Can there be any doubt that it has become little more than a game, run by and for the wealthiest 1 percent and corporate CEOs?
I am constantly amazed how conservative talking heads and power brokers can continue to keep a straight face as they repeat the same old tired slogans and debunked talking points they’ve been hard selling for the past three decades.
You know the latest one well, that we can’t raise taxes on the job creators, despite the Bush tax cuts leading to a net loss of private sector jobs during his 8 years?
But the conservative belief that government is the problem and that competitive capitalism and private industry can always do a better job of things than a bloated government bureaucracy ever could, really needs closer examination.
We need look no further than Medicare, with its low 3 percent administrative costs versus 12 percent for private health insurers. No doubt, they hope you never stop to think about that one.
Toss in the fact there are no multi-million dollar salaries demanded by government employees and the real value and capability of government becomes that much clearer.
Oh wait, I forgot about the government-paid private corporate execs in the military-industrial complex who live in 20,000 square foot mansions on multi-acre estates outside Washington, D.C. in houses built with taxpayer dollars handed out by the Pentagon.
You are supposed to forget about that discrepancy, too.
Rod Livdahl
Mesa
PatrioticPerson posted at 4:05 pm on Sun, Jan 20, 2013.
Accuracy,
I have heard numerous times that the USPS does not pay vehicle registration fees on their vehicles. Hard information to find facts on!
PatrioticPerson posted at 3:37 pm on Sun, Jan 20, 2013.
AZ Willie,
I have no gripes at all about the USPS. And have never stated that I dislike them. They would be even better if politicians kept their grimmy mitts out of it. My contention is when it is implied that they are completely self sufficient. They are a semi non-governmental agency with benefits afforded to them that private enterprise does not enjoy. Yet they compete with private enterprise. They do have a monopoly on first class mail.
I will agree with you that they are a more cost effective alternative to FEDEX and UPS. Efficiency is another thing. And it is a fact that they charge $.45 to get a letter from NYC to Barrow, Alaska. But they loose money on the deal. They may make money from Phoenix to Chandler but they loose from NYC to Barrow. FEDEX and UPS are point to point and the USPS is one rate.
One more thing....I have a niece that works for FEDEX and a college roomate that retired from the USPS as a Post Master in a town in Wisconsin.
Arizona Willie posted at 2:23 pm on Sun, Jan 20, 2013.
PatrioticPerson: the last sentence in your link says a whole lot " Therefore, some critics view the current tax exemption as a subsidy provided by the government to the USPS."
" some critics " -- not all you notice but a nameless numberless phrase of " some ".
Actually, I would agree that the tax relief is a subsidy ... but so what?
The tax relief certainly is not enough to make up the difference between charging .45 to deliver my letter by the U.S.P.S and the $8.81 charged by FedEx to deliver the same letter in the same time frame.
Any way you slice it, the U.S.P.S. is more cost effective / efficient than the private carriers.
But, if you dislike the postal service so much, I invite you to send all your letters and bills via FedEx or UPS and pay 8 - 10 dollars for each one.
PatrioticPerson posted at 11:50 am on Sun, Jan 20, 2013.
AZ Willie,
http://postcom.org/public/2006/postal.wiki.htm
Under statutes and duties. The 4th paragraph.
PatrioticPerson posted at 11:24 am on Sun, Jan 20, 2013.
AZ Willie,
My mistake for not being clearer. It was under letter to the editor "war over...." on 12/16/2012.
And here is your quote "The actual cost is less than 45 cents because the postal service is paying on the prefunded pensions."
Accuracy posted at 9:57 am on Sat, Jan 19, 2013.
PatrioticPerson posted a question: “…..why there are no license plates on any post office vehicle.”
Because, in 1973 federal regulations exempted U.S. Postal Service vehicles from licensing requirements. And the vehicles have gone without license in Pennsylvania and every other state since then. Instead of having government license plates, an identification number is printed on the back, in the upper left, just below the roofline.
