It IS also mismanagement. I took the "easy" way out and mailed a power supply to an address 35 miles north. I watched in amusement online as that power supply moved through five states before it wound up at its destination ten days later.
I feel like this is just one of those things that no one wants to fix. It’s just another black hole cost center. I use a traveling mailbox which really helps highlight just how much daily mail is real mail and how much is advertising. The traveling mailbox doesn’t receive the grocery store flyers, the free community magazines no one wants, etc. Days go by without me receiving any mail and the majority of that is stuff that is also sent to me via email. Daily mail delivery is definitely not necessary. Sad to say it but the fate of the workers cannot be the primary factor for continuing as is.
I agree with you. All my monthly expenses are managed electronically. All my records are maintained online/cloud. With the exception of a few personal cards and letters, most everything else gets thrown in the trash on the way back from the mailbox.
The biggest problem with any new mission for a reformed service is the curreht workforce, which is represented by multiple strong unions. There are also as many again health care organizations.
Many countries have privatized mail delivery, a slowly dying business. The USPS is typical of government run enterprises: cost overruns, inefficient, slow to change. But it does provide unionized jobs with pensions, essentially subsidized by U.S. voters. Privatize.
Yeah? You know, the post office has stated publicly that a postmark is not an indicator of mailing date. They delivered my invitation to Trump's inauguration five weeks after it was over. Seems to me this needs to be fixed BEFORE the midterms.
I have no way to verify but during the 2020 election I read in several places that several states had mail in ballots that mail carriers could see if the vote was for Democrat or Republican, with Arizona being the main state identified. Could have been part of the 2000 Mules program, I don't remember.
The Primary in Washington State was one of those places! If you voted Republican, your vote was visible through a hole in the envelope! I and others who noticed this turned our ballots the opposite way in the envelope. Very concerning, to say the least...
WA state had you put the party on the outside envelope in a primary. Don't know what they do now as I moved out. And I was told it's okay for the carrier to decide that you should no longer get mail at an address.
There is no doubt the postal service is a mess and continuously raising the rates isn't helping. I said for years that Amazon should take over mail delivery.
They should stop all ads going through the mail and political literature.
I only see one problem: "so that every address is entitled to four routine mail deliveries per month, with no address going more than 10 calendar days without a basic mail drop."
The problem is the credit card companies have shortened the time between when a bill arrives and when it is due, no doubt hoping to charge a late fee. I agree that we don't need a daily delivery.
I do wonder how many people are waiting for their credit card statements to arrive in the mail. Hopefully not many. Statements are always available online as well as daily activity.
Your analysis and recommendation is excellent. Unfortunately, I cannot see Democrats getting behind a program that is seen as anti-union or which would remove their "control" of mail in ballots. A federal mail exchange makes too much sense for the feds to actually do it.
Thank you for giving serious thought to reforming this system. The post office is a grim, Soviet bureaucracy begging for restructuring. On my last visit, my goal was to buy so many stamps that I wouldn’t have to go again before I die. But this grousing is not an answer—your proposal could be the answer.
I work for the USPS. I am a conservative. I used to be anti-union. Do what you were hired to do, and you'll be fine. That is not the case at the post office. The treatment of employees by management motivated my decision to join the union. What is the origin of the phrase "going postal"? Consider the following: USPS management maintains a monopoly on delivery, resulting in financial losses. The speed of all other processes is increasing; however, the delivery of an item, whether it is across town or across the country, is taking longer, which is a management problem. For more than 250 years, USPS management has endeavored to resolve the 'quicker' delivery issue, but management has not been successful.
We will examine the cost of postage.
PMG DeJoy and Steiner's leadership resulted in seven increases in stamp prices, from 58 to 78 cents. In a mere four years, that will result in a 34.4% increase in postage. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2026, letter carriers received a total wage increase of 4.2%.
Additionally, we must take the $800 million grievance compensation issue that contributed to some of the losses into account. I must clarify that the labor contract was agreed upon by the different unions and management; however, management subsequently violates the contract they just signed. The Three Stooges were incapable of composing a comedy script of that nature.
