There is so much waste in the post office, that they could eliminate many jobs without missing a beat as far as delivery. POs have flex workers, who show up in the morning to get the mail sorted, work a few hours and leave. Sometimes they stay to sort the bulk mail, or come back for a few hours later in the day.
The problem is that the full time employees like to leave the bulk mail for the flex workers. If the fulltimers sort the bulk, the flex people aren’t needed. So the flex people whine that the fulltimers don’t do anything, but if the fulltimers actually worked instead of playing on the computer or shooting the breeze at the service window, the flex workers wouldn’t be needed.
I’m talking about small post offices, towns of less than 10K people. You could wipe out half the workers in many of these post offices, and the mail could be delivered just as efficiently even if you don’t reduce the bulk mail.
The thing is, when you think about it, it’s really almost insane (and certainly unsustainable) that you can send a letter from one side of the US to the other for all of 50c. I don’t think that a rise in postage to $1 or $2 is going to make people say “I’m not sending Grandma that birthday card!” or “Well, I was going to send a wedding invitation to my Aunt in Nowhereseville, Idaho… but well, if it’s going to cost $1.50 then she’ll just have to miss out.”
I agree, Martini, and that’s why I really don’t think the direct bulk unsolicited mail would suffer much if costs went up to include a new classification of mail that could be rejected outright for acceptance by USPS customers.
And thanks, Algher for offering a perspective from a bulk mailer rather than from just another bulk receiver.
I think, as a wild-ass guess, that a guaranteed postal service is important to the functioning of our government. It means that there is always, by default, by federal law a way for the government to reach you (assuming you aren’t homeless). Granted you may not get it, you may throw all your mail straight into an incinerator, but if you are sued, or the IRS owes you a bunch of money because of a tax error in your favor, or you have been drafted to serve in the war, or whatever, the US government (or state government or whichever) knows that they have a way to contact you. They can mail you something.
They know that, by Federal law, if they have the correct address, then their mail will reach a small box somewhere near the place you claim to live. This sets a minimum standard of society being able to notify you of things.
I actually open all of my junk mail. Most of them have self addressed stamped envelopes in them. I re-package all of the junk mail back into the ever so thoughtfully provided envelope and send it back.
I usually only have to do that a few times before that company stops sending it to me.
So, basically, if we kill the USPS then I can’t be sued, the IRS can’t touch me, I can’t be drafted, and the state/federal government will leave me alone? All that in addition to not having to deal with postal spam? Well hot damn, it’s time to let my new congresscritter know I want the USPS destroyed.
By the way, several of the things you mentioned are done in alternate ways. Yes, you’ll be sent a letter if you’re sued. However, you’ll also be served in person. I’ve never had extended dealings with the IRS, but i’m willing to bet any major issues with them are done via certified letter rather than just dropping it in my mailbox.
My Dad does the same. Since the “return postage” envelopes cost the direct mailers money, he thinks he is getting a good deal. He sends them each other’s junk, too - so he doesn’t have to throw it away…
He’s retired and honestly, sometimes a bit of a crank, though…So he has time and inclination to play this game.
I, on the other hand, call people who leave political flyers in my door and tell them to come and pick up their goddamn litter. Get the Hell Off My Lawn! I don’t mind throwing away the stuff that got into my mailbox via the USPS (a quick scan on the way to the house, 90% of it doesn’t enter the house and goes into the bin). I HATE the crap left in my door. (Ummm, maybe I take after my Dad).
The simple answer to the original question is that you are not the Postal Service’s customer when it comes to delivered mail. The mailer is the customer. They have paid the Postal Service to deliver those items. If the carrier fails to deliver them he has breached the contract.
In a lot of places, they don’t. Lots of cities ban unwanted “junk newspaper” (usually ad circulars) delivery, first, because it leads to littering and second, because people get pissed that the uncollected papers let burglars know they’re out of town. Talk to your city council.