The United States Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office or U.S. Mail) is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States. The federal government employs over 596,000 Postal workers. And if it was a civilian company, it would be the second-largest employer in the United States and the operator of the largest vehicle fleet in the world.
Arizona Willie posted at 9:20 am on Sat, Jan 19, 2013.
PatrioticPerson: yes you were lazy. You entered " I am lazy today. I am just doing a "Cut and Paste from 12-21. " I presume 12-21 refers to a date but what year and what subject it was posted in is anybody's guess.
I don't believe I ever said what the COST of delivering the letter was. I said they CHARGE you .45 ( forty five cents ).
Can you provide any proof of the statements you made about the U.S.P.S being exempt from all taxes etc. etc. etc.?
Just for grins, I just went to FedEx and ran a quote for .1lb from Mesa to my old zip code 66211 in Kansas. Here is their answer for end of day 3 business day delivery.
End of day(3 Business Days) FedEx Ground® 8.81
Now it may be that the U.S.P.S. is exempt from taxes but I don't believe taxes are enough to make up the difference between $.45 and $8.81.
If it makes you feel better to rant about government inefficiency... go ahead ... but the FACTS often times don't agree with the right wing fantasies.
Medicare pays out 92%
Private insurance pays out 80% ( at best ) it used to be only 60 - 70% before Obama care forced them to pay out more.
Post Office delivers a letter from here to my old home for $.45
FedEx delivers the same letter in the same time frame for $8.81
FACTS
PatrioticPerson posted at 9:03 pm on Fri, Jan 18, 2013.
Accuracy,
Company A outsources jobs to Company B because Company B can do it cheaper than Company A can do it. Very simple concept. It happens in the US every day. Companies have to remain competative in order to remain in business. If they don't people loose their jobs when the company folds. Outsourcing can be within the US or outside the US depanding on where the company can get the job done at the least cost to remain competative and stay in business. Unless you have a monopoly or are the US Government you are going to get the work done where it will allow you to remain competative and remain in business.
PatrioticPerson posted at 4:23 pm on Fri, Jan 18, 2013.
"Take government completely out of trying to run a business". They don't know how to run a business any better than they do a brothel in Nevada.
PatrioticPerson posted at 4:16 pm on Fri, Jan 18, 2013.
AZ Willie,
Last but not least..........
you might want to do some research as to why there are no license plates on any post office vehicle.
PatrioticPerson posted at 4:15 pm on Fri, Jan 18, 2013.
AZ Wilie,
Still lazy.....this one about your belief that the ACTUAL cost is $.45 to get a letter from NYC to Barrow, Alaska.
I was commenting on your belief that the ACTUAL COST is 45 cents. Not what they charge but that the ACTUAL COST TO THE POST OFFICE is 45 cents to move a letter from NYC to Barrow, Alaska.
If the ACTUAL COST is 45 cents from NYC to Barrow, Alaska then why do they charge 45 cents to move a letter from Phoenix to Chandler? Shouldn't it be maybe 3 cents?
PatrioticPerson posted at 4:13 pm on Fri, Jan 18, 2013.
AZ Willie,
I am lazy today. I am just doing a "Cut and Paste from 12-21.
The USPS is exempt from all taxes. Taxes all the private delivery firms have to pay. The USPS for instance does not pay federal or state tax on the gasoline or diesel fuel they use, which lowers their per gallon cost by 50 cents per gallon or more in every state. They do not pay real estate taxes on the buildings they own and they do not pay state sales taxes on anything the buy. They do not pay for building permits or need any local approvals to build whatever they want to build, anywhere they want to build it. They are also exempt from paying into state disability and unemployment insurance funds. The post office is exempt from filing and paying state and federal income taxes even when they are profitable. Whereas, Federal Express and United Parcel must hire numerous accountants and file tax returns in every state they operate in.
These are called subsidies.
Accuracy posted at 4:08 pm on Thu, Jan 17, 2013.