There would be no grievances if management adhered to the agreement they signed.
P.S. I am delighted with my occupation, as it allows me to interact with my customers while on official routes.
It is entirely a management issue, not a union issue.
PS I love your analyses, especially the bartender/judge comparison on who endangers the public most.
Good employees and good customer service is rapidly diminishing in our society, thank you for your dedication. I'm guessing, like most governmental agencies, DEI hiring and promotion practices have led to a severely incompetent management, and entry level workforce.
I don't have a mailbox at my place of residence, relying on a P O Box. $81.00 every 6 months. I usually check it 5 days a week as I'm old fashioned and want a paper trail for billing. 162.00 so the RR carrier doesn't need to stop at my place.
2-3 years ago I had a real problem with delivery of packages, mostly from UPS. I would order an item and give my physical address for delivery. I was regularly receiving notices the item was undeliverable. After much research and investigation I learned UPS was dropping packages off at the post office for final delivery. The carrier didn't see a mail box so the parcel was returned, non deliverable. My billing address was always the P O Box, but no one could figure that out. I guess UPS stopped the practice, because it hasn't occurred in the last year or so. I don't know if this was a subsidy for USPS from UPS, or if it was a misguided money saving tactic by UPS. Either way, I began requesting FedEx as carrier of choice from the sellers. I'm sure the man hours UPS lost to straighten out non delivered packages was tremendous.
To emphasize the $800 million grievance payouts to the union members for management contractual labor violations, not one of the management people that caused the grievance payments were fired or removed from their management positions.
If USPS management were in charge of the Sahara desert, they would run out of sand in less than a week!
Most unions have negotiated better retirement plans in lieu of higher pay, so percent increase in pay may not be a good measure of actual total benefits.
The retirement at USPS is run from Congress, making the law for federal retirements that are executed by OPM under the executive branch. The unions do not negotiate federal pension levels.
Currently 4.4% of gross pay goes to OPM for a retirement pension of approximately $1600 gross per month after a 30 year career. Then subtract taxes, healthcare, life insurance, A reduced percentage to cover a spouse after a federal employee’s death. It generally works out to less than $1000 a month of a federal pension after 30 years of service.
If you work at USPS 📫 and do not contribute a substantial amount to the 401(k), you will not have a happy retirement.
I do want to have at home mail delivery. I would pay for it like I pay for Amazon prime. My biggest issues are security and accountability for the items mailed. There should be some kind of legal protection and the ability to track items and should a piece of mail be lost/stolen/damaged ther should be a way to hold the service accountable legally. Home delivery was important to me the year I was unable to drive due to being a cancer patient and I was essentially trapped at home.
Not. unlike AMTRAK, USPS has become an open joke draped with huge regional patronage and local fiefdoms that simply don't respond.
Last week, when I dropped off a pre-addressed return, I asked the clerk if it would get out today (then 3 pm)? She snipped back, "everything gets out today, I don't know why everybody asks that." I replied, "Because things here ain't what they used to be," and she smiled and retorted "You should see it from inside."
Just received Mail sent from NY to FL Post Marked Feb 26, 2026. 🤪 🤷♂️
Ordered Small electronic switches on Amazon Thursday Evening and Friday Morning at 7 AM they were delivered while Amazon was emailing me the status and location of my order each step of the way.
A lot of you don't use and don't need and don't want mail delivery. I continuously battle the utilities and credit card companies who want to eliminate paper billings in favor of electronic. While I pay online, I really want those paper billings because there is no other hard-copy proof of where you stand. I've watched the electric bill alter itself online in huge ways, charges come and then disappear and if you rely on electronic billing you have to trust them. I do not. I want physical mail.
It IS also mismanagement. I took the "easy" way out and mailed a power supply to an address 35 miles north. I watched in amusement online as that power supply moved through five states before it wound up at its destination ten days later.
