Jul 19
“Campaign finance reformers” often depict (private sector) funding of political ads as an overwhelmingly influential factor in elections. But there are many ways that people and institutions influence election outcomes. Government agencies have numerous means of trying to influence the political sphere. Now the Washington Post reports that the US Postal Service gave time off …
Jul 14
The Wall Street Journal is out with a fascinating article about a-mostly-unknown agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and Amazon.com. The U.S. Postal Service has failed to innovate as the world has gone increasingly digital. But in order to stay “competitive” with FedEx and UPS, the Service subsidizes box delivery. Letters pay for the subsidy. …
Jan 22
Government sucks at everything it tries–with the exception of killing, stealing and impoverishing. The U.S. Postal Service lost $5.1 billion last year – and more than $50 billion over the last decade. Even with every advantage in the market–including the world’s most prestige locations, a monopoly on its core operations, paying no taxes (either property …
Oct 20
Many people believe the U.S. Postal Service monopoly is found in the Constitution. In fact, the Constitution merely says Congress has the power to establish a postal service. Not only is there no power to grant a postal monopoly in the Constitution, the OTHER provisions of the Constitution make it clear that Congress MAY NOT …
Jul 07
Since 2007 the U.S. Postal Service has lost more than $50 billion. Its unfunded liabilities for its employees’ extravegent retirement benefits are nearly $100 billion. This despite having every advantage in the market place. Paying no taxes (property or income); being able to keep out competition; eminent domain; prestige locations, etc. Rural Post Offices are …
Apr 01
Government sucks at almost everything. Its “goods and services” cost more and are of lower quality despite the fact that the government enjoys every possible advantage in the marketplace. Consider the U.S. Postal Service. It has been losing a billion dollars annually for years. Yet “it enjoys a range of government-conferred benefits. It has monopolies …
Feb 20
Brian McNicoll, a columnist who follows the economic plight of the U.S. Postal Service, says the Service has lost money every year since 2007. The U.S.P.S. has lost more than $51 billion since the [2008] downturn began. The Service has not made a payment since 2011, and is more than $50 billion in arrears now. …
Dec 04
In 1844, Lysander Spooner launched a mail company called the American Letter Mail Company. Spooner’s company competed directly with the U.S. Postal Service, delivering letters and parcels between major cities in the eastern United States at a lower price than the government’s rates. Spooner’s company had offices in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, and delivered …
Oct 05
The U.S. Postal Service lost $5.5 billion in 2014 and has lost many more billions over the past decade. Even as global trade, communications and shipping has skyrocketed, the Postal Service can’t operate efficiently. U.S. Postal workers are greatly overpaid. Hundreds, even thousands, apply for every opening. It might be said that the PRIMARY purpose …
Apr 24
Statistically, a federal employee is more likely to die than to quit. Federal employees are paid so much that many hundreds–or even thousands–of applicants now apply for some federal openings, such as openings in the U.S. Postal Service. In the private sector, this would signal a basic “supply versus demand” solution: wages would be adjusted …
