Are you stupid or pretending?

Post #435,708 by drook 8/17/20 10:31:20 PM 8/17/20 10:31:20 PM Reply	Are you stupid or pretending? If it works well there why will it break elsewhere? What's this thread about? Oh, right! They're breaking the Post Office on purpose, in order to cause problems. They couldn't find any evidence that there were problems with postal voting, so they're damn sure going to create some. -- Drew
Post #435,711 by boxley 8/18/20 11:23:40 AM 8/18/20 11:23:40 AM Reply	hardly please explain how you would run the post office without running a deficit. So far they have stopped OT. removed sorting machines that are underutilized ditto with some post bins. How is that going to impede mass mailings to be delivered to election sites? My mutual of omaha and other crap mail has no issues getting thu. So far my daily paper WSJ is delivered on time daily via the post office? The whining about mail in ballots by the repos is about 3rd party interference. "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,714 by malraux 8/18/20 11:53:02 AM 8/18/20 11:53:02 AM Reply	Must be nice. USPS deliveries up here are all kinds of messed up. We've had to repeatedly chase down packages that were going to the wrong PO or just sitting somewhere. Removing underutilized sorting machines just before they will probably need to be utilized can't wait until after the election and has to suddenly be done now? Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,719 by boxley 8/18/20 2:42:06 PM 8/18/20 2:42:06 PM Reply	must be a regional thing, of course I am not in a high density urban setting "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,720 by malraux 8/18/20 2:43:49 PM 8/18/20 2:43:49 PM Reply	Our mail comes via Pontiac Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,722 by boxley 8/18/20 2:59:16 PM 8/18/20 2:59:16 PM Reply	pontiac concerns, apparently pontiac sorts a buttton of mail apparently no one checked with the post office before setting mailing deadlines https://www.clickondetroit.com/decision-2020/2020/08/15/usps-cannot-guarantee-michigans-mail-in-votes-will-arrive-in-time-to-be-counted/ The Postal Service sent Benson’s office a letter that said Michigan’s vote-by-mail laws are “incongruous” with USPS standards and that the ballot deadlines create a mismatch with delivery. "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,726 by malraux 8/18/20 3:18:51 PM 8/18/20 3:18:51 PM Reply	They took 2 sorting machines from Pontiac The bar code printing machines in Detroit were running at capacity. They're adding shifts to handle the volume and taking machines away at the same time. Doesn't seem reasonable. They're also talking about removing parcel handling machinery which seems ridiculous on the face of it given the upcoming holiday season on top of the much higher package delivery volume from the pandemic. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,730 by drook 8/18/20 3:30:09 PM 8/18/20 3:30:09 PM Reply	Stop lying The machines they're taking away were underutilized. Boxley said so. WDYHASM? -- Drew
Post #435,731 by malraux 8/18/20 3:32:55 PM 8/18/20 3:32:55 PM Reply	To be fair, that's what the union reps are saying. But having seen a direct effect on our mail delivery here, I don't doubt it. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,728 by drook 8/18/20 3:28:36 PM 8/18/20 3:28:36 PM Reply	You know who is? Likely Democratic voters. I'm sure that's a coincidence. -- Drew
Post #435,715 by drook 8/18/20 11:58:42 AM 8/18/20 12:02:57 PM Reply	By not sabotaging it Eliminate the pre-funding of their retirement and the bulk of their deficit goes away. Allow them to provide additional services that they are currently prohibited from because it competes with private enterprise. But most importantly, stop expecting it to turn a profit. Have you asked how to run the military without running a deficit? No, because it's a service that the government provides. The fact that the USPS does as well as it does financially is a huge success story for government services, which is why Republicans are so determined to destroy it. [edit] Oh, and Mike just reminded me: I'm glad your mail has been coming through. Do you not believe the reports from actual USPS employees of mail being left on