I feel like this is just one of those things that no one wants to fix. It’s just another black hole cost center. I use a traveling mailbox which really helps highlight just how much daily mail is real mail and how much is advertising. The traveling mailbox doesn’t receive the grocery store flyers, the free community magazines no one wants, etc. Days go by without me receiving any mail and the majority of that is stuff that is also sent to me via email. Daily mail delivery is definitely not necessary. Sad to say it but the fate of the workers cannot be the primary factor for continuing as is.
I agree with you. All my monthly expenses are managed electronically. All my records are maintained online/cloud. With the exception of a few personal cards and letters, most everything else gets thrown in the trash on the way back from the mailbox.
The biggest problem with any new mission for a reformed service is the curreht workforce, which is represented by multiple strong unions. There are also as many again health care organizations.
Many countries have privatized mail delivery, a slowly dying business. The USPS is typical of government run enterprises: cost overruns, inefficient, slow to change. But it does provide unionized jobs with pensions, essentially subsidized by U.S. voters. Privatize.
It provides jobs and pensions to loyal Democrat voters. Therefore it will continue indefinitely as currently configured.
Correct.
Yeah? You know, the post office has stated publicly that a postmark is not an indicator of mailing date. They delivered my invitation to Trump's inauguration five weeks after it was over. Seems to me this needs to be fixed BEFORE the midterms.
I have no way to verify but during the 2020 election I read in several places that several states had mail in ballots that mail carriers could see if the vote was for Democrat or Republican, with Arizona being the main state identified. Could have been part of the 2000 Mules program, I don't remember.
The Primary in Washington State was one of those places! If you voted Republican, your vote was visible through a hole in the envelope! I and others who noticed this turned our ballots the opposite way in the envelope. Very concerning, to say the least...
WA state had you put the party on the outside envelope in a primary. Don't know what they do now as I moved out. And I was told it's okay for the carrier to decide that you should no longer get mail at an address.
There is no doubt the postal service is a mess and continuously raising the rates isn't helping. I said for years that Amazon should take over mail delivery.
They should stop all ads going through the mail and political literature.
I only see one problem: "so that every address is entitled to four routine mail deliveries per month, with no address going more than 10 calendar days without a basic mail drop."
The problem is the credit card companies have shortened the time between when a bill arrives and when it is due, no doubt hoping to charge a late fee. I agree that we don't need a daily delivery.
I do wonder how many people are waiting for their credit card statements to arrive in the mail. Hopefully not many. Statements are always available online as well as daily activity.
I grab them early online.
I do the same. Pay them in full the day the email comes in. Never pay late fees or interest.
That’s how old school and smart young kids do it. Same.
That's why I pay my bills online
The union is why it will never be fixed. Patronage and vote buying.
Your analysis and recommendation is excellent. Unfortunately, I cannot see Democrats getting behind a program that is seen as anti-union or which would remove their "control" of mail in ballots. A federal mail exchange makes too much sense for the feds to actually do it.
I'm Muse-ing about a new Postmaster General...
As long as he can continue his substack!!!
Thank you for giving serious thought to reforming this system. The post office is a grim, Soviet bureaucracy begging for restructuring. On my last visit, my goal was to buy so many stamps that I wouldn’t have to go again before I die. But this grousing is not an answer—your proposal could be the answer.
Contractors Harry Reid privatization
I work for the USPS. I am a conservative. I used to be anti-union. Do what you were hired to do, and you'll be fine. That is not the case at the post office. The treatment of employees by management motivated my decision to join the union. What is the origin of the phrase "going postal"? Consider the following: USPS management maintains a monopoly on delivery, resulting in financial losses. The speed of all other processes is increasing; however, the delivery of an item, whether it is across town or across the country, is taking longer, which is a management problem. For more than 250 years, USPS management has endeavored to resolve the 'quicker' delivery issue, but management has not been successful.
We will examine the cost of postage.
PMG DeJoy and Steiner's leadership resulted in seven increases in stamp prices, from 58 to 78 cents. In a mere four years, that will result in a 34.4% increase in postage. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2026, letter carriers received a total wage increase of 4.2%.
