UPS in your Mailbox...

We are all looking at this from our own selfish interest.

Why is this even brought up?

How would this be of an advantage to the USPS or our Government, that's how to look at this.

So right now we have exclusive rights to serve a customers mail box.

So what if the USPS or our Government sells that right to other companies, similar to "right of ways" on real estate, or power companies allowing cable companies to use their poles, for a fee.

Now that would make more sense if that was what this was all about, wouldn't it?

Bleostic said:

I agree, why does the government sponsor Walmart and other retail businesses through SNAP benefits because these companies aren't willing to pay a living wage? Having tax dollars go towards subsidizing universal delivery (mainly rural), only makes sense and is nothing to frown at. Those who disagree are only in it to destroy the PO and its universal service.

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Would Rural America be willing to show up for the fight?


Would they be willing to press the Senate to keep universal service?


I am making the assumption that most States are rural.


The argument to keep universal service would be similar to a light house or a bridge. There is not enough benefit to any one person to make it worth while to build them. This is why the group must do it.

East Coast-West Coast plus cities like Chicago are not interested in Rural America. They say Hillary and Al Gore had more votes and should have won their elections. Look at an election map 80% is red but the 20% that is blue has the population and would like to control everything. I suspect the blue areas would be happy to give up universal service to the red areas if their mailing rates would be dropped significantly. The actual revision would probably be urban rates would stay the same and the rural rates would have a significant increase.

The blue areas want guns banned but the elite living there have bodyguards with guns. The blue areas are peace and love if you do not feel like working do not worry about it as everyone should be entitled to live as they please and the government will take care of you. You are in the country illegally do not worry about it as we have sanctuary cities and will not tell ICE you are here even when we arrest you. Health care is a right and even if you are to lazy to contribute or just chose to spend your money on yourself your medical needs should be provided.

How does this all relate? Average citizen "Joe" would not care who uses his mail box until an incident occurs and his parcel or mail does not get delivered.

I read an article about people living on the beach that have had their home wiped out many times by hurricanes. The government knows they cannot charge a high enough premium to keep flood insurance solvent but people want to live there and the government is the people so the cycle of getting wiped out then rebuilding and have the government pay continues. It compares to sending the same delegates to convention that elect the same national officers; the cycle just continues.

12345 said:

Look at an election map 80% is red but the 20% that is blue has the population and would like to control everything. I suspect the blue areas would be happy to give up universal service to the red areas if their mailing rates would be dropped significantly.

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Funny you should mention that. Look at a congressional map of Oregon (west coast) and note that 4 of 5 districts are blue. The one red district appears to be about two thirds the state, but about 20% of the population. Should they be running things?
Not sure that people in cities would be fine with doing away with universal service, but fewer would probably be affected. People in rural areas are likely to be disproportionally affected by reductions in service. Fortunately when privatization occurs they will still have service, it will just cost more in postage for an address 50 miles from the Post Office than 500 feet away.
I can't see having multiple companies having access to CBU's, individual mail boxes might be different, but a standardized large size would probably be required to make it reasonably useful to all parties involved.

Oh yeah, I think I can almost see that little smidge of blue you're referring to....

My assumption is that to end Universal Service at the Postal Service, would require changes to the United States Code. Changes to the United States Code would require both houses of Congress. If Rural America turns out they can block the Senate.

I am still left with the question, will Rural America turn out for such a fight? I read bully blue vs pink arguments as to why rural America will loose. However, the proposal I read to end universal service has come from the Presidents task force. I am under the impression that this proposal is pink. I am left with the question will Rural America fight paying higher postal rates than any one in the country or support their man?

There is no point to fighting something the victims want.

Rural America likes their PO's... so, I don't really see anything big happening... the Dems (Dims) say they support unions, so in theory they should be against this... they now control the House, and the red state reps likely won't back big changes... so I think they have a steep hill to climb, politically... unless they can do some sort of bait and switch convincing peeps that this will be some sort of big improvement... which is always a possibility...

Unfortunately this was the best map I could find to demonstrate how that red/blue thing works. The heavy lines are states and the lighter lines are congressional districts. Since districts tend to be somewhat equal in population numbers (some are entire states). There are currently more districts that are blue, but you wouldn't know it looking at a map and seeing more red, since if you look at Oregon you can see the one red district is considerably larger than the 4 blue districts, whereas each district has roughly the same population. I expect if districts were created by square miles instead, that it could create an even redder map since blue tends to be centered around more densely populated areas.
But again this shows that there is literally rural everywhere since the bigger the district, the fewer the people per square mile.

Yeah, I see what yer sayin'... the VAST majority of the areas of the country are conservative areas... good point!!!

DB.Cooper said:

Rural America likes their PO's... so, I don't really see anything big happening... the Dems (Dims) say they support unions, so in theory they should be against this... they now control the House, and the red state reps likely won't back big changes... so I think they have a steep hill to climb, politically... unless they can do some sort of bait and switch convincing peeps that this will be some sort of big improvement... which is always a possibility...

