USPS seems to be having some problems.

[Five]

My cat has been going outdoors since we got it. No litter boxes and no accidents.

Must be nice.
I have to go over to my parents house and change their cat box every 2 or 3 days.
I don’t mind, they changed my kitty box(diapers) many moons ago.

 

[Winston]

I've recently had two packages, that were coming by USPS, disappear.

Last time I was there, a local PO branch had a help wanted sign out front for the first time ever. Perhaps a significant number of employees are retiring due to the COVID thing?

 

[Initiator001]

My order from Bellville Hobbies shipped at the end of September.

It was traced to Montana and then just disappeared.

Box is still missing.

The USPS paid for the loss in December.

 

[Old School Doug]

Certainly seems to be a perfect storm.

1) Increased shipments overall due to stay at home orders swelling package shipments.
2) Post office personnel not being immune to COVID (sadly no stats I can find to quantify the # of USPS employees not at work due to illness or quarantine).
3) An administration constantly in a verbal war against the Post Office, whether it's because they deliver some packages from Amazon or because they/he wants to instill doubt about the practice of vote by mail.
4) A congress unable to agree on either funding assistance or a rollback of the draconian 2006 law that required the Post Office to "pre-fund" 75 years of retiree's benefits over the course of 10 years at the estimated cost of $110 billion.
5) An inauguration fund super doner and political party big $$ contributor being appointed as Postmaster General who puts in place policies that have effectively slowed down delivery time.
6) A subset of politicians and business people who would absolutely LOVE to see the Post Office privatized.

As has been said (with the exception of items 1 and 2), "coincidence takes a lot of planning".

 

[afadeev]

I know that the new head of USPS is a political appointee, but rather than assume guy's mission is to torpedo vote-by-mail, I wonder if he's playing chicken with Congress' own requirements that are forced upon the USPS.

Shelving politics aside for the moment, lets just focus on the present reality of USPS challenges.

The current increase in processing and transportation times seams to be caused by recent personnel shortages and new policies that have been put in place by the postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, earlier this year. Some of those policies were in response to the Covid19-caused drop in revenue (drop in 1st class mail) and increases in costs (PPE demands, disinfecting, building retrofits, etc). But some of those changes, like cancelling over-time to make up for employees who are down for Covid-19, are just bad business.

You might argue that USPS is in financial strains, and some of that is true, but none of those are pressing concerns that would require immediate reduction in headcount, or restriction on supplying adequate headcount to run the business properly. In fact, USPS had asked for extra funding as part of April's CARES act, and Congress included some in earlier drafts, until Trump threatened to veto CARES if USPS got extra funding.
https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/8/7...ce-mail-delays-election-trump-mail-in-ballots
Still, USPS got a $10B loan from Treasury department, so it is not immediately pressed for cash.
Yet, DeJoy is slashing costs, and restricting employees from working any overtime to process mail, even if its left unsorted or undelivered for days on end.

Just to be clear - I've voted by mail for the past 4 or 5 election cycles, and never had any issues with, or concerns about it.

For example, Congress always bitches about the postal service spending too much money, not living within their budget, and underfunding pensions. So, he's doing what they asked, cutting budget, and services, so that he can fund pensions and live within the annual funding granted by the annual federal budget. And then, when Congress is up-in-arms he simply says that he's only doing what they asked him to do. If they want more services, give him more funding.

That is not entirely true.
USPS is a weird business that is not allowed to run like a business.
USPS can't manage its own revenue, since Congress sets prices for all of its services. And, they can't manage the costs properly either, since earlier Congresses have imposed non-GAAP accounting practices that apply only to USPS, and guarantee artificial accounting losses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Accountability_and_Enhancement_Act

However, the present Congress is not mandating that USPS should run positive P&L, or that they should not be allocated additional funding as part of Covid relieve / CARES act. Quite the opposite.
It is the Executive branch, and the crony DeJoy, who are mandating cost cutting measures.

The motivations are not publicly known, and I'm reluctant to speculate on the exact mix of political desires and raw incompetence. There seams to be an overwhelming supply of both in today's Executive branch.
To that you can add DeJoy family's heavy investment ($75+M) in USPS competitors or contractors.

Just peachy.

