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• Anonymous

  Occupy Wall St. protest marched over and joined with Postal Workers rally today in NYC.  It was an awesome sight.  It is Day 11 of Occupy Wall St., media blackout isn’t working.

• waynorth1

  I don’t  doubt their efforts…..I haven’t bought a stamp in a LOONNGGG time due to the ability to pay on line and places like Goin-Postal.  Who wants to pull into the parking lot of any post office? Always a nightmare.  I feel for the people losing theiir jobs…..don’t miss the waiting line.

• Anonymous

  hey i’ve got an idea, how about the union members actually move with a sense of urgency at work if they really want to save the postal service.  i have never worked at a union shop where most of them do.  sure there are some but alot of them just try to milk the system.  also usps management is pathetic.

• Anonymous

  I understand the difficulty that these folks are in and I feel bad for them.  The fact remains though, that the postal system needs to go through a major adjustment to line it up with 21st century needs.  4 of the 6 days that mail is delivered to my home, it is nothing bunk junk flyers that go straight into the trash.  I send Christmas cards once a years and us the post office for packages.  Otherwise I can meet all of my communications needs over the phone or on line.

• Anonymous

  And the downsizing and job loss continues…. We don’t talk about downsizing and job loss much anymore – it’s like the topic shifted from concern about the millions of people losing jobs and no jobs replacing those eliminated to blaming the unemployed workers for not finding non-existing jobs.  

  There have been excuses and myths galore to take the focus off of the millions of Americans whose jobs were eliminated and never restored and no new ones created.  Lets see, there is the one that claims that all unemployed workers are really just a bunch of lazy bums who don’t want to work, and then there was that other myth that extending the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest 2% and corporate giants was vital and necessary and would result in trickle down economics and jobs restored.  Haaaa…. Haaa… I STILL can’t believe there were actually people who fell for that big line of bull poop.  I’m going to anticipate that this election we will see recycling of the same old lines… I mean really, politicians don’t have to change what people are willing to buy right?

  Well, I’m hoping that the lies and myths about who is responsible for economic crisis and that most people who have come to rely on various forms of assistance are really and truly desperate even though there are some deadbeats and well off people who take advantage of the system. I’m hoping that since all the myths have been dispelled that people won’t be so easily convinced to buy into things that just don’t add up.

  The truth is millions of Americans remained unemployed. The middle class is going extinct and poverty is growing at an alarming pace in the United States.  I recently read that one in four children in this country now live in poverty and one is six adults now live at or below the poverty level.  Basic common sense should tell people that there is just no way that millions of hard-working Americans simultaneously became lazy for years (long after all their benefits expired)… Basic common sense should tell us that if you take away millions jobs and don’t restore them for a few years that lots of people will remain out of work and are now desperate.  These are the same people that our loving government says resources such as heating assistance, food stamps, medical needs should be cut in half and have convinced a few fools that the people who are at or below the poverty level are the problem even though corporate giants created the problem, promised a solution and didn’t bother doing anything after they got the extension of the tax cuts… I’m sure they just laughed all the way to the bank.  As a matter of fact I’ve been hearing that most corporate giants have been having their most profitable years, isn’t that nice?

  Basic math folks… its probably only about 3rd grade level math that is necessary to sort fact from fiction. It’s real easy to see that the numbers don’t add up to the myths that have been circulated by political groups over the past few years.   

  Bottom line – the layoffs have to end. We simply can’t afford more layoffs at a time when heat, utility, food, medical and other assistance is being cut in half. These people will need help… they will need jobs and they will need a hand up just to survive. More layoffs… my stomach is churning! Just think postal workers who have dedicated 20 or more years of their life in all kinds of weather will now join the growing group of people who are accused of being lazy bums, drug addicts, system abusers, not worthy of assistance, etc… It’s not right, it’s just not right.

• Anonymous

  You have a real boring life.

• Anonymous

  Cut your workforce in half and deliver mail on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I only get a couple pieces of mail a week that I care about and none of that mail is so urgent that I couldn’t wait a day to receive it.  It is a service that is headed the direction of Blockbuster video, technology is going to make 90% of the service obsolete.  Recognize that fact and adjust your business model.

• Anonymous

  And we see why you’ve never worked in a union shop.

• Anonymous

  Politicians are using the USPS’ billions in over payments to retiree health care for other purposes and creating another fake crisis so they can hurt the unions and privatize the USPS business.

• Kevin_Of_Bangor

  And where in Maine do you live?

