Stop Saturday Mail

It’s Ridiculous, Nobody Needs It

The United States Post Office (USPS) is several billion dollars in debt, plus or minus a billion. 

I’ve heard that USPS must make an annual payment of 6 billion dollars to the previous benefits fund because the government failed to fund it fully before the quasi-private Post Office began.

It was part of the deal, I guess, but cost cutting measures should have begun several years ago.

Stopping Saturday deliveries should have taken place five years ago.

Rate increases need to be made now.  What used to be called Second class, Third, Fourth and Fifth classes all need to be raised to more profitable rates, like doubled.  It’s mostly junk-mail that we just recycle for them anyway.  The current rate schedules are virtually incomprehensible.

Summary of some rates:

Letters 1st Class 44¢ and 45¢ on 22Jan2012    

1 oz         $0.44            Bad envelope penalty 20¢
2 ounces $0.64
3 ounces $0.84   

“Flats” (Large 1st Class Envelopes)

1 oz           $0.88            add 20 cents each added ounce 17April2011
2 ounces   $1.08
3 ounces   $1.28            (fold it in half in a business envelope 84 cents)
4 ounces   $1.48
5 ounces   $1.68
6 ounces   $1.88

Postcard 29¢ up to 32¢ on 22Jan2012 

Thanks to J. I. Nelson, Ph.D.  http://www.nerdylorrin.net/jerry/postages/index.html

I suggest the commercial businesses should be paying near first class rates instead of half or less.  It would increase revenue, lessen handling costs, and have the added benefit of limiting junk-mail.

Construct more Post Office boxes and encourage their use so more people will pick up there own mail.  Reduce rural deliveries and their contractors in many places making rural recipients pick up their mail.  Close novelty and low use Post offices where alternates are available nearby, ignore the politics.

I’ve traveled all over the world and we have the best postal service in the world outside the Vatican, and one of the least expensive.

Raise first class mail rates by double, it will still be much cheaper and better than it was in 1860.  People that can’t afford it should not be sending 1^st Class mail anyway.

They could contract the whole thing out to a parcel delivery service.  Most of the important documents and merchandise are sent that way anyway.

Re-simplify your rate schedules; complex and undecipherable is not better for USPS clerks or customers.

Get busy or get out of this business; if you can’t learn to compete effectively or efficiently, why would we want or need your organization’s service.

I know you’ve barely noticed, but those of us that can, stopped using USPS many years ago.  If you charged businesses and non-profit organizations enough to cover your costs, they would quit using USPS overnight.

Cut costs, make it simpler; price your service to cover your costs, or give it up. 

You’re hopeless, and we don’t need you.