Postal Service To Cut Saturday Mail

[Out of Order]

Looks like I'm going to be one of those not getting mail on Saturdays starting in August. Something had to be done to try and save them money I guess I can live with it.....


Under the new plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday, but would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays.


http://news.yahoo.com/postal-cut-saturday-mail-trim-costs-121746412.html;_ylt=A2KJ3Cd6VxJRwmwAmErQtDMD (http://www.stephenking.com/forums/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fp ostal-cut-saturday-mail-trim-costs-121746412.html%3B_ylt%3DA2KJ3Cd6VxJRwmwAmErQtDMD)

[Spideyman]

They still plan to deliver packages- hence-- the trucks are still running the routes. :umm:

The U.S. Postal Service plans to stop delivering letters and other first-class mail on Saturdays beginning Aug. 1, although packages will continue to be delivered

[Moderator]

It might have something to do with their contract with Fedex for their SmartPost option and making sure retailers continue to use them for delivering on-line purchases. :dunno: They could still cover a wider area with fewer trucks and personnel than would be required to deliver all mail to everyone on Saturdays. Just a guess on my part, though.

[fljoe0]

As I've expressed several times before, this drives me nuts. There is no reason for them to lose money like this and have to cut these services. First there are the shenanigans that congress is pulling where the PO has to deposit enormous excessive amounts of money for the reserve pension funds. The reason for this is probably so congress can "borrow" the money like they do with SS funds.

Also, congress should allow the PO to raise the prices enough so they can cover their losses (more than the .01 recent raise). I don't know if everyone realizes what a great deal the post office already is. If you think UPS or FedEx will deliver mail for $0.47, you are way off. Also, the post office goes anywhere in the US with an address (like in the frozen tundra of middle Wisconsin) for the same amount of money as delivering someplace with a big population. Fed Ex and UPS charge at least twice as much as their normal rates to go some of those places if they will even go at all.

I say let the Post Office raise their prices to cover their expenses and function like they always have.

[Autumn Gust]

On the bright side, I would think you'd get a one-day extension on the due date for bills you pay by mail.

[Out of Order]

The article mentioned that their package deliveries were actually up........


The move accentuates one of the agency's strong points — package delivery has increased by 14 percent since 2010, officials say, while the delivery of letters and other mail has declined with the increasing use of email and other Internet services.

I guess they figure they can make more money this way.........but what do I know..........? LOL

[fushingfeef]

I wonder if Netflix is going to give me a discount now that there's one less day I can receive their DVDs? :glare:

[JordyVerrill]

I think they should cut out Tuesday and Thursday deliveries as well and just go with a M-W-F schedule. Or work out a way that some zip codes (or regions, or however it gets divided) get M-W-F and others get T-T-S so mailmen can still have full time jobs, but less mailmen will be needed. They would just have two routes, and deliver to one one day and the other the next day.

[Todash]

As I've expressed several times before, this drives me nuts. There is no reason for them to lose money like this and have to cut these services. First there are the shenanigans that congress is pulling where the PO has to deposit enormous excessive amounts of money for the reserve pension funds. The reason for this is probably so congress can "borrow" the money like they do with SS funds.

Also, congress should allow the PO to raise the prices enough so they can cover their losses (more than the .01 recent raise). I don't know if everyone realizes what a great deal the post office already is. If you think UPS or FedEx will deliver mail for $0.47, you are way off. Also, the post office goes anywhere in the US with an address (like in the frozen tundra of middle Wisconsin) for the same amount of money as delivering someplace with a big population. Fed Ex and UPS charge at least twice as much as their normal rates to go some of those places if they will even go at all.

I say let the Post Office raise their prices to cover their expenses and function like they always have.

Agreed. Why handicap them and then gripe when services have to be cut? As little as I mail, personally, I'd be fine with a buck a stamp. It would feel shocking, but it would cost me approximately ... oh, 25 cents more a month. :biggrin2: There's a difference between government controlling costs by building in efficiencies and government controlling costs artificially.

[Out of Order]

I'd be fine with a buck a stamp.

Think of the senior citizens!!

Grandma: "I remember when stamps were just a nickel...........We got our mail delivered on Saturdays too........"

Little Jimmy: "Jeepers Grandma........do you have any other tall tales I can put on Facebook?"

[Todash]

But the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Fredric Rolando, said the end of Saturday mail delivery is "a disastrous idea that would have a profoundly negative effect on the Postal Service and on millions of customers," particularly businesses, rural communities, the elderly, the disabled and others who depend on Saturday delivery for commerce and communication.Disastrous. I do not think that word means what he thinks it means.

