Comments on: Top Five Companies We’d Be Better Off Without, #1: The U.S. Postal Service http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/ Adding a punchline to your bottom line Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:15:52 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Punny Poll #35: Can You Survive on Five-Day-A-Week Mail? | Punny Money http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-260694 Punny Poll #35: Can You Survive on Five-Day-A-Week Mail? | Punny Money Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:11:07 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-260694 [...] poll at this rate) is inspired by recent talks by the U.S. Postal Service—voted the #1 company we’d be better off without in 2007 by important scientists—that it might switch to five-times-a-week delivery to cut [...] [...] poll at this rate) is inspired by recent talks by the U.S. Postal Service—voted the #1 company we’d be better off without in 2007 by important scientists—that it might switch to five-times-a-week delivery to cut [...]

]]> By: commercial real estate http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-260344 commercial real estate Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:55:29 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-260344 President Reagan proposed closing the post office ... still a good idea. President Reagan proposed closing the post office … still a good idea.

]]> By: Stuff Worth Reading, Because This Website Is Being Repossessed | Punny Money http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-95840 Stuff Worth Reading, Because This Website Is Being Repossessed | Punny Money Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:38:04 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-95840 [...] Little known fact: the United States Postal Service uses sharks and alligators to sort your mail, something Money, Matter, and More Musings found out the hard way. Just another reason why the postal service is the #1 company we’d be better off without. [...] [...] Little known fact: the United States Postal Service uses sharks and alligators to sort your mail, something Money, Matter, and More Musings found out the hard way. Just another reason why the postal service is the #1 company we’d be better off without. [...]

]]> By: Carnival of Personal Finance #93 at Tired but Happy at Clever Dude http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-52811 Carnival of Personal Finance #93 at Tired but Happy at Clever Dude Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:02:07 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-52811 [...] PFAdvice (and his commentors) give a good rundown of why the Forever Stamp isn’t a good buy. Maybe that’s why the Post Office is the the #1 company we could do without [...] [...] PFAdvice (and his commentors) give a good rundown of why the Forever Stamp isn’t a good buy. Maybe that’s why the Post Office is the the #1 company we could do without [...]

]]> By: » When Frugality Is A Fault: Certified v. Regular Mail on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-43302 » When Frugality Is A Fault: Certified v. Regular Mail on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:27:23 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-43302 [...] Anyway, I was very very tempted to just slap a thirty-nine cent stamp on the letter and mail it off but I thought better of it. While I’m pretty sure that there was a 99% chance the letter would make it there without any problems (I have faith in the USPS, even if Nick doesn’t), do I really want to deal with the hassle in that 1% case? [...] [...] Anyway, I was very very tempted to just slap a thirty-nine cent stamp on the letter and mail it off but I thought better of it. While I’m pretty sure that there was a 99% chance the letter would make it there without any problems (I have faith in the USPS, even if Nick doesn’t), do I really want to deal with the hassle in that 1% case? [...]

]]> By: Post Office Software Dev http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-40417 Post Office Software Dev Tue, 09 Jan 2007 04:37:22 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-40417 I work for a company that makes software for USPS customers (think TurboTax but for mail). USPS is a huge operation, charged with running as a business while providing public services and considerations other businesses would scoff at. Discounts for nonprofits? Reduced rates for periodicals and newspapers? Required by law to allow shipment of scorpions? Must open a new post office for every postcode? Free mail for the blind and congresspeople? I hope the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (and their planned network reorganization for this year or next) gives USPS the ability to improve service and reduce prices. I'm also excited about Forever Stamps, a new first-class stamp that will work across rate increases. I don't look forward to finding 3-cent stamps for the next rate increase. I work for a company that makes software for USPS customers (think TurboTax but for mail). USPS is a huge operation, charged with running as a business while providing public services and considerations other businesses would scoff at. Discounts for nonprofits? Reduced rates for periodicals and newspapers? Required by law to allow shipment of scorpions? Must open a new post office for every postcode? Free mail for the blind and congresspeople?

I hope the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (and their planned network reorganization for this year or next) gives USPS the ability to improve service and reduce prices.

I’m also excited about Forever Stamps, a new first-class stamp that will work across rate increases. I don’t look forward to finding 3-cent stamps for the next rate increase.

]]> By: Stingy Student http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-40405 Stingy Student Tue, 09 Jan 2007 00:26:09 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-40405 I agree with Lazy Man, the flat rate thing is a good thing because it still allows people in the middle of nowhere to send letters anywhere for a mere $0.39. Imagine if this were a free market, no one would service those people living out there just like insurance companies don't offer new policies to people with HIV, cancer, or who work as stunt doubles. Try making a delivery to someone in a country where the postal system isn't so great, and you'll get what I'm saying. Otherwise, I agree with your points, but I still think the benefits outweigh the negatives. I agree with Lazy Man, the flat rate thing is a good thing because it still allows people in the middle of nowhere to send letters anywhere for a mere $0.39. Imagine if this were a free market, no one would service those people living out there just like insurance companies don’t offer new policies to people with HIV, cancer, or who work as stunt doubles. Try making a delivery to someone in a country where the postal system isn’t so great, and you’ll get what I’m saying. Otherwise, I agree with your points, but I still think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

]]> By: Lazy Man and Money http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/comment-page-1/#comment-40390 Lazy Man and Money Mon, 08 Jan 2007 20:29:21 +0000 http://www.punny.org/money/top-five-companies-wed-be-better-off-without-1-the-us-postal-service/#comment-40390 I'm not convinced the flat rate thing is bad. If I had to pay variable pricing for locations and weight, I could never figure out what it would be and would have to go to the post office (or equivalent) to figure out how much postage is required. That's going to cost me more in time, gas, and effort than a few 39 cent stamps. Of course if it gets to $86, we'll have to raise the issue, but can you think of a better system than the flat rate one? Perhaps we should all have mail scales and online calculators (though those without Internet access would be penalized by not being able to calculate the rate). I’m not convinced the flat rate thing is bad. If I had to pay variable pricing for locations and weight, I could never figure out what it would be and would have to go to the post office (or equivalent) to figure out how much postage is required. That’s going to cost me more in time, gas, and effort than a few 39 cent stamps. Of course if it gets to $86, we’ll have to raise the issue, but can you think of a better system than the flat rate one? Perhaps we should all have mail scales and online calculators (though those without Internet access would be penalized by not being able to calculate the rate).

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