/2023 at 2:27 PM, boyst said:

i wish it would. sadly, it's Constitionally declared.

 

it's long been too expensive to operate as it has become a bureaucrative waste.

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It is a pork barrel for congressman so of course it is "a bureaucrative waste".

 

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When the Constitution was ratified in 1789, the Postal Clause in Article I, Section 8 gave Congress the power "To establish Post Offices and post Roads" and “To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper” for executing this task.

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Unfortunately the Constitution does not mandate Congress make laws AND REGULATIONS which make sense.  There is no mandate for the regulations they make.

[Saxum]

  On 7/24/2023 at 10:09 PM, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

But one would think congress could set them up a little better to succeed; should be able to at least break even when private companies like UPS and fed ex turn nice profits. 

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Private companies like UPS and Fed Ex can raise rates at will and can choose not do business which is not profitable.