the floor or the loading docks? Do you know that the sorting machines are actually "underutilized" and not in fact needed for the entirely predicted spike in volume when elections come around? You know postal volume is seasonal, right? -- Drew Edited by drook Aug. 18, 2020, 12:02:57 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #435,718 by boxley 8/18/20 2:41:20 PM 8/18/20 2:41:20 PM Reply	Re: By not sabotaging it Eliminate the pre-funding of their retirement and the bulk of their deficit goes away. Eh? Who mandates that and good luck getting the unions to sign off on that pretty sure its not republicans mandating that Allow them to provide additional services that they are currently prohibited from because it competes with private enterprise. blocked by the owners of the democrats and republicans But most importantly, stop expecting it to turn a profit. Think most would settle for it not running such high deficits "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,724 by malraux 8/18/20 3:04:08 PM 8/18/20 3:04:08 PM Reply	Re: By not sabotaging it Eh? Who mandates that and good luck getting the unions to sign off on that pretty sure its not republicans mandating that Republican law from 2006. There's a proposed law to repeal it that has been blocked by Republicans. It wasn't unions that added the health care funding, it was GW Bush who threatened a veto if the language wasn't in there. The health care funding is something like $60B out of the $160B shortfall since 2007, so definitely not the whole problem... but it's a very large chunk of the problem. The USPS is prohibited by law from charging less than cost for packages, so it's not Amazon either. The main problem as I understand things is personnel costs, the decline in First Class mail, and requirements around where the health care money is invested. Some possible fixes: 1) Remove the ridiculous health care funding and restrictions for something more like the rest of the government's approaches 2) Allow it to stop delivering paper mail 6 days a week. Most of it is advertising circulars and other crap. A small price hike here (currently limited to the CPI) would help. 3) Allow more competitive services 4) Forgive the present debt (something like $10B) so they can invest in capital improvements instead of just servicing debt and health care costs 5) Fix the personnel cost issue, and I suspect this is where most of the rancor will happen. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,732 by drook 8/18/20 3:33:09 PM 8/18/20 3:33:09 PM Reply	Re: By not sabotaging it Think most would settle for it not running such high deficits Based on what evidence? They've been saying openly for decades that they want to privatize it. They want it to fail so that they can. -- Drew
Post #435,721 by crazy 8/18/20 2:58:26 PM 8/18/20 2:58:26 PM Reply	You don't cripple them with the 75-year pension requirement That's how. Tell me any other business that has that requirement. Especially one that's required by the Constitution. Every step that new PO has taken has been to cripple them. I've worked in that industry for many many years and let me tell you the new postmaster did a top-level shuffle and then made sure he could go trash it. Junk mail paid for the PO and would indefinitely and pay it well. The PO was running on a good cash flow good reserve basis. And then the Republicans decided to cripple it with the pension requirement. How stupid are you to immediately buy the line underutilized or poorly utilized machines were yanked. Those machines run the length of a goddamn building and can be yanked in 10 minutes but could take months to put back together. They crippled that workflow. They're setting up a situation where initially delayed mail will start to backlog. Medicine is going to be backlogged. Remember the old Santa Claus movies where all the mail got stacked up. It's going to start looking like that.
Post #435,723 by boxley 8/18/20 3:00:38 PM 8/18/20 3:00:38 PM Reply	got a link to show that the pension requirement was a republican requirement? "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,727 by crazy 8/18/20 3:22:48 PM 8/18/20 3:22:48 PM Reply	What's the point? It's well known and easy but you'll just ignore whatever is important.