• Anonymous

  I live in Waterville….Is that germane to the conversation??

• Anonymous

  I feel bad anytime a hardworking individual loses their job…but if those of us in the private sector worked for a company that lost billions of dollars year over year…I wouldn’t be picketing to pour more money into a sinking ship…I’d be looking for a new employer.  The US Postal Service Gravy Train is over…the signs are everywhere.  Find another job while you can if you want to stay in this area.  Sadly, expect lower salaries and decreased benefit coverage…it’s a reality of the times! 

• Kevin_Of_Bangor

  And is Waterville considered a rural area?

• Anonymous

  From a national perspective yes, from a Maine perspective no.  My comment is a general assessment of the post office services and has no relation to whether or not you live in an urban or rural area.  It is the rural post offfices that are first to face the cutbacks because of the low mail volumes there but they will by no means be the only ones to face financial realities.

• Kevin_Of_Bangor

  That is one of the most intelligent responses I have read in a very long time.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MLD4PUC2FDBZG3UWLM6KFTEBBM Mrs_O

  As a business owner, we use USPS a lot to ship out small packages. But, they are more expensive with larger (anything over 5 lbs that won’t fit in one of their small flat rate boxes) parcels than UPS and UPS insures packages for free – plus their ground service gets items to California from Maine in 5 days – Parcel post for USPS can take 3 weeks at more cost. 

  80% of USPS’s annual budget goes to employees – where as UPS’s annual budget designates 50% to worker’s pay and benefits. Obviously something has got to give and it shouldn’t be MORE funding.

• PaulNotBunyan

  That junk mail provides some of the revenue that makes it possible to continue delivering mail to your home. I hardly ever read it but I don’t mind if these advertisers want to subsidize the mail for me. The only thing I don’t like is junk mail with plastic things like mock credit cards. I’m sure some of that winds up in wood stoves. I always check mine for that kind of stuff. It would be interesting to measure the btu value of a year’s junk mail.

• Anonymous

  Does anybody actually read the article or is the issue of prefunding retirement too complicated for Maine readers? USPS is probably the only organization on the planet that prefunds retirement. Congress told them they had to. This prefunding is the source of the deficits. If the USPS were to account for retirements the way just about every other organization does, the financial condition of the USPS would improve so that service cutbacks would not be necessary.

• Anonymous

  Thank you for keeping abreast of
  this story.  For Americans, The United States Postal Service is part of
  our
  birthright—-indeed the enlightened authors of our Constitution
  regarded its presence so necessary that it was included in that very
  document. We are living through frightening times in which there are
  actually coordinated forces engaged in acquiring for private use, all
  things of inherent value to Americans.  In simplest terms, as a people
  we are witnessing a fire sale of our heritage……and, as such, are
  being forced to reflect anew upon such things’ true value in our
  lives…and,  by doing so, often determining that NO PRICE is equal to
  its value to us as a people. 

  To be more specific about the assault on the Postal Service….let me
  just add that this is entirely a manufactured crisis.  A manufactured
  crisis spearheaded by politicians,  most of whom are no longer public
  servants but governmental employees of corporations.  Consider the
  motivations to destroy the Postal Service as it is— 1)  the pool of
  customers reliant on its services is enormous and would be a windfall
  for some select company, and btw, eliminating competition.. 2) the USPS
  is yet another example of a very large union—and as we all know by
  now, THIS must be eliminated. Not only do unions protect the rights of
  workers (which in itself, is a concept no longer accepted by owners
  & therefor must be scrubbed from public collective memory)….but
  also (and here, we come right back to the societal harm of today’s
  politics), that wherever unions still exist it’s been acknowledged that
  they add they’re leverage disproportionately to the Democratic party.
  (So, its ALL about politics/and who wins the next one).  Destruction of
  quality of life on such a grand scale that the motivations of such
  policies reveal themselves to be the puny undertakings of small minded
  men….and not the ‘leaders’ who were entrusted with the serious
  responsibility of caring for the nation AS A WHOLE.

  There is so much more to say on this subject—-but its too late in the day for more writing on my part!

  I’d like to go on.. especially
  after reading someone’s comment here in which he slags Postal union
  workers for: having too much and doing so little.