Seriously, people will adjust. Packages will still be delivered, so mail order meds and such won't be impacted. The only profoundly negative effect is on the mail carriers who will be missing out on Saturday employment. He knows this. He is just trying to rationalize and use emotional buzzwords like "elderly" and "disabled." I dislike that kind of intellectual dishonesty. Say what you mean, buddy. No one would blame you. You're the one guy who should care about that aspect of it.

[kingricefan]

The USPS has to do something to stay afloat. Most people use email/twitter/facebook/etc. anymore for keeping in contact with someone. Most people pay bills online, too. So, that leaves cards, packages, perscriptions and that pesky junkmail left to be physically delivered anymore. Someone suggested going with mail delivery on an every other day basis- that would put alot of USPS workers out of jobs. If they raise the price of a stamp to $1, people will not use their services and that will also put alot of people out of work. I don't know what the perfect solution would be in this case. I guess not having delivery on Saturdays is a good step. At least it's one less day to get junk mail!!!

[doowopgirl]

In Ireland we haven't had Saturday post for a long time. We do sometimes get it at Christmas. You'll get used to it.

[Todash]

The USPS has to do something to stay afloat. Most people use email/twitter/facebook/etc. anymore for keeping in contact with someone. Most people pay bills online, too. So, that leaves cards, packages, perscriptions and that pesky junkmail left to be physically delivered anymore. Someone suggested going with mail delivery on an every other day basis- that would put alot of USPS workers out of jobs. If they raise the price of a stamp to $1, people will not use their services and that will also put alot of people out of work. I don't know what the perfect solution would be in this case. I guess not having delivery on Saturdays is a good step. At least it's one less day to get junk mail!!!Oh, people would pay a buck a stamp. They'd whine about it, but they'd do it. Most of them, anyway. Regardless, however much it costs the USPS to deliver a piece of mail, we should not be paying less than that.

The thing is, Congress does not give them any funding, but for some reason it gets to kick them around. This means that Congress has all the power and none of the responsibility in this case, which is always a bad combo. Conversely, the USPS has all of the responsibility and none of the power.

[91rewoT]

Also, the post office goes anywhere in the US with an address (like in the frozen tundra of middle Wisconsin) for the same amount of money as delivering someplace with a big population.

From the US Census 2012, Wisconsin's population: 5,726,398. While that may not be the largest state population, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in brats. And beer. And cheese. And deer. Oh, and wild turkeys, the turkey population has really taken off in the last few years...
:wink2:

[GNTLGNT]

...one less day for a deluge of bills...and there's a downside?......

[fljoe0]

From the US Census 2012, Wisconsin's population: 5,726,398. While that may not be the largest state population, what we lack in numbers, we make up for in brats. And beer. And cheese. And deer. Oh, and wild turkeys, the turkey population has really taken off in the last few years...
:wink2:

Sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound snarky, just using it as an example of an area with a small population. Wisconsin came to mind because we had a supplier in Boduel (go to Green Bay and make a left and drive over pot-holes for a couple of hours:biggrin2:). Absolutely beautiful but it is a little isolated and cold. I used to have to send overnight mail there and DHL would not even go there. FedEx would not deliver there overnight either. I had to pay for overnight but it would take 2 days.

[91rewoT]

Sorry, I didn't mean for that to sound snarky, just using it as an example of an area with a small population. Wisconsin came to mind because we had a supplier in Boduel (go to Green Bay and make a left and drive over pot-holes for a couple of hours:biggrin2:). Absolutely beautiful but it is a little isolated and cold. I used to have to send overnight mail there and DHL would not even go there. FedEx would not deliver there overnight either. I had to pay for overnight but it would take 2 days.

Hahaha! No offense taken at all! I thought it was funny that you picked Wisconsin as an example, and I had to respond somehow! My sister and I have been vacationing around the state (even though she's lived here all her life and I've lived here for a total of 26 years) and we've found some very isolated places - especially in the northeast. And it is pretty dang cold at times...

I wasn't kidding about the turkerys, the population is getting a little out of control.
:biggrin2:

[nate_watkins]

I wonder if Netflix is going to give me a discount now that there's one less day I can receive their DVDs? :glare:

Nah, they'll probably raise the price.

The senator in my state says he's going to try stop this from happening. Something about it being bad for small, local businesses. We'll see how that goes.