Post #435,729 by malraux 8/18/20 3:30:07 PM 8/18/20 3:30:07 PM Reply	Re: got a link to show that the pension requirement was a republican requirement? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Accountability_and_Enhancement_Act The statement is linked to here: https://roanoke.com/news/dan_casey/casey-the-most-insane-law-by-congress-ever/article_3c33d5a1-5fd3-5c01-b5bb-5c75046f48f4.html As a statement from former Virginia Rep. Tom Davis, the bill's sponsor: Who sponsored this cockamamie legislation? It was former Rep. Tom Davis, a Republican from northern Virginia who served in Congress from 1995 until 2008. He’s now a Washington lobbyist for Deloitte, a huge accounting and consulting company. Last week I reached out to Davis to learn how and why this happened. One thing you should know is that the bill was bipartisan. The cosponsors were Reps. Henry Waxman, D- Calif., Danny Davis D-Ill. and John McHugh, R-New York. The surprising thing I heard from Davis was that he agrees the future-funding retirement provision was crazy. That was never in the original legislation, he said. Instead, the 90-page bill made a bunch of bureaucratic changes, few of which the average American would give a hoot about. It also placed a temporary moratorium on rate increases and established a less cumbersome system under which rates could be increased moving forward. Somewhat ironically, the bill was intended to help the Postal Service be more competitive for the future, Davis said. But late in the game, the Bush White House threatened to veto it unless Congress added the future-funding-for-retirees provision. Congress went along because at the time it seemed like it was a better option than having the entire bill defeated, Davis said. “That was the cost of getting the bill through,” Davis said. The Bush administration used the revenue it gained to help balance the budget. Appa Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,733 by drook 8/18/20 3:36:20 PM 8/18/20 3:36:20 PM Reply	Now Box admits he was wrong in 3 ... 2 ... oh who am I kidding? -- Drew
Post #435,735 by boxley 8/18/20 3:48:30 PM 8/18/20 3:48:30 PM Reply	thank you, acknowledged "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,736 by malraux 8/18/20 4:05:38 PM 8/18/20 4:05:38 PM Reply	Seems less like deliberate sabotage and more like convenient target for something unrelated Although the resistance to fixing that part since it was enacted, less so. Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #435,743 by boxley 8/18/20 9:41:12 PM 8/18/20 9:41:12 PM Reply	at a glance it looks like a union members wet dream, why I thought it wasnt republican "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,738 by crazy 8/18/20 4:53:13 PM 8/18/20 4:53:13 PM Reply	Receipt of information or that you are wrong?
Post #435,744 by boxley 8/18/20 9:41:37 PM 8/18/20 9:41:37 PM Reply	both why? "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,749 by crazy 8/19/20 8:30:13 AM 8/19/20 8:30:13 AM Reply	Because you make silly arguments based on a glance As long as it fits with your worldview assumptions. Often. And double and triple down without actually researching. And this is different from the box I knew 10 years ago. The vast majority of people in this board are smart experienced people with reasonable world views. When their worldviews are unreasonable they usually at least have really good explanations for how they arrived at them. And they pretty much argue with you all the time over stupid shit. Stuff that is oh so obvious to the rest of us. Are we all morons?
Post #435,740 by Ashton 8/18/20 6:19:15 PM 8/18/20 6:19:15 PM Reply	SIMPLEST factoid of which you seem (also) emotionally-unaware The USPS is a Federally mandated SERVICE, not a fucking Profit-making bizness add-on. It was mandated via the likes of bloody Founding Fathers LIke Ben Franklin--who recognized the indispensability of Communication amidst ALL (in this new 'Nation') DUH. You ceaselessly cavil via all the false-comparos as enter your so-oft febrile brain, daring all to do the homework. Yet--it doesn't get you to cease the regular employment of RWNJ-Mis-Dis-Agitprop, upon which you seem to feed. If it Acts like a Troll, eats Troll-food incessantly, pointedly skips the grammar idea, saving some expensive space..? (Hardly ever just. saying.: I really fucked-up this train of non-thought; SORRY! ..What IS It? Clue: agit-prop works only on people who breathe-through-mouth) Wrong venue. Or, just pig-headed?
