Pawlenty Google Test

[Martinus]

We should absolutely privatize the post office.  Numerous private companies do very fine delivery work - why do they need to compete with government?

Considering you lived in White Horse, I'm surprised you'd ask this question. Post Office is an prime example of a service that actually requires a government subsidy/provider.

[ulmont]

Fun factoid:  on rural delivery routes, the US mail is delivered by private individuals, chosen on the basis of lowest bid.

I think you're wrong on this.  The Rural Letter Carriers have a union and everything.
http://www.nrlca.org/

Note that to become a member you must "first be employed by the USPS and work in the Rural Carrier Craft as a Regular, Substitute, RCR, or RCA." (emphasis added).
http://www.nrlca.org/nrlca_membership/how_to_become_a_member/index.cfm

[Martinus]

Maybe it wouldn't be unprofitable at a higher price? Fed Ex goes almost anywhere, and I don't know that their pricing is so complicated. Email is the answer.

What about police work? Should individuals living in dangerous neighbourhoods be charged an extra tax to cover extra costs of police work there? Your reasoning leads to madness like this.

[Valmy]

Also all the armed forces.  Just google for private military.

I have been in favor of just hiring a mercenary army for years.  Particularly if each company has a cool name.  We could hire the Black Falcons to conquer Iran for us.

[Martinus]

You hired Blackwater to torture prisoners for you in Iraq. 

[Valmy]

What about police work? Should individuals living in dangerous neighbourhoods be charged an extra tax to cover extra costs of police work there? Your reasoning leads to madness like this.

Well if a city is more dangerous and requires extra cops that is pretty much how it goes down.  Except the entire city pays more taxes rather than the neighborhood.  Governments do not get that local

[Valmy]

You hired Blackwater to torture prisoners for you in Iraq. 

Pretty sure we had the regular government troops do it in their bureaucratic government way.  We could have saved tons of money per torturee that way.

[Admiral Yi]

I think you're wrong on this.  The Rural Letter Carriers have a union and everything.
http://www.nrlca.org/

Note that to become a member you must "first be employed by the USPS and work in the Rural Carrier Craft as a Regular, Substitute, RCR, or RCA." (emphasis added).
http://www.nrlca.org/nrlca_membership/how_to_become_a_member/index.cfm

How do your links show that I'm wrong?  Rural mail is delivered by private contractors.  To become a member of the NRLCA you first have to be a private contractor who delivers rural mail.

[Admiral Yi]

What about police work? Should individuals living in dangerous neighbourhoods be charged an extra tax to cover extra costs of police work there? Your reasoning leads to madness like this.

That's the way it works by city. 

[Berkut]

Maybe it wouldn't be unprofitable at a higher price? Fed Ex goes almost anywhere, and I don't know that their pricing is so complicated. Email is the answer.

What about police work? Should individuals living in dangerous neighbourhoods be charged an extra tax to cover extra costs of police work there? Your reasoning leads to madness like this.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that police work be privatized though...are they?

Why is it such an injustice if some people somewhere pay more for mail delivery? There are innumerable advantages and disadvantages to living in various places. What is it about delivery service (but only for 1st class mail, of course - apparently it is perfectly ok that other things that need to be delivered have variable costs) that demands government intervention in order to make sure everyone pays the same?

[The Brain]

Why is it such an injustice if some people somewhere pay more for mail delivery? There are innumerable advantages and disadvantages to living in various places. What is it about delivery service (but only for 1st class mail, of course - apparently it is perfectly ok that other things that need to be delivered have variable costs) that demands government intervention in order to make sure everyone pays the same?

It's the Law. Therefore it is the only possible way.

[ulmont]

How do your links show that I'm wrong?  Rural mail is delivered by private contractors.  To become a member of the NRLCA you first have to be a private contractor who delivers rural mail.

My links show that rural mail is delivered by employees of the USPS, not by private contractors.  I bolded that part for you and everything.

Edit: also check out the union agreement:

This Agreement (referred to as the USPS-NRLCA 2006 National Agreement) is entered into as of December 3, 2007, by and between the United States Postal Service (hereinafter referred to as the "Employer") and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (hereinafter referred to as the "Union") and supersedes the provisions of the Extension to the 2000 USPS-NRLCA National Agreement.
...
The Employer recognizes the Union as the exclusive bargaining representative of all employees in the bargaining
unit for which the Union has been recognized and certified at the national level.

(emphasis added)

[DGuller]

There are two more reasons why it's not completely illogical for postal service to be a monopoly.  First of all, infrastructure costs are enormous, and competition would duplicate them, like with many utilities.  Another reason is that postal system is a network, and suffers from a network effect.  Both of those effects tend to create natural monopolies.

[alfred russel]

We should absolutely privatize the post office.  Numerous private companies do very fine delivery work - why do they need to compete with government?

Considering you lived in White Horse, I'm surprised you'd ask this question. Post Office is an prime example of a service that actually requires a government subsidy/provider.

Almost all the mail I get is junk, with some mail that duplicates emails (I receive some bills by email and mail). The very few pieces of mail I get that I actually need are from government sources (tax notices, jury summons). I guess some of the major beneficiaries of the subsidies are mass marketers.

[alfred russel]

There are two more reasons why it's not completely illogical for postal service to be a monopoly.  First of all, infrastructure costs are enormous, and competition would duplicate them, like with many utilities.  Another reason is that postal system is a network, and suffers from a network effect.  Both of those effects tend to create natural monopolies.

Although I know they are on a smaller scale with somewhat different services offered, don't UPS, Fed Ex, and DHL already duplicate the basics of what the postal service does?