Truly, much of the chaos in the USPS is caused by Congress and the administrators, of either party, are left to clean up the mess.

USPS does have a history of colorful screw ups (requirement to 100% pre-fund pension contribution is absurd, and guarantees negative P&L, even with positive cash flow), but the current day shipping slow-downs have little to do with them.
https://qz.com/1276332/usps-loses-a-lot-of-money-because-of-the-us-government/
Today's challenges are all about DeJoy's labor-force withholding policies, and possibly Trump's weird jihad against USPS and against voting by mail.
The former is a fact, the latter is a conjecture.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Where are all the kitties gonna poo if it gets worse?

In somebody’s shoe. Or under the bed. Or down a furnace floor vent. Basically whatever is the worst possible place.

 

[Bill S]

It seems to me that everyone is focusing on who the new head of the USPS is, oh no, big GOP donor, rather than the need for drastic reform at the USPS. Given that the USPS hasn't made a profit in 11 years, maybe its time for a change there? Who better to institute unpopular and "radical" changes to an organization that is rife with inefficiency, than an outsider with actual business experience, rather than another swamp denizen? Rooting out the entrenched bureaucracy is a difficult task, but its necessary if significant changes are to be made. You can't make changes with your dept heads all opposed to said changes and who resist at every opportunity. So they have to go and bring in new blood. This happens frequently in the business world, but not the .gov world.

Note that the USPS board of governors unanimously voted him in, and that he wasn't appointed by Trump.

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

I've actually had more problems with non-USPS shippers. FedEx entirely lost a package from Apogee, and I had it resent by USPS; no delivery issues.

USPS seems a bit *slower* than usual, but with COVID going on, can you blame them?

 

[DaveinMI]

I live in Michigan, and mailed a package to another town in MI 40 miles to the west of me. It went to Pittsburg and sat for three weeks. I think it would still be there if I hadn't filed a missing package report. That seems to be the normal lately for me . All my packages I send going west, first go to Pittsburg. Most though, only spend two or three days there. Before the covid crisis they'd go to Grand Rapids, then head west, taking one or two days to cover the 40 miles.

 

[Glasspack]

Funny I just came across this post, a day after I was bitching about a package I ordered from Cobra Firing Systems; still in transit to next facility after like three weeks !!! Really ? Since Aug 1st.... it HASN'T moved or at least been scanned...…..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracking History
August 1, 2020
In Transit, Arriving Late
Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.
July 28, 2020, 10:10 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
JERSEY CITY NJ NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER


At least I am patient, so its not a bother. Plus we are very busy with house repairs...……

 

[dhbarr]

It seems to me that everyone is focusing on who the new head of the USPS is, oh no, big GOP donor, rather than the need for drastic reform at the USPS. Given that the USPS hasn't made a profit in 11 years, maybe its time for a change there?

Remember when the USPS retirements were "overfunded" so Congress raided that money, then they were "underfunded" so Congress forced them to pre-fund 75 years of retirements? Guys, Guys! I figured out why they're not breaking even!

 

[PXR5]

Remember when the USPS retirements were "overfunded" so Congress raided that money, then they were underfunded so Congress forced them to pre-fund 75 years of retirements? Guys, Guys! I figured out why they're not breaking even!

Correct, nobody ever brings this up!

 

[PXR5]

Maybe the government should force ALL Private Companies to fund their pensions out 75 years!

 

[PXR5]

UPS, lately has been the worse, but it seems they all take turns.

All three of them are under a lot of stress lately. I always thank my delivery guys, they are kinda burnt out

 

[Bill S]

Remember when the USPS retirements were "overfunded" so Congress raided that money, then they were "underfunded" so Congress forced them to pre-fund 75 years of retirements? Guys, Guys! I figured out why they're not breaking even!

Can't argue with that. Its a complex problem, made all the worse by Congress.

 

[The-Rocket-Store.Com]

Remind me - what is bad about privatizing the USPO? If it were private now, it would have shut down a decade ago, why are we subsidizing a loser again?

Can't sell it, it is one great big negative hole in the ground - GIVE it to Amazon.

 

[Wally Ferrer]

Remind me - what is bad about privatizing the USPO? If it were private now, it would have shut down a decade ago, why are we subsidizing a loser again?

Because everybody should be able to get mail delivered affordably.