Post #435,745 by boxley 8/18/20 9:43:32 PM 8/18/20 9:43:32 PM Reply	The USPS is a Federally mandated SERVICE yes it is it is not a sinecure for the inept and related to those in power altho it has been treated as such by many over the years. It requires good stewardship which appears to be lacking "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,746 by boxley 8/18/20 10:21:18 PM 8/18/20 10:21:18 PM Reply	some good ideas on how to enable better stewardship of the postal service (longish read) https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/april-may-june-2019/congress-is-sabotaging-your-post-office/ It is, after all, one of the most remarkable physical systems ever created. With arms in every single zip code, from Key West, Florida, to Utqiagvik, Alaska, its expansiveness opens up a world of opportunity. In many American communities, the post office was historically called the “federal building,” and it served as a one-stop shop for numerous governmental needs. (Tellingly, FDR wanted Social Security to be administered through posts to assure its accessibility.) In smaller towns and cities, for example, the post office was a focal point for immigrant registration, military recruitment, and distributing income tax forms. There is no reason that America’s post offices can’t again provide a variety of important governmental functions. Indeed, today’s post offices should have all tax forms readily available. The government should even consider stationing IRS adjutants at post offices around tax time, which would ease what is, for many Americans, one of the most stressful times of the year. The Postal Service could also expand on the passport assistance it already provides. Many post offices take passport photos and process some first-time applicants and renewals. Often, this is by appointment only. I believe that post offices should offer full passport services to any American who walks through the doors. In addition to serving as a gateway to America’s bureaucracy, the post could serve as a door to the rest of the world. State governments should take advantage of America’s postal infrastructure as well, in particular by expanding the use of vote by mail, which when done right is proven to increase political participation. Turning mailboxes into voting booths would therefore be good for the engagement of our citizenry. The post could further weave itself into American democracy by allowing congressional representatives to station their district staff right in community post offices. But perhaps the most promising service that post offices could provide is banking. Today, sixty-eight million Americans, more than a quarter of U.S. households, lack access to adequate banking services. Many are shut out by high fees tied to minimum balances, overdrafts, direct deposit penalties, and ATM charges. As a result, they are left to unregulated payday lenders and check cashers that level obscene annual percentage rates. The postal inspector general found that underbanked Americans spend $89 billion each year on financial fees. This closed system shackles families to poverty, further cementing the economic inequality tearing our country apart. Postal branches could offer a range of banking services—including savings accounts, deposit services, and even small lending—at a 90 percent discount compared to what predatory lenders provide, according to a report commissioned by the USPS inspector general. This would give many families an average savings of $2,000 a year while putting nearly $9 billion into the post’s coffers. Postal banking could even unite liberals and Trump supporters. Rural communities are America’s most bank starved: 90 percent of zip codes lacking a bank or credit union lie in rural areas. Bank branches are also sparse in poorer urban areas, and 46 percent of Latino and 49 percent of African American households are unbanked. The Postal Service is well positioned to help both communities. Some 59 percent of post offices lie in “bank deserts,” or places where there is no more than one branch. Where financial institutions close their doors to these communities, post offices remain open to anyone who walks inside. And this change wouldn’t even need the approval of Congress, requiring only the postmaster general’s consent. Pilot programs could then begin immediately—including in places like 194 Ward Street in my own city of Paterson. "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman
Post #435,750 by crazy 8/19/20 8:44:58 AM 8/19/20 8:44:58 AM Reply	So you googled and read for a bit As my kids would say: oh look a squirrel! Indicating total lack of attention other than the current distraction. Fine I'll go with it. Do you believe the current administration with the current postmaster general should be allowed to have their hands on to their own personal banking system that they control?
Post #439,128 by CRConrad 5/18/21 8:55:50 AM 5/18/21 8:55:50 AM Reply	So, are y'all proud of how well you danced to his Gish Gallop tune there?
Post #439,129 by CRConrad 5/18/21 8:59:22 AM 5/18/21 8:59:22 AM Reply	Still waiting for official reply: Why'd Norm & Bryce get the treatment they did, but not the BOx?
Post #439,131 by crazy 5/18/21 12:38:54 PM 5/18/21 12:38:54 PM Reply	Re: Still waiting for official reply: Why'd Norm & Bryce get the treatment they did, but not the BOx Well one of them posted violent images of the admin being shot. The other was in an obvious bipolar depressive downward spiral and was trying to take everyone else with, and then was hostile and dangerous sounding. Box ain't any of these things. He can be an exasperating a****** sometimes but not nearly as much as one as you. And we love you too.
Post #439,133 by malraux 5/18/21 3:01:01 PM 5/18/21 3:01:01 PM Reply	Yeah I kinda draw the line at implied violence and off-the-hinge stalking/harassment Box just likes being contrarian any place there's room for discussion, and sometimes just for the hell of it. He's not off building obsessive Wikis about us or sending the heads of dead animals in the mail (no one did this, just a f'r instance). Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
Post #439,127 by CRConrad 5/18/21 8:48:03 AM 5/18/21 8:48:03 AM Reply	A: Yes, he is.

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