Additionally, we must take the $800 million grievance compensation issue that contributed to some of the losses into account. I must clarify that the labor contract was agreed upon by the different unions and management; however, management subsequently violates the contract they just signed. The Three Stooges were incapable of composing a comedy script of that nature.
There would be no grievances if management adhered to the agreement they signed.
P.S. I am delighted with my occupation, as it allows me to interact with my customers while on official routes.
It is entirely a management issue, not a union issue.
PS I love your analyses, especially the bartender/judge comparison on who endangers the public most.
Good employees and good customer service is rapidly diminishing in our society, thank you for your dedication. I'm guessing, like most governmental agencies, DEI hiring and promotion practices have led to a severely incompetent management, and entry level workforce.
I don't have a mailbox at my place of residence, relying on a P O Box. $81.00 every 6 months. I usually check it 5 days a week as I'm old fashioned and want a paper trail for billing. 162.00 so the RR carrier doesn't need to stop at my place.
2-3 years ago I had a real problem with delivery of packages, mostly from UPS. I would order an item and give my physical address for delivery. I was regularly receiving notices the item was undeliverable. After much research and investigation I learned UPS was dropping packages off at the post office for final delivery. The carrier didn't see a mail box so the parcel was returned, non deliverable. My billing address was always the P O Box, but no one could figure that out. I guess UPS stopped the practice, because it hasn't occurred in the last year or so. I don't know if this was a subsidy for USPS from UPS, or if it was a misguided money saving tactic by UPS. Either way, I began requesting FedEx as carrier of choice from the sellers. I'm sure the man hours UPS lost to straighten out non delivered packages was tremendous.
To emphasize the $800 million grievance payouts to the union members for management contractual labor violations, not one of the management people that caused the grievance payments were fired or removed from their management positions.
If USPS management were in charge of the Sahara desert, they would run out of sand in less than a week!
Most unions have negotiated better retirement plans in lieu of higher pay, so percent increase in pay may not be a good measure of actual total benefits.
The retirement at USPS is run from Congress, making the law for federal retirements that are executed by OPM under the executive branch. The unions do not negotiate federal pension levels.
Currently 4.4% of gross pay goes to OPM for a retirement pension of approximately $1600 gross per month after a 30 year career. Then subtract taxes, healthcare, life insurance, A reduced percentage to cover a spouse after a federal employee’s death. It generally works out to less than $1000 a month of a federal pension after 30 years of service.
If you work at USPS 📫 and do not contribute a substantial amount to the 401(k), you will not have a happy retirement.
I do want to have at home mail delivery. I would pay for it like I pay for Amazon prime. My biggest issues are security and accountability for the items mailed. There should be some kind of legal protection and the ability to track items and should a piece of mail be lost/stolen/damaged ther should be a way to hold the service accountable legally. Home delivery was important to me the year I was unable to drive due to being a cancer patient and I was essentially trapped at home.
The robots will save postal delivery, if the union allows.
Fat chance of the unions allowing that.
I'm hoping they won't have a choice. The losses have to stop.
Not. unlike AMTRAK, USPS has become an open joke draped with huge regional patronage and local fiefdoms that simply don't respond.
Last week, when I dropped off a pre-addressed return, I asked the clerk if it would get out today (then 3 pm)? She snipped back, "everything gets out today, I don't know why everybody asks that." I replied, "Because things here ain't what they used to be," and she smiled and retorted "You should see it from inside."
Just received Mail sent from NY to FL Post Marked Feb 26, 2026. 🤪 🤷♂️
Ordered Small electronic switches on Amazon Thursday Evening and Friday Morning at 7 AM they were delivered while Amazon was emailing me the status and location of my order each step of the way.
Time to Rethink our Postal Service Operations.
A lot of you don't use and don't need and don't want mail delivery. I continuously battle the utilities and credit card companies who want to eliminate paper billings in favor of electronic. While I pay online, I really want those paper billings because there is no other hard-copy proof of where you stand. I've watched the electric bill alter itself online in huge ways, charges come and then disappear and if you rely on electronic billing you have to trust them. I do not. I want physical mail.