Meltdown

[Todd]

The worst thing about the Dems is they can't get it done.

That's a very bad thing if one is talking about elected leaders.

[eyeresist]

Diebold Voting Machines made in Israel

Surreptitious circumcision attachment optional.

The worst thing about the Dems is they can't get it done. What they want to do is generally good.

Problem is, the dems want to lead by consensus, whereas the reps won't respect you unless you slam it home without any lube.

I apologise for the disgusting imagery.

[snyprrr]

Surreptitious circumcision attachment optional.

Ouch-vey!!

[Karl Henning]

Greece secures last-minute bailout deal, but it will hurt

[Todd]

Greece secures last-minute bailout deal, but it will hurt

I like this blurb: "They also indicated they are considering a freeze in private sector salaries until the national unemployment rate decreases from its current level of 19 percent to below 10 percent, although it is unclear how that could be done." 

Wage and price controls have a fantastic record of success during peacetime.  Waiting for a nine point drop means people are stuck at there current salary for how many years?  And I must wonder if the intention is for a freeze, or just a freeze on increases.  Surely no one would care if many non-minimum wage workers took a pay cut.  I wonder about labor market mobility, as well.  No, forget all that, the plan looks solid.

[Karl Henning]

They could be business geniuses:

Postal Service loses $3.3 billion in first quarter

[mc ukrneal]

They could be business geniuses:

Postal Service loses $3.3 billion in first quarter

Actually, they have been warning for many months that they are in trouble. But Congress has to approve the changes they want to make. I think Congress denied their request to close a huge number of post offices, which would allow them to stablize. Soon, they won't have to worry about it (or the pensions of those employees) when the post office goes bust.

[Todd]

They could be business geniuses:

The USPS faces three main issues that I see: 1.) It is in a declining industry; 2.) it is not allowed to react quickly enough, if at all, to market needs; 3.) it is hammered by the Congressional requirement that it "pre-fund" its future retiree health care expenses.  Items 2 & 3 are the fault of Congress, to be fair.  Really, should the USPS keep open a rural office that serves literally tens of people a month?  Should it be required to pre-fund to the tune of over $5 billion a year for ten years when no one else has to?  (More conspiracy minded folks on the left say that the pre-funding requirement is a way to force dreaded privatization on the USPS.)  Perhaps if people stopped using the internet so much . . .

[Karl Henning]

Aye, could be a driver for yet less satisfaction with Congress . . . .

[Coopmv]

They could be business geniuses:

Postal Service loses $3.3 billion in first quarter

When someone like myself who still paid his bills via snail mail two years ago has finally embraced online payments, the USPS is clearly in serious trouble ...

[Coopmv]

Greece secures last-minute bailout deal, but it will hurt

Greece cooked its books with help from Goldman Sachs to gain entry into the EU.  Why hasn't EU gone after GS?

[eyeresist]

When someone like myself who still paid his bills via snail mail two years ago has finally embraced online payments, the USPS is clearly in serious trouble ...

But what about all these CDs etc we are ordering? Have couriers taken ALL that business?

[Coopmv]

But what about all these CDs etc we are ordering? Have couriers taken ALL that business?

All CD etailers in the US still ship via USPS.  I think the problem USPS is facing may be somewhat unique.  How are the postal systems in other countries doing these days anyway?

[eyeresist]

All CD etailers in the US still ship via USPS.  I think the problem USPS is facing may be somewhat unique.  How are the postal systems in other countries doing these days anyway?

Australia Post is government-owned but self-funding, and in 09/10 made a before-tax profit of 103 million.

[Coopmv]

Australia Post is government-owned but self-funding, and in 09/10 made a before-tax profit of 103 million.

I think the USPS may have a better future if the politicians allow it to adopt the business model used by successful postal systems in other countries.  The only problem is the US is run by a bunch of morons who think we are the best in everything we do and there must be an American solution, which usually does not work ...

[nesf]

How are the postal systems in other countries doing these days anyway?

Pretty crappy in Ireland for letters but doing ok off parcel delivery because of internet shopping. EU regulations requiring competition are going to make it *interesting*. Knowing our Government they'll implement it in a cack handed fashion.

[Coopmv]

Pretty crappy in Ireland for letters but doing ok off parcel delivery because of internet shopping. EU regulations requiring competition are going to make it *interesting*. Knowing our Government they'll implement it in a cack handed fashion.

USPS has to become self-funding in order to dig inself out of this deep hole because the politicians in Washington have the tendency to get their hands on whatever pot of money they can get their hands on to make the federal deficits look better.  We badly need to have a regime change or this country will go bankrupt ...

[Karl Henning]

Gosh, and here's the first time I've learnt that the post office's financial crisis is the fault of the Obama administration!!!

[Karl Henning]

 Quote from: Coopmv on February 12, 2012, 09:38:38 PM

I think the USPS may have a better future if the politicians allow it to adopt the business model used by successful postal systems in other countries.  The only problem is the US is run by a bunch of morons who think we are the best in everything we do and there must be an American solution, which usually does not work ...

 
Well, and isn't that what American "Exceptionalism" means? That we really cannot larn nuthin from no one else?

[DavidW]

They could be business geniuses:

Postal Service loses $3.3 billion in first quarter

That was brutally unfair.  USPS has been trying for YEARS to make changes to their business so that this won't happen.  Congress always shuts down any fiscally responsible plan because all they hear is the outrage of the slightly inconvenienced voters who act like spoiled, overly pampered brats.