  We must be on guard against such
  petty judgements of others—-ascribing to the whole actions of a
  few—-realize the mind manipulation at hand here that encourages us to
  fight amongst ourselves, encourages feelings of envy in place of solidarity.
  Many of these so-called problems in the running of the USPS are but
  details that have logical solutions that can be applied incrementally.
  Beware of drama that is foisted upon you with the reporting of news….
  it’s aim is to engage your emotions only, while leaving behind the critical thinking you must do to arrive at the answers to OUR common problems.

  I leave you all with a thought —- do you trust and depend (without much thought) on your mail arriving everyday at your door?
  What price that?
  Priceless.
  For me…it is one of very few things that can be counted on.

  Give gratitude—-and fight for it.

  ps—-I recommend a wonderful article I once read in Harpers called “Why dogs go after mail carriers” by Garret Keizer 
  http://harpers.org/archive/2010/09/0083081?redirect=1733321973

• Anonymous

  dont be sad…..fight it…get solidarity….we CAN make the change we deserve.
  ps—i worked for the USPS briefly—and I loved what i was doing, really dug the fact that I was in a long tradition of  ‘rain snow or sleet …the mail must get there’…..however I did notice a difference in them that ran the place and those that were postal workers. The mgt seemed to be swell heads  just coming from managerial college —making questionable decisions (in my view), etc.  In fact they seemed like the kinda people who’d sell you out …of which reading Rizzo’s comment here  definitly reminded me of

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Regina-Hosebeast/100002095287763 Regina Hosebeast

  “Organizers of the Bangor event, which drew members of four union locals…” There’s the problem.

  The rest of us work on our own merits and aren’t ‘protected’ even if we are incompetent or untrustworthy.

  “The reason we’re in the red is that Congress in 2006 mandated that the
  Postal Service prefund — for 75 years in advance — retiree health
  benefits,” he said.

  Not a bad idea seeing that Washington and Augusta have regularly raided these funds to use for other reasons. Look at Social security. That money we all pay every week isn’t sitting in an account somewhere waiting for us to start using ,it’s being spent for bridges to islands in Alaska , travel expenses for Congressmen and re-election campaigns.

  Wake up America or we are all doomed.

• Anonymous

  & you have no sense of humor
  (or maybe you do and I just read it wrong….next time add your sartalics0

• AionNV

  No, it’s all the unions fault, and Obama, and the queers, and all those the liberal lesbian teachers…

  You can’t reason with these people, just be grateful they’re in bumphkegypt and not near you.

• AionNV

  How about just change the funding requirement that is the source of the problem.

  That of course would require you to pull your head out of your buttocks first.

• AionNV

  Or, or, how about a more reasonable funding requirement, one similar to what you see int eh private sector, instead of the more ridiculous one congress placed on the USPS.

• TeaParty_aka_AmericanTaliban

  Apparently you either can’t read or chose not to read the article.  The post office actually gets a profit but are being forced to pre-fund retirement for people who retire 75 years from now…employees not even working there yet.  They are having to pay into that which eats up all the profits and then some and leaves them in the hole.

• TeaParty_aka_AmericanTaliban

  You would have easy access to Fed Ex and UPS if you needed to send something out urgently.  In most of Maine people don’t have easy access to those other services.

• Anonymous

  If there are no layoffs and things go on as they are  with declining sales, soon, these people will all be out of work and the taxpayer will be on the hook to bail out their pension fund. Better to realize that the business model they work with is antiquated and keep a viable retirement plan in place for all eligible workers.

• Anonymous

  As President Obama said. It’s not class warfare, It’s math.

• Anonymous

  Scrap it.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

      The assault that you refer to on Americas Governmental Institutions is readily apparrent . not only is the Post Office being undermined to fail by are so called leaders but also Social Security, Medicare, Fema, Epa, NLRB, the list goes on and on!

• Anonymous

  It looks like the union is trying to put their retirement responsibilities onto the taxpayer. Everyone knows that the post office use has declined, that decline can only accelerate. then the taxpayer will be left holding the bill.
  If all things were equal and the business model was viable the argument “no other government agency is on that aggressive a prefunding schedule.” might hold some validity.

  There is no need for a bailout if the post office goes ahead with its prefunding schedule. There will be down the road if post office revenue continues to decline.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  “”Government is not the problem, Republicans are! “”

     I believe that a reasonable person could conclude that the Post office and other Government Institutions are deliberately being attacked by undermineing their effectivness in order to close them and replace them with private run for profit corporations.

