I agree as to the dynamics. As with current FedEx and UPS protocols, the further off the beaten track, the pricier the delivery. But that's within the norm of the cost ofdoing business, and is probably part of the problem with the USPS as it is.
Paying bills online... I've been doing that for some time now, but I do it all "manually" via online data input, as opposed to automatic deductions (except for my car lease payment, I don't want to forget THAT!). As more of my monthly obligations are made e-vailable, I convert them to digital dollar dissemination.
I have a fax machine here that has not been used in over a year. PDF attachments and email have pretty much rendered the fax machine obsolete.
It's already a vanishing species, soon to go the way of the venerated 8-track, 3.5" single sided floppy, and the dodo.
The United States Postal Service is phasing out operations in the Southern California community where I live, and contracting postal services to a private company, FGS. FGS has been delivering bulk and junk mail for about a year. FGS just opened a new post office and the current post office is scheduled to close in September. By the end of October all postal services including the delivery of first class mail will be handled by FGS. The Postal Service cited rising labor costs and the inability to attract workers in the Southern California labor market. The Postal Service pays its workers in Southern California a substantial cost of living adjustment to compete with the local labor market, and postal workers qualify for a county housing subsidy of up to $1,000.00 a month because their salaries are less than half of the local annual median income. The median annual income for Eastern Ventura County is $95,000.00 which means a family of four with a combined annual income of less than $95,000.00 would qualify for housing assistance. The average postal workers earns between $35,000.00 and $45,000.00 a year which is considerably lower than what local farm workers are paid. Ventura County has been pressuring the Postal Service and other Federal Government agencies to pay their employees a living wage so the county does not have to subsidize their housing. Most Federal employees living in Ventura County also qualify for food stamps and Medi-Cal because of their substandard incomes.
The Postal Service has agreed to a certain point but said there is no way they can come close to paying the Ventura County’s living wage. The Postal Service said employment with the Postal Service is considered coveted employment through out most of the country where the Postal Workers earn more than the local annual median incomes. FGS said it is able to pay its workers the Ventura County living wage of $95,000.00 annually because they are not burdened with a bloated pension system and prohibitively expensive health insurance costs. Their workers are more productive and more motivated than the civil service mentality of the United States Postal Service workers.
It is going to interesting to see how the private postal service is doing in about a year from now.
the fact it has gotten to this point concerns me more than any short term results.
Although I currently use FedEx or UPS for almost all my business related mailings, and I have been very pleased with the service and results of both, there's still the bills and personal mail to contend with. Other than the occasional lost piece of mail, I've never had any real complaints about the USPS.
However, it comes as no surprise to me considering the current state of our government leadership.
I'd be more cynical, but I've got other things on my mind today.
There is no way they will be able to provide the level of service the post office has unless they do.
Its going to be bad, unless they adopt the UPS / FedEx model. And I spend much more on ups or fedex to ship my packages and mail than the usps.
It says among other things that the Government is not competitive with respect to wages, but that benefits are very competitive. Now - imagine a federally mandated health care system under this type of administrative inability to "get the job done."
A very serious nightmare waiting to happen. ugh!
The ones I've met are always stressed out and in fear of their jobs. Quite the opposite of anything like a secure, cushy, civil service jobs. They work for managers who do their best imitation of real managers in a private company.
So, I find the claim that they are more productive and better motivated than those postal employees with their "civil services mentalities" to be pure unrefined bullshit.
Now, postal benefits are very good. IMO, the job is coveted usually by people lacking skills or education, (a rising sector of our population) who would otherwise covet an enlistment in the military at still less pay.
IMHO, the "private" postal service is going to be doing as well as the private contractors in Iraq. They'll turn a terrific profit, but somehow we're not going to save any tax money or really get better service. Where the government meets private industry, there's usually no way to control the cost, and little motivation in this political environment, which I will describe (with some irony) as blame government first. The government is not the problem.
-- Modified on 8/12/2007 2:37:25 AM
Down with the tyranny of controls. the free market is competitive and you can only make money if you can provide someone with something he or she is willing to pay for. You can't make money any other way. Therefore, in order to make money, you have to promote cooperation. You have to do something that your customer wants you to do. You don't do it because he orders you to. You do it because you offer him a better deal than he can get anywhere else. That's promoting cooperation. But there are other people who are trying to sell to him too. They are competitors. There is competition among sellers but cooperation between sellers and buyers.
Sorry for my awkward rendition of Milton Friedman but I believe it. I like FedEx and DHL. I hope the whole USPS goes private cause they will compete and thrive.
PS 3 of my buddies are USPS workers and they strongly disagree with me on this along with most everything else cause they are pure and ardent DFL and campaign volunteers!---but they put up with me!!!
Geez, I wish all your posts were like this one.
I had a feeling there was a bit of the mentsch in you.
The concerns I have with private postal service is just that. Private. We pay FedEx, UPS, DHL et al much higher sums for the same size packages or envelopes. For this, we are assured of the safety and privacy of our stuff.
Competition being what it is, we are still going to be facing a HUGE rate increase in first class mail should the USPS go private.
It's a tough call imho. There are merits and potential consequences to both sides of the argument. I think inevitably however, it will go private. Probably to the ones with the deepest pockets and inside influence on the Beltway.
But it will be pretty dynamic. Local in-town mail will be cheap while stuff going to the boonies will be very expensive.
I don't do it yet but I know a few people that pay their bills on-line. I really think that will catch on---just like people using their ATM cards at the grocery store rather than writing a check 12 years ago. And then email has taken a dent out of snail mail volume along with faxing too.
I agree as to the dynamics. As with current FedEx and UPS protocols, the further off the beaten track, the pricier the delivery. But that's within the norm of the cost ofdoing business, and is probably part of the problem with the USPS as it is.
Paying bills online... I've been doing that for some time now, but I do it all "manually" via online data input, as opposed to automatic deductions (except for my car lease payment, I don't want to forget THAT!). As more of my monthly obligations are made e-vailable, I convert them to digital dollar dissemination.
I have a fax machine here that has not been used in over a year. PDF attachments and email have pretty much rendered the fax machine obsolete.
It's already a vanishing species, soon to go the way of the venerated 8-track, 3.5" single sided floppy, and the dodo.