I haven’t gone to a show in several years and have decided to take a couple of personal days off to attend.
I won’t be doing any business there - just looking at coins and socializing. 😉

They were not soft in the lots that I wanted in last night's Heritage auction.

Years ago, working for the Post Office was considered a decent paying blue collar job. They need to make the job position more valuable again as an incentive not to lose the job, at least more than a quick score from thievery.

Billjones - wow... so that's what it's supposed to look like!

@MFeld said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@lermish said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@lermish said:

@OAKSTAR said:
The USPS needs to be broken up and sold to the highest private carrier bidder.... Problem solved! Any questions?

As always, I have questions.

How does having a private carrier solve any of these issues?

Are UPS/FedEx/DHL/OnTrac/etc any more reliable, or just more expensive?

Does theft and incompetence stop once a giant corporation cuts costs to the bones and jacks up rates to increase profit?

What happens to the cost of postage for anyone living even a little bit away from a distribution center, particularly in small rural communities?

@jmlanzaf said:

@OAKSTAR said:
The USPS needs to be broken up and sold to the highest private carrier bidder.... Problem solved! Any questions?

Given the amount of theft at FedEx and UPS, you haven't solved any problem.

No private carrier would ever bid on the USPS mission. None. Ever.

@NJCoin said:

@OAKSTAR said:
The USPS needs to be broken up and sold to the highest private carrier bidder.... Problem solved! Any questions?

Yup! What do you do with all the rural routes no one wants? Tell those folks too bad, you won't be getting mail any longer unless you are willing to go to the nearest FedEx or UPS location to fetch it?

Oh, and now it's going to be costing you $10 to send a letter, because postage rates are now set by the highest PRIVATE carrier bidder? Sounds great. Why didn't anyone else ever think of it? 😀

The private guys have already skimmed off a lot of the service that can be performed at a profit and at a reasonable price. They didn't need to bid for the USPS franchise to do that.

The USPS' problem, aside from problem employees that any large organization has to deal with, is legacy benefits that will have to be paid by the government regardless, and unprofitable service mandates that Congress, and its constituents, will never give up.

Good luck getting any private enterprise to have any interest in taking that on. For free, let alone the "highest bidder."

You guys crack me up! Nothing is 100%. It's an imperfect world out there.

The United States Post Office only lost $6.5 billion dollars last year. That's billion with a B! Gone $$ out the door with zero accountability!!! Government inefficiency at it's finest! Are you going to tell me nothing can be done or improved?? I don't wanta hear what you can't do, (those people should be fired on the spot!) tell me what you can do! If you're not apart of the solution, you're apart of the problem! Stby gentlemen, more to follow.

The USPS did not lose any money last year and has never lost money. It's not a for profit business, it's a service that we as a society have agreed to fund. It always has been. That may change but for now that's how it is.

How much money did the US military lose last year? Or, if you prefer something more local, how much money did various police departments lose last year? The answer is also none because they are also services, not businesses.

It's not about making a profit. It's about getting your money's worth for the services provided.

And that wouldn't be any different for other carriers you might use for shipping. You're unfairly singling out the U.S. Post Office.

The thread is about the U.S. Post Office.

@OAKSTAR said:

@lermish said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@lermish said:

@OAKSTAR said:
The USPS needs to be broken up and sold to the highest private carrier bidder.... Problem solved! Any questions?

As always, I have questions.

How does having a private carrier solve any of these issues?

Are UPS/FedEx/DHL/OnTrac/etc any more reliable, or just more expensive?

Does theft and incompetence stop once a giant corporation cuts costs to the bones and jacks up rates to increase profit?

What happens to the cost of postage for anyone living even a little bit away from a distribution center, particularly in small rural communities?

@jmlanzaf said:

@OAKSTAR said:
The USPS needs to be broken up and sold to the highest private carrier bidder.... Problem solved! Any questions?

Given the amount of theft at FedEx and UPS, you haven't solved any problem.

No private carrier would ever bid on the USPS mission. None. Ever.

@NJCoin said:

@OAKSTAR said:
The USPS needs to be broken up and sold to the highest private carrier bidder.... Problem solved! Any questions?

Yup! What do you do with all the rural routes no one wants? Tell those folks too bad, you won't be getting mail any longer unless you are willing to go to the nearest FedEx or UPS location to fetch it?

Oh, and now it's going to be costing you $10 to send a letter, because postage rates are now set by the highest PRIVATE carrier bidder? Sounds great. Why didn't anyone else ever think of it? 😀

The private guys have already skimmed off a lot of the service that can be performed at a profit and at a reasonable price. They didn't need to bid for the USPS franchise to do that.

The USPS' problem, aside from problem employees that any large organization has to deal with, is legacy benefits that will have to be paid by the government regardless, and unprofitable service mandates that Congress, and its constituents, will never give up.

Good luck getting any private enterprise to have any interest in taking that on. For free, let alone the "highest bidder."

You guys crack me up! Nothing is 100%. It's an imperfect world out there.

The United States Post Office only lost $6.5 billion dollars last year. That's billion with a B! Gone $$ out the door with zero accountability!!! Government inefficiency at it's finest! Are you going to tell me nothing can be done or improved?? I don't wanta hear what you can't do, (those people should be fired on the spot!) tell me what you can do! If you're not apart of the solution, you're apart of the problem! Stby gentlemen, more to follow.

The USPS did not lose any money last year and has never lost money. It's not a for profit business, it's a service that we as a society have agreed to fund. It always has been. That may change but for now that's how it is.

How much money did the US military lose last year? Or, if you prefer something more local, how much money did various police departments lose last year? The answer is also none because they are also services, not businesses.

It's not about making a profit. It's about getting your money's worth for the services provided.

.
As others have said, careful what you wish for. Dropping a letter in the mail, and having it show up any listed address, anywhere in the US for .73 is about the best value going. And Ground Advantage with built-in or added on insurance for small value merchandise can't really be be beat either.

Quintessential dryer coin, not a Mint error.

Sean Reynolds

@jmlanzaf said:

The United States Post Office only lost $6.5 billion dollars last year.

That's called a government service. That's why we pay taxes. By that rationale, how much did the FDA "lose" ensuring drug safety, the department of highways "lose" building and paving roads, or the DEA "lose" chasing drug traffickers