     Not only the Post Office has had unrealistic demands on pension funding but look at Fema who had a Republican president appoint an unqualified Arabian Horse Commisioner to head it up. It subsequently failed in the wake of Katrina only to have Georges Brother Jeb start up a disaster relief company! http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/jeb-bush-forms-new-company-and-gets-privatized-disaster-response-business

     Public Schools where given the unrealistic mandate that all Students would be above average in No Child left behind, when they fail the answer is for profit charter schools.

  Social Security in the wake of an economic recession caused by banking deregulation policies,where revenues are temporarily declining has been offered up as private 401 ks for wall street retirement funds.

  Medicare part D was given no funding and handed over to the Pharmecuetical Companies to charge what ever they like causing an depletion  of revenues, then as an answer they offer vouchers so as recipeants can go into the insurance market and buy their own.

  Wake up America, class warfare was declared on you long before The American Jobs act.

  The Corporations have declared it, and the politicians that YOU elect are thier soldiers!

• Anonymous

  Learn to speak Chinese. I believe they are giving lessons in Bangor. Study how those in Latin America survive on $6 a day.

• Anonymous

  Plus Fed Ex and UPS deliver to your door.

• Anonymous

  I am not convinced that the reason the PO is in the red is because of the pre-funding requirement.  I’d like to see the balance sheet before the law was passed.  They have been in decline for many years if memory serves me correctly.   My guess is that this problem  predates the funding law.  This is a good story which inspires a great debate however, I’d like to see a reporter do some serious research on the numbers rather than regurgitate what they have read or heard elsewhere.

• Anonymous

  The USPS s like the dinosaurs, passe.  They have lost billions, and most of that loss is directly attributed to the shoddy work and lackadaisical attitudes of the union and it’s members.  Every time the USPS raises the price of a stamp, it is the same as another tax increase to us the tax payers.  In any privately run business, if the profits are not there and the expenses are way over budget, as is the USPS, lay=offs and closures happen until the problem is fixed. I think it is realistic to say the union will never let it be ‘fixed’.  The other alternative is to put the USPS up for bids from a private company. If my distatste for unions show, so be it. I have good reasons.

• Anonymous

  The USPS s like the dinosaurs, passe.  They have lost billions, and most of that loss is directly attributed to the shoddy work and lackadaisical attitudes of the union and it’s members.  Every time the USPS raises the price of a stamp, it is the same as another tax increase to us the tax payers.  In any privately run business, if the profits are not there and the expenses are way over budget, as is the USPS, lay=offs and closures happen until the problem is fixed. I think it is realistic to say the union will never let it be ‘fixed’.  The other alternative is to put the USPS up for bids from a private company. If my distatste for unions show, so be it. I have good reasons.

• Anonymous

  Laying thousands more people off = the Republican plan to increase jobs and improve the economy.

• Anonymous

  Maybe the post office should look at wages and benefits instead of closing some offices. The postmaster general gets $245,000 per year, plus benefits. Part time employees get full time benefits. Maybe they should look at how much they are paying in rent for the buildings.

• Anonymous

  WAKE UP! If you don’t use it you lose it! 
  I broke the 3 1/2″, under 1 oz, plastic lid on a $9.99,  ( Reny’s )  food chopper. Procter Silex can replace it for $6.99 +  shipping,  USPO $7.80.  = $14.79. UPS shipping $11.50 = 18.47!

  I entered the MOFGA Poster Competition, needed to get the Art work to Unity from Milbridge; 89.1 miles. I had some car issues, so called Fed-Ex….their fee for same day delivery…..$400.00!
   ( almost 1/2 the prize money) My car made it there &  back.

  NJ has PRIVATIZED vital records, so when I needed  a new birth certificate to get a border passcard, I discovered that Vitalrecords Inc. NOT LOCATED IN NJ, but in Tenn., wanted $15.00 to mail it to me  via Fed-Ex.  That’s a #10 envelope with a piece  of paper, not anything BIG!
  HABAND, mail order apparel uses the USPO.
  I WILL stop paying my bills by phone or online……I WILL send Christmas cards this year!

• Anonymous

  WAKE UP! If you don’t use it you lose it! 
  I broke the 3 1/2″, under 1 oz, plastic lid on a $9.99,  ( Reny’s )  food chopper. Procter Silex can replace it for $6.99 +  shipping,  USPO $7.80.  = $14.79. UPS shipping $11.50 = 18.47!

  I entered the MOFGA Poster Competition, needed to get the Art work to Unity from Milbridge; 89.1 miles. I had some car issues, so called Fed-Ex….their fee for same day delivery…..$400.00!
   ( almost 1/2 