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How about, they are the only ones with an alternative to what we now have on the table and the financial clock it ticking?

The four unions are jumping for this one.

Perhaps there are other choices than what is on the table now?

Several of my customers use plastic garbage cans. All have marked FEDEX UPS USPS PARCELS and have located them conveniently. One mounted a truck tool box on his fence for packages. If the new system is implemented and we actually get paid for packages, will carriers complain wishing for more packages so they can make more money? Rural folks do love their local PO and daily mail service---for now. Even some of my older customers are doing more of their business online---I am seeing fewer utility statements coming in the mail. In a few years many will not care about daily mail service; but, will demand to keep those packages coming.

going--gone said:

Several of my customers use plastic garbage cans. All have marked FEDEX UPS USPS PARCELS and have located them conveniently. One mounted a truck tool box on his fence for packages. If the new system is implemented and we actually get paid for packages, will carriers complain wishing for more packages so they can make more money? Rural folks do love their local PO and daily mail service---for now. Even some of my older customers are doing more of their business online---I am seeing fewer utility statements coming in the mail. In a few years many will not care about daily mail service; but, will demand to keep those packages coming.

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I also have customers with large weatherproof containers by the door. The only problem is UPS and FEDEX have already filled them so my parcels just are piled by the door anyway. Some customers do not need containers they need small buildings. These are not home businesses just plain folks that live a long way from town.

gotstamps said:

OMG!!! No, no, no!!! What would we do with the mail since most pkgs would take up the whole mailbox? Put up your own pkg box& don’t mess with ours!

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This was my initial thought as well! Selling off access to the mail boxes would ultimately result in losing control of what goes into them. Every Tom Dick & Harry would end up using it to dump s--t into it with us loosing control of whom has actually paid for that access. Resulting over time with nobody paying and just dumping for free!

csparks said:

The PO needs to grow a pair right now and tell every rural customer to either put up the largest size box or a parcel bin at the road. These routes were never intended for 100 trips up their cowpaths every day. If they don't want to, we can send back their boxes.

I noticed that UPS stock is down, and projected to fall more. With fuel costs low, and strong online shopping, I'd say a good chunk of their issues are the fact that USPS is delivering all that Amazon at a lower (and unsustainable) rate that UPS had done previously. Their stock took a big slide in Jan, just about the time the switcha-roo would have been going on.

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I believe I have suggested before about charging an additional fee for to the door delivery which can be easily tracked now with our scanners, showing who should be charged. Those that refuse to pay or have neglected to pay can pick the package up at the Post Office until their account is current! This would apply to all packages that do not fit into their mail box, by doing this it would also stimulate customers to purchase and use the largest mail box available!!

Voglio-il mio said:

I believe I have suggested before about charging an additional fee for to the door delivery which can be easily tracked now with our scanners, showing who should be charged. Those that refuse to pay or have neglected to pay can pick the package up at the Post Office until their account is current! This would apply to all packages that do not fit into their mail box, by doing this it would also stimulate customers to purchase and use the largest mail box available!!

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Ah yes. And the PO is still making money off our backs...until our new parcel eval goes into effect.

I'm biding my time. Have 8 more years till retirement and am quite hopeful that all little boxes stay the same when we start getting paid for driving those extra feet/mile (round trip) and walking up to the porch. KA-ching.

Seems like a good place to leave this.

Until we are paid actual time, the question remains 'can I beat the evaluation?'. After playing with the numbers I believe that I can beat the new standard. I certainly look forward to being paid for the quarter mile driveway and walk to the front porch. Most of us who like the evaluated system believe that we are just better than average. With the new standards I think many of us will have a rude awakening. Oi veh ---I did note that the article was written in 2015. It is sad that nothing really has changed since then.

going--gone said:

quarter mile driveway

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1/2 mile. One way.

How is it possible for Amazon to ship for free to the door a 70 lb box of goods that cost only a rural carrier who drives a POV everything? I didn't get credit for these parcels at mail count. I use my own gas and vehicle wear and tear to deliver it up a half mile driveway from the mail box. I break my own back loading it and unloading it. Pay the doctors my co-pays and deductibles. Catch h-ll from the PM! Free shipping???? Somebody always ends up paying! It's the RURAL CARRIERS who are paying big time and no one else gives a crap! And its our taxes paying for these companies to come in and set up. Tax incentives for free land free buildings, free equipment and free labor! What a ponsie game! HAVE AMAZON to put up everybody 3 big parcel lockers as big as an out house. And tell the PM good bye and good luck.

Durring the two years in which we did not have route evaluations but parcels increased dramatically, I think Rural Carriers alone gave over 1/2 billion in free parcel delivery. What do you think?

I had a Amazon yellow padded envelope forwarded to my route. It was from an in office route, different town. Postage due was almost $7.