Pawlenty Google Test

[Berkut]

I am trying to imagine what terrible thing would occur if I could not send a 1st class letter for 44 cents.

I think the main effect would be that I simply do not send mail, what little I send now. Everything can be electronically transmitted, and when I am sending something that cannot, it is usually something I would Fedex anyway.

[Viking]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2011/0607/Tim-Pawlenty-s-plan-to-revive-the-US-economy-the-Google-Test

"If you can find a service or good available on Google or the Internet, then the federal government probably doesn't need to be doing it," said Mr. Pawlenty, speaking at the University of Chicago. "The post office, the Government Printing Office, Amtrak, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, were all built for a time in our country when the private sector did not adequately provide those products. But that's no longer the case."

Applying the Google test would result in dispensing with the entire court system, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, all the intelligence agencies, Social Security, Medicare, etc.

One thing it would not get rid of, however, is Amtrak.  Because I don't think you can find an intercity rail service on the internet that does not involve a government subsidized service.

Is he: Hoisted on his own Pawlenty?

I give you, Private Government The Principality of Sealand

I'd tell him to return to Minneapolis, but I like my co-scandaweenies across the pond too much.

[Caliga]

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.

I think I'd rather go with the Eridani Light Horse for that mission.  If they're not available, then the Kell Hounds.

[ulmont]

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?

The basics.  They cost a lot more and don't deliver everywhere though.

[Admiral Yi]

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.

Your link shows that to become a member of the union you must first be employed by the Post Office as a rural carrier.  You then assumed that "employed by the Post Office" could not describe a private citizen who contracts to provide the service.

[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.

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?

For a small subset of services, and concentrated in high volume locations, so the effect is reduced.  I think private carriers hand things off to USPS at some stage if they have to ship something to Bumfuck, AL, although I'm not 100% sure about that.

[Berkut]

I am surprised to find out that there are google services that provide things like nationwide security and legal system services, i.e. courts and such. I had no idea.

[Admiral Yi]

FYI the greasy Belgian bastards at DHL got eaten up by the big boys and exited the US market.

[MadImmortalMan]

If you google "Pawlenty", there's a ton of stuff. I guess we don't need him in government.

[Admiral Yi]

For a small subset of services, and concentrated in high volume locations, so the effect is reduced.  I think private carriers hand things off to USPS at some stage if they have to ship something to Bumfuck, AL, although I'm not 100% sure about that.

Tom Hanks did hand deliver to that hippie artist chick out in the sticks.

[Berkut]

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?

For a small subset of services, and concentrated in high volume locations, so the effect is reduced.  I think private carriers hand things off to USPS at some stage if they have to ship something to Bumfuck, AL, although I'm not 100% sure about that.

Well, I don't know that that is true, but even if it is, it doesn't really tell us anything. Because they *can* hand things off to the USPS doesn't mean they must, or would simply not service those areas. Rather I think that the ability to say "We deliver anywhere, period." is too valuable a statement for companies like Fedex and UPS to make.

However, I used to live in bumfuck Kansas, house was a good 15 miles from the nearest town. We got UPS and Fedex. I think they realize that while it sucks for them to have to drive that far to deliver a single package, it is still worth it so people don't have to wonder "Gee, does Fedex deliver to this address?"

[The Brain]

I am surprised to find out that there are google services that provide things like nationwide security and legal system services, i.e. courts and such. I had no idea.

Minsky won't elaborate.

[ulmont]

Your link shows that to become a member of the union you must first be employed by the Post Office as a rural carrier.  You then assumed that "employed by the Post Office" could not describe a private citizen who contracts to provide the service.

And I was right...as further shown by the agreement between the union and the post office.  You got anything backing up your assertion?

[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?

For a small subset of services, and concentrated in high volume locations, so the effect is reduced.  I think private carriers hand things off to USPS at some stage if they have to ship something in Bumfuck, AL, although I'm not 100% sure about that.

There are very few countries on earth that a private carrier won't deliver to. I'm guessing that if they don't have service to parts of Alabama it is because the post office is cheaper to outsource to and they would pick up coverage if the post office went away.

I would be amused by shutting down the postal service. I'd stop getting junk mail, and those who use the mail would never vote Republican again after they started to be charged $10 a letter.

[Admiral Yi]

And I was right...as further shown by the agreement between the union and the post office.

What, the part that repeats the word employee?