http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/fi...-leviathan

"Consider the post office. It has not been privatized. It’s just fallen gradually into disuse thanks to the advent of email, texting, and thousands of other ways of communicating. It may stick around for another decade or so, but as a kind of zombie. Surely its days are numbered.
This is the archetype. Government was supposed to provide but didn't. Now markets are picking up the pieces and making new products and services that facilitate better living, which reduces the role and significance of public policy"

Comments?

Interesting. I didn't think much about AirBnB avoiding those oppressive lodging taxes used to pay for sports stadiums.

Anyway, I shudder at the example of the Post Office. Getting mail sent reliably, by a trusted party is a key element to a free and fair society. The poor are protected by a good mail service. The rich are fairly served. If it costs too much (and you can thank unions for that. Get rid of public sector unions) it's a small price to pay for the good it does. There are plenty of ways to make this case w/o bringing up the PO.

(09-25-2014 10:30 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Interesting. I didn't think much about AirBnB avoiding those oppressive lodging taxes used to pay for sports stadiums.

Anyway, I shudder at the example of the Post Office. Getting mail sent reliably, by a trusted party is a key element to a free and fair society. The poor are protected by a good mail service. The rich are fairly served. If it costs too much (and you can thank unions for that. Get rid of public sector unions) it's a small price to pay for the good it does. There are plenty of ways to make this case w/o bringing up the PO.

I can send a letter from the east coast to the west coast for 49 cents. THAT is why the post office will fail.

(09-25-2014 10:33 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:30 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Interesting. I didn't think much about AirBnB avoiding those oppressive lodging taxes used to pay for sports stadiums.

Anyway, I shudder at the example of the Post Office. Getting mail sent reliably, by a trusted party is a key element to a free and fair society. The poor are protected by a good mail service. The rich are fairly served. If it costs too much (and you can thank unions for that. Get rid of public sector unions) it's a small price to pay for the good it does. There are plenty of ways to make this case w/o bringing up the PO.

I can send a letter from the east coast to the west coast for 49 cents. THAT is why the post office will fail.

The Pony Express charged five bucks for a letter...they were in business less than two years.

The post office just needs to restructure a bit.

(09-25-2014 10:46 AM)AngryAphid Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:33 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:30 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Interesting. I didn't think much about AirBnB avoiding those oppressive lodging taxes used to pay for sports stadiums.

Anyway, I shudder at the example of the Post Office. Getting mail sent reliably, by a trusted party is a key element to a free and fair society. The poor are protected by a good mail service. The rich are fairly served. If it costs too much (and you can thank unions for that. Get rid of public sector unions) it's a small price to pay for the good it does. There are plenty of ways to make this case w/o bringing up the PO.

I can send a letter from the east coast to the west coast for 49 cents. THAT is why the post office will fail.

The Pony Express charged five bucks for a letter...they were in business less than two years.

Ponies join a union?

(09-25-2014 12:09 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:46 AM)AngryAphid Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:33 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:30 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Interesting. I didn't think much about AirBnB avoiding those oppressive lodging taxes used to pay for sports stadiums.

Anyway, I shudder at the example of the Post Office. Getting mail sent reliably, by a trusted party is a key element to a free and fair society. The poor are protected by a good mail service. The rich are fairly served. If it costs too much (and you can thank unions for that. Get rid of public sector unions) it's a small price to pay for the good it does. There are plenty of ways to make this case w/o bringing up the PO.

I can send a letter from the east coast to the west coast for 49 cents. THAT is why the post office will fail.

The Pony Express charged five bucks for a letter...they were in business less than two years.

Ponies join a union?

The powerful Shetland Local 209… well, until the telegraph came along.

IMO, the Post Office should be a separate entity that can make staffing and operational decisions independent of Congress for a number of years. For example, the PO should be able to set rates and staffing changes, which would then come under Congressional review...say every 3 years. This kind of independence would allow the post office to compete and survive without the politics of people crying over their local money-draining post office.

(09-25-2014 12:18 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  IMO, the Post Office should be a separate entity that can make staffing and operational decisions independent of Congress for a number of years. For example, the PO should be able to set rates and staffing changes, which would then come under Congressional review...say every 3 years. This kind of independence would allow the post office to compete and survive without the politics of people crying over their local money-draining post office.

If they get rid of the union, then I think they'd do alright.

(09-25-2014 12:19 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 12:18 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  IMO, the Post Office should be a separate entity that can make staffing and operational decisions independent of Congress for a number of years. For example, the PO should be able to set rates and staffing changes, which would then come under Congressional review...say every 3 years. This kind of independence would allow the post office to compete and survive without the politics of people crying over their local money-draining post office.

If they get rid of the union, then I think they'd do alright.

I'm not so sure. Union workers are entitlement minded. Just because they aren't unionized they will still be entitlement minded. You will have to fire a whole bunch of them and replace them with workers that don't expect to be paid for 8 hours of work but only actually work 4 hours.

(09-25-2014 12:19 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 12:18 PM)pharaoh0 Wrote:  IMO, the Post Office should be a separate entity that can make staffing and operational decisions independent of Congress for a number of years. For example, the PO should be able to set rates and staffing changes, which would then come under Congressional review...say every 3 years. This kind of independence would allow the post office to compete and survive without the politics of people crying over their local money-draining post office.

If they get rid of the union, then I think they'd do alright.

They used to hire veterans. Now it's all about diversity. However If You are a white non veteran male, then Forget it. You won't even get to take the exam.

I have had it with the Post Office. In the last 6 months I had packages that were supposed to be delivered by a certain date not show up on time. Twice,the tracking information said it had been delivered yet the outgoing mail had not even been picked up! Calls and emails went unanswered. Even contacted the Post Master at each Office and no reply. My favorite line was 'We don't guarantee 2 day or overnight delivery, just the POSSIBILITY that it could happen'
THIS should be why the a Post Office should fail. I had 1 issue with UPS and it was taken care of immediately.

(09-25-2014 12:14 PM)AngryAphid Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 12:09 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:46 AM)AngryAphid Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:33 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(09-25-2014 10:30 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  Interesting. I didn't think much about AirBnB avoiding those oppressive lodging taxes used to pay for sports stadiums.

Anyway, I shudder at the example of the Post Office. Getting mail sent reliably, by a trusted party is a key element to a free and fair society. The poor are protected by a good mail service. The rich are fairly served. If it costs too much (and you can thank unions for that. Get rid of public sector unions) it's a small price to pay for the good it does. There are plenty of ways to make this case w/o bringing up the PO.

I can send a letter from the east coast to the west coast for 49 cents. THAT is why the post office will fail.

The Pony Express charged five bucks for a letter...they were in business less than two years.

Ponies join a union?

The powerful Shetland Local 209… well, until the telegraph came along.

Then the railroad and all the accompanying Chinese just mucked up everything going forward.