Even with less to do and less income the USPS refuses to lay off workers
Posted on October 5th, 2008 by bile Tags: competition, FedEx, Gerald McKiernan, internet, monopoly, regulation, U.S. Postal Service, UPS, USPShttp://www.cato-at-liberty.org/…
The U.S. Postal Service has far less mail to carry, but they’re still not quite ready to cut their massive workforce.
Never before has the U.S. Postal Service laid off workers. Now, it’s a real possibility.
“For the first time in history, that is being considered,” said Gerald McKiernan, a USPS spokesman.
Already, the Postal Service is not hiring because it simply doesn’t move as much mail as it once did. E-mail has taken an increasing amount of its business. McKiernan says mail volume dropped 11 percent in fiscal 2008, which ended Tuesday. That resulted in the service spending $2.3 billion more than it took in.
The workload is down 11 percent, but they’re not yet ready to lay anybody off? That’s government at work. Or non-work.
Is it really any surprise? I’ve argued with a relative who works for the USPS regarding it’s monopoly’s constitutionality, subsidies, etc. He adamantly defended the monopoly as necessary and claimed they no longer recieved subsidies. How is it than that they could continue operating with a $2.3 deficit? Are they getting subsidies or federal loans? Either way the situtation is unacceptiable. Turn the postoffices over to the local employees and let them compete against UPS, FedEx and others. The government doesn’t nationalize telephone and Internet access in order to provide the service to everyone so why then should snail mail?
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