 

[Wally Ferrer]

Remind me - what is bad about privatizing the USPO? If it were private now, it would have shut down a decade ago, why are we subsidizing a loser again?

Can't sell it, it is one great big negative hole in the ground - GIVE it to Amazon.

Also, you sent me a UPS shipping notice a week ago that changed from delivery scheduled to indicating that UPS is still waiting to receive it. That doesn't sound like winner behavior. I could be wrong.

 

[The-Rocket-Store.Com]

Because everybody should be able to get mail delivered affordably.

Affordable because you are subsidizing with your tax dollars - Money isn't coming from nowhere

 

[The-Rocket-Store.Com]

Also, you sent me a UPS shipping notice a week ago that changed from delivery scheduled to indicating that UPS is still waiting to receive it. That doesn't sound like winner behavior. I could be wrong.

Packages are gone, UPS doesn't show shipment in tracking. Just like we have all been talking about here. I hate UPS. And Fedex. And I'm not crazy about subsidizing everyone else's snail mail thru the USPO. See what Amazon is doing, because it is spectacular - don't know how they do it, don't care, they have figured it out.

 

[NateB]

Affordable because you are subsidizing with your tax dollars - Money isn't coming from nowhere

As it should be. Look at internet access, with private companies many rural residents are not served at all because a private company would not make any money to serve so few customers. Why would letter and package delivery be any different?

 

[Wally Ferrer]

Packages are gone, UPS doesn't show shipment in tracking. Just like we have all been talking about here. I hate UPS. And Fedex. And I'm not crazy about subsidizing everyone else's snail mail thru the USPO. See what Amazon is doing, because it is spectacular - don't know how they do it, don't care, they have figured it out.

Amazon keeps losing my packages, they just refund money relatively quickly. And by quickly I mean they take my money immediately, and when they agree to refund it, it takes 3 business days. None are great. And I am ok with the tax subsidy- that's what makes us a united country, not a free for all.

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

Affordable because you are subsidizing with your tax dollars - Money isn't coming from nowhere

Fun fact: The USPS receives zero tax payer dollars. It has been completely self-funded since the 1970s.

Edit: Someone is going to mention subsidies given to the USPS. We also give subsidies to the farming and oil industries, among many others. Would you also like to pay $4 a gallon for milk and $8 a gallon for gas?

 

[Wally Ferrer]

Fun fact: The USPS receives zero tax payer dollars. It has been completely self-funded since the 1970s.

Actually, that is true- we all tend to forget it though.

 

[Wally Ferrer]

From today:


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[The-Rocket-Store.Com]

........And has been losing money on every transaction since 1970. Financially better off as a country if the post office did not exist. If there is a need for post office type service, someone will fill the void.

 

[The-Rocket-Store.Com]

Edit: Someone is going to mention subsidies given to the USPS. We also give subsidies to the farming and oil industries, among many others. Would you also like to pay $4 a gallon for milk and $8 a gallon for gas?

Because of subsidies, you already do, just indirectly. Even if you use no gas or milk. The money does not come from Mars.

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

........And has been losing money on every transaction since 1970. Financially better off as a country if the post office did not exist. If there is a need for post office type service, someone will fill the void.

How strange. They managed to stay in business for over 40 years, "losing money", and yet also not getting any tax dollars. Is the post office using magic?!

Or are you in fact unaware that the post office makes almost all of it's money from selling stamps to collectors, and other non-mail based services, and then using that money to fund mail delivery? And until Congress required them - and only them, of all federal services and programs - to pre-fund 75 years of retirement, that they in fact were solvent and turning a profit?

No, I didn't think you were.

 

[The-Rocket-Store.Com]

How strange. They managed to stay in business for over 40 years, "losing money", and yet also not getting any tax dollars. Is the post office using magic?!

Nope - Subsidies. Same thing. I'm not making this up. If it were a private company, it would have closed 20 years ago, just like any money losing company.

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

Because of subsidies, you already do, just indirectly. Even if you use no gas or milk. The money does not come from Mars.

You somehow seem to believe that subsidies work by taking tax dollars to directly cover a difference in cost. This is not how subsidies work. I would go into how supply and demand markets work, but instead I'll point you to your local community college for a Macroeconmics class.