Rod Livdahl’s letter: “Can there be any doubt that it has become little more than a game, run by and for the wealthiest 1 percent and corporate CEOs?”
Remember: Outsourcing generally means that a company hires another company to do work for them – “outsourced” jobs may be sent overseas and is a increasingly common practice. CEOs are the highest paid by companies. To cut cost a lot, why not have CEO’s jobs outsourced?
Arizona Willie posted at 3:04 pm on Thu, Jan 17, 2013.
VofReason: the Post Office is a very efficient organization.
Despite it's name of United States Postal Service, it no longer gets any taxpayer money.
It is run like any other private business except that Congress has the authority to intefere with it's operations and has burdened it with an outrageous pension program that requires the U.S.P.S. to put money away for pension of employees WHO HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN BORN YET!!
Nevertheless it is still delivering letters for less than $.50 ( fifty cents ).
If you think the U.S.P.S. isn't efficient, try sending a letter via Fed Ex or UPS and see how much THEY charge you.
You would CHOKE on the price they would quote.
Quit listening to Rush and do something about that unreasonable hatred for government. It isn't always perfect but then neither is private enterprise.
VofReason posted at 1:16 pm on Thu, Jan 17, 2013.
I think the basic premise that Government is efficient and effective makes this editorial laughable. The odd thing about the free market is that if you don't do things efficiently and provide a good service, you will unlikely sell your product or service. No such competition or efficiency exists in government. Government can always raise taxes or spend beyond their means. Strangley, Rod makes good points in how people can make mass amounts of money through their connection to the government and government officials, but this goes against the arguement of bigger government and more government involvement in anything. Also laughable and telling is the only example raised is the military sector. Ever heard of the Post Office?
Cerulean posted at 9:40 am on Thu, Jan 17, 2013.
Mike,
I was just made aware of another important point to consider. That is that the Republican and Democratic ideals have traded places. In other words, southern Democrats have become Republican and Northern Republicans have transformed to Democrat. The process is still underway, however it is clear that Democrats are trying to be a more inclusive body and less hierarchical based on wealth.
Cerulean posted at 8:29 am on Thu, Jan 17, 2013.
DonMey, in one way you are correct. President Obama raised more money from individual donations in small amounts up to the limit (I am not sure what that is at the moment). Romney's campaign had more money to spend and he received plenty from hedge fund managers.
McClellan makes a good point - as a whole, I think Republicans display more weakness to their chattel corporeal (I made up a new definition:)).
DonMey posted at 9:00 pm on Wed, Jan 16, 2013.
Mike - He's not myopic, he's blind. Obama's campaign raised more money than Romney's campaign, and Obama won. A sad percentage of the people vote. An even smaller percentage are willing to put money behind their candidate. Which means that an election where an average of multiple digits of dollars was spent on every vote, big money was involved. I'm sure you can find an instance where a POTUS candidate with a smaller fund (but you have to include party spending) won, but it will not even qualify as "common".
Mike McClellan posted at 6:06 pm on Wed, Jan 16, 2013.
Rod's right, but a bit myopic. Too often, Democrats are just as much in the bag for Big Money as Republicans. Look at the financial disaster of the last decade -- see any big shots going to prison because of their misbehavior? Me, neither. See any real financial industry reforms? Me, neither.
DonMey posted at 5:38 pm on Wed, Jan 16, 2013.
If the tax breaks did nothing, why was Obama so intent on them being passed again? And why are they still referred to as "Bush tax cuts"? Bush's tax cuts were set to expire in 2010. It is now 2013, and Bush hasn't been in power for years.
So Medicare is your version of a streamlined offering? I guess you missed where Obama said he could cut out over 700 billion of overspending in medicare with no impact to benefits?
One CEO who makes millions is over the top, to say the least. But what is cheaper? One person taking millions? Or millions of government employees padding their pensions by the thousands, with things such as stockpiling sick days to cash out and bloat their payouts?
truth posted at 4:42 pm on Wed, Jan 16, 2013.
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