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A comment on Save the USPS. Parent comment

Re:Save the USPS by jariel on Friday August 14, 2020 @12:38AM (#24153498)
Because both roads and the military are unsuitable for privatisation.

Roads represent a key problem with access, and of course, he military requires a level of commitment and responsibility far beyond what would be appropriate in the private market.

Mail delivery does not have such structural limitations as you can see literally from the existence of UPS and Fedex.

The question remains:

1) Why is USPS consistently bankrupt? 2) If we didn't have the USPS today, would the government create one?

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Re:Save the USPS by afterburner on Friday August 14, 2020 @12:47AM (#24153592)
> Why is USPS consistently bankrupt

Republican many years ago passed a law that forced the USPS to allocate budget for many many decades of pension payments in advance, something no one else is forced to do. It was a deliberate act of sabotage by Republicans in the Bush years.

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Re:Save the USPS by sukilot on Friday August 14, 2020 @01:00AM (#24153744)
Republicans and Democrats passed that law unanimously
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Re:Save the USPS by untog on Friday August 14, 2020 @12:43AM (#24153541)
> Mail delivery does not have such structural limitations as you can see literally from the existence of UPS and Fedex.

Incorrect. UPS and FedEx do not deliver everywhere. If it is not profitable for them to do so (e.g. in rural areas), they do not deliver and instead give the package to USPS. This is the public service part.

> Why is USPS consistently bankrupt?

Google “USPS pension obligations”.

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