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First, let me put that recent climb in perspective. From 2001 to 2009 these postage rates have gone up at an average annual pace of just 3.3%. That's it. I'd say that is pretty good considering that delivering mail requires fuel. We know what fuel has done over the period.
Second, it is almost as cheap to deliver mail now as it was in the early 1800s. I'm not even factoring in inflation over the last 200 years to make my point. Just imagine what it would look like if I did that. The words "productivity miracle" come to mind. So why are we complaining?
Third, look what I am doing right now. You are reading what I am writing and other than a monthly fee to connect to the Internet, it is 100% free. How is the Postal Service expected to compete with that? Here's some bonus free words. Free, free, free, free! It's the ultimate deflationary concept.
Fourth, I can put a letter in my mailbox. A man will come to my house and pick up that letter. Many men will transfer that letter 1,000 miles away. A man at the other end will deliver that letter to a mail box of my choosing. This costs me a grand total of 44 cents. It's a frickin' miracle. That's what I think. According to the IRS, I couldn't even drive one mile round trip to deliver it myself, and that's assuming I'd want to work for free.
Fifth, I've lived in my house for 13 years. I can count the number of missing recurring bills on one finger. That's a frickin' miracle too.
All things considered, I'm happy with our Postal System. I'm happy with my mailman. Let's cut them all some slack.
Editorial: No escape for Postal Service
Oh yes, there is another alternative: kill the Postal Service and leave it to the private sector to fill the gap.
Yes, by all means kill the Postal Service. The private sector will do a much better job. Perhaps Comcast could do it. In the past 10 years they have visited my house many, many times to fix problems. Let's start with them. They are often here anyway!
No, wait. I've got a better plan.
Let's let the private banking system deliver my mail. Nothing ever gets lost there, other than perhaps a trillion dollars every now and then. No big deal.
Disclosure: I own many forever stamps due to a lack of investment alternatives. They are for long-term personal use. I do not intend to resell them. I therefore will not be paying taxes on any inflationary gains that might accumulate.
Source Data:
USPS: Postage Rates and Historical Statistics
10 comments:
"The private sector will do a much better job. Perhaps Comcast could do it. In the past 10 years they have visited my house many, many times to fix problems. Let's start with them. They are often here anyway!"
This is where the rubber meets the road. So to speak. And so to speak isn't exactly chicken feed.
My previous post should have been more specific. All things considered, Comcast ain't going'a get it.
In other words, I'm approving of the main idea that current postal service is sufficient either with or without a 5/6 day mail delivery service.
My first post may have given the wrong impression.
I don't know why the postal service is always portrayed in that light.
Like you I can count the times they have screwed my mail up on one hand, all in all I have no complaints.
Now the DMV, well that's another matter altogether...
I think the post office, while a money loser, is probably the best seevice w ehave outside the US military. MAybe 3 times in my life has the mail been messed up, like Watchtower says, try the DMV!
Mark,
Glad I inspired your "smart people" post HA!.
I think biotech in and around 2000 was much like the IT bubble and my story at a biotech powerhouse (at the time) mirrors your time at the Computer company before you invented Halo3.
Friday night post up later, stop by for some fun stuff.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/The-Future-of-Mail-2716
Make Junk Mail More Expensive Another Tyler Cowen commenter named rluser thinks that the USPS must be charging too little for the bulk rates it uses for junk mail. "Since these days most pieces move directly from my mailbox to my waste basket (and it seems most apartment complexes in cities have a bin dedicated for this task), I am tempted to think USPS is undercharging for its standard mail services and presorts," he writes. "A quick glance at the numbers suggests USPS has half the revenue but twice the weight from 'junk mail.'"
Allow customers the ability to "return junk mail to sender" at the sender's expense. The sender therefore pays twice as much and has to deal with all that junk instead of us. Win win.
It's probably a very bad solution with many unintended consequences, but I would still love to give it a try, lol.
I'd laugh in that evil mad scientist way every time I could return a credit card offer anyway. Mwuhahaha!
Hey,
I am a mad scientist!! Leave us alone!!!!!!!!!
GYSC,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyQUvMT7tAw
From Stag's post:
"Allow customers the ability to "return junk mail to sender" at the sender's expense. The sender therefore pays twice as much and has to deal with all that junk instead of us. Win win."
Hmmm, makes me wonder why people would select the shredder option. Thinking in writing...
Let's see, you could follow the herd and buy and use a shredder to be rid of those nasty credit card promotions. Open the promotion, find the pertinent document with your name and address on it, increase the earnings of the shredder maker, and don't give identity thieves the chance.
Or.........
Screw the shredder (and the company that makes it), spend a little effort, open the promotion, extract the pertinent docs, rip them into about three pieces, and put the remaining paper into the business reply envelope (BRE) and upon your earliest convenience (but not before, don't go out of your way) send 'em.
While this does not exactly support the premise under Stag's idea it still uses what measures are at our disposal (pimping the USPS for self-gratification) to make the credit card marketers pay.
Those BRE's do cost the originating company money when you return them, right?
On another issue: I have not realized the success rate with USPS's competency that previous posters have. My current mail box consists of a community mail pick up point (with something on the order of 500 boxes in the same place) and I often (no, frequently) find others (that's other people's) mail in my box. Leading me to wonder how often mail intended for me winds up in someone else's box.
And yes, I do yearn for the days of 'ole when I had my own mailbox out at the street.
Life's a series of tradeoffs...
Stag,
A belated congratulations on your blog hitting and exceeding the 100K visitor mark!
G.H.
G.H.,
Come to think of it, I have taken my neighbor's mail to my neighbor on more than a few days. I have never had a neighbor bring me mail though.
I might be lucky. There's a row of mail boxes and I am at the end.
All I can say is that I can only remember missing one important bill in the entire time I've lived in this house. It was a credit card bill. I paid it on time anyway, but mostly just because I'm a bit obsessive compulsive when it comes to my finances.
And thanks for the congrats! So I have. My pace is fairly slow and predictable.
I don't post much elsewhere that would draw traffic here, and that's probably a good thing long-term. As you know, I like to respond almost every time someone posts a comment.
I have NO idea where Calculated Risk finds the time! I'd be a nervous wreck.
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