Gov't Agency Thinking

[KRAM1]

So, if you ever wanted to get a good idea of how the government mind-set works when it comes to failing enterprises, cost control and customer service, look no further than the U S Post Office. In recent comments regarding the billowing costs of running the post office and what the post office intends to do about it, a local rep for the post office has been quoted as saying that while many of the local service centers will be closed to save cash, no employees will lose their jobs.

So, the answer for the government mind-set types is to reduce service to your clients so as to not inconvenience any of the government employees. Is there any wonder the post office is self-imploding? Let's cut back on first-class delivery times, delay all mail service classes and raise the cost of postage, but let's make sure all the current employees keep their jobs and bloated benefit programs. WOW! Just WOW!

United Parcel, FedEx, etc. must be laughing their collective rear ends off, and drinking toasts to their good fortune. While the post office will clearly lose revenue over this brilliant move, the private sector folks will gain significantly. It's like raising taxes. Once taxes are raised the folks who pushed for the raise cannot figure out why tax revenues have decreased. The post office folks will sit around and wonder why their expenses continue to climb, clients continue to decrease and the post office is still on the verge of collapse after this brilliant move to inconvenience what clients they have remaining in order to hold on to bloated payrolls and benefit programs.

Classic government thinking. Priceless.

[glick1980]

Don't you think letting to most of the employees, you know, the ones that provide the service, would be a bigger reduction of service than closing some of the service centers? I for one do not particularly think mail delivery should be a function of government anymore.

[Coffee and TV]

[KRAM1]

Don't you think letting to most of the employees, you know, the ones that provide the service, would be a bigger reduction of service than closing some of the service centers? I for one do not particularly think mail delivery should be a function of government anymore.

Actually, no, I don't. Like the vast majority of all govt. depts and agencies, there are way more employees than are needed to do a good job. Productivity numbers indicate this time and time again. While I personally hate to see anyone lose a job, this is a case where consideration of job cuts could definitely help "save" a bunch of other jobs and retain some semblance of service for the clients. The postal service could also look at employee benefits as a way to save costs and yet not cut as many services or employees.

I too believe that many government functions would be much better run if the private sector were allowed to handle it...like perhaps United Parcel, FedEx, etc. in this case.

Much of the post offices challenges come from the electronic delivery of mail these days and the fact that the post office has simply not kept up with the trends in what clients expect and require. Again, like raising taxes, they cannot figure out the correlation between the continued decline in first class mail usage and the ever rising cost of first class postage coupled with what electronic methods of communication now handle. The simple things seem to constantly be missed by the government mind set. The post office is certainly no exception.

Long ago...when the post office became an agency and not a full-fledged budget item for Congress and the taxpayer, they should have thought about marketing and service quality as they were now in the retail and competitive marketplace. But, no, they kept on doing the same things the same ways with bloated staffs and outdated equipment until it was way past too late.

On another note...they certainly failed to recognize the fact that stamp collecting had seen its heyday and was on the decline with the "younger set". Just one area where they failed to make changes to capitalize on the changing environment. They failed to recognized that the collector would no longer be rushing to the post office in the numbers they once were to grab each and every new postal issue, sign up for first day covers, purchase postal stationary, etc. while never using them as actual postage. A small area perhaps, but certainly a sample of the failings of the postal service to be in tune with the business climate.

The postal service has no one but itself to blame for the condition it finds itself in today. The union control over the postal service certainly doesn't help either. Unions never seem to be interested in efficiencies and competition...only bloated payrolls and bloated benefit packages, and yes, those union dues that line the pockets of the union bosses. Just saying......where are the OWS folks protesting the bloated salaries on bonuses of union bosses? Gee, I wonder? While a bit off-track, I just couldn't resist getting that "union" shot in during this post.

[kalebschumann]

Don't you think letting to most of the employees, you know, the ones that provide the service, would be a bigger reduction of service than closing some of the service centers? I for one do not particularly think mail delivery should be a function of government anymore.

But what about the less than 3% of the nation that the non-Postal Service companies don't reach! Like in remote places of Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming!?!?!!?

Obama told me that we need the Postal Service, because they'll get everybody in the nation... And the big companies don't reach everbody!

[UNT90]

Actually, no, I don't. Like the vast majority of all govt. depts and agencies, there are way more employees than are needed to do a good job. Productivity numbers indicate this time and time again.

You are dead on here. I think people would fall over in shock if they knew what a 15 year letter carrier made per year, not to mention the pension they receive upon retirement. Vastly, vastly overpaid for the function they serve in society, like most federal employees.