Demise of the US Postal Service

I have a friend in chicago, we met about 38 years ago, we have to communicate through mail, she does not use a computer for email or facebook.

I thought lone Oak was near Paducah, been to Paducah many times, it's a long way from me.

 

It should actually cost less. It doesn't cost fifty cents to carry a piece of paper, particularly when you are carrying millions. The local post office here just built a brand new facility from the ground up. Why? There are many empty buildings all over that are available, that would have given them more space and cost less money. But they wasted money building the building.

First, not entirely true. Most online places will do it for free. Your only cost is the cost of your internet connection which you have already. Second, the USPS has a monopoly on it.

 

Again, you're comparing apples to oranges. Find a company that will deliver a letter size paper (not electronically) anywhere in the US for less than 50 cents per item. I'm not saying the USPS is the messiah or anything. I'm simpyl saying that being able to get a paper letter delivered from anywhere in the US to anywhere else in the US for a mere 50 cents is a pretty good deal.

 

Thank you for your years of service. I have nothing but respect for the Postal Service. To deal with the elements, like the extreme heat down here in Texas is not something I would like to do, not to mention the cold rain we have during the winter.

I would think that the first thing would be to go to a five day delivery, then if that was not enough, go to the monetary relief. I think the closing down of small town postal offices should be a last resort.[/QUOTE]

 

Why? Why would someone want to? It's like saying, "Find someone who will deliver my package on a horse." Well, you could probably find someone, but why would you want to.

Again, the issue is communication. USPS is a very inefficient way to communicate. It is too expensive for what it delivers, no pun intended. Electronic communication is way better. I imagine that in the coming years, the postal system will be totally revised because of it.

 

without the postal system how do non electronic people communicate, pay bills, etc.

 

The same way they did before the postal system. We find ways to do things when it is necessary. The "non electronic" people are a growing minority, soon to be almost non-existent. Many people today pay bills in person. This is not a big challenge. And I am fine with the postal system. I don't care. I think the prices are high, but it is fine with me. the point is that there are better ways to do things.

 

non existent, like my mother, my mother in law, all of my husbands family, and my oldest friend who has never used a computer and doesn't care too. Many people do not own computers, and most of those never will.
We have oppertunity to pay only 2 bills in person, if you want to spend gas money and drive to another town.
Almost all utilities here locally are out of town or out of state. Our gas company is in Tx and no local office, my electric co 100 miles away.
So paying in person is difficult, and like my phone co does not do online payments, in person or mail, thats it.
better for who? not us.

 

I say raise stamps to at least a dollar. That would probably help restore profitability.

 

I would gladly pay one dollar for each letter I send. It would not make any significant difference in my lifestyle and it would help the postal service and the workers.

 

I doubt it, because who is going to pay $1 for stamps? Raising prices means fewer people will buy, so you have to make up for lost volume. If 2 people buy at .50, that doesn't mean w people will buy at $1. Neither might, in which case you lose money.

I hate to say it folks, but the postal system is dying because of technology. That's just the way it is. They need to get on the front end of change (but it's already too late for that ... at least jump in the middle and try something). It will continue to exist, but vastly changed over the next ten years, I think.

But they will if they have to. However, there is still a postal system,and they can use it. It's not going away. But people and companies have a remarkable way of adapting to do what is necessary .

I don't think it's about "better" as much as "reality." It's reality that the postal system will become less used as e communication becomes more used. How do we deal with that? You can't force people to mail letters and raising prices to $1 won't help.

 

What you refer to is known in marketing as "price elasticity"...how sensitive is the market to price. Some products are very elastic...that is there is great change in demand based upon price. Others, like college textbooks, are very inelastic, since they must be purchased regardless of price. I suspect that people who need to mail will still mail if the price doubled. Most of us don't send letters anymore anyway. "Junk mail" is what keeps the USPS alive anyway. Raise those rates as well.

 

Yes, I know. But I think it is technology going after a dwindling market. What good is it to have great technology to machine read handwriting if no one writes by hand? That's my point. Already, postal mail is dwindling for the past ten years. It will not increase.

I tend to doubt it. One of the reasons why I pay bills online was because of arpostal costs. I didn't want to because of security. I don't particularly like having my information flying through cyberspace. But it is better than the price of stamps. It is also more convenient, since I can pay bills on the due date and it isn't late, as opposed to mailing it.

Exactly.

True again.

 

Every time there's a postal rate increase, the rate on presorted, bulk mail (including jumk mail) and post cards goes up as well. Junk mail is actually cheap to deliver, because it's presorted by the client prior to it being picked up. A regular letter is more expensive because the postal service needs to sort it.

Other things to consider. I have subscriptions to Time, Christianity Today, and National Geographic. The cost to deliver these via UPS would significantly increase the subscription price. And before anyone asks, no, I don't want to read them online. When I take video of family, I transfer it to DVD, and send the DVD out via USPS media mail. Sending it via UPS would be twice as much. Every year, I mail about 50 christmas cards, and receive about that many. I don't want to send those electronically. Then there's birthday cards, invitations, correspondence, etc. Even though I pay my bills online, and communicate mostly via email, I still send about 150 or so pieces of mail out every year. I'm willing to bet the good majority of families are similar. That's sufficient to warrant a reasonable need for the USPS.

 

Well, that's an easy one.

Just put a dollar in postage on every letter that you mail and you would have your wish.

 

If that was what was required, I would do it. Putting money in the envelope would only be giving that money to the addressee. It would do nothing for the postal service. Don't you even know how the mail works?

 

Robert, he didn't say put it on the envelope. He said to put it on it (ie. in the form of stamps). Please, from now on, since you really want to save the USPS, put double the number of stamps required on the envelope. Better yet, sell your computer, and donate the money to the post office.

 

I have to wonder if they went out of business if someone wouldn't figure out how to make a profit and do it :thumbs:

Wonder what Brown would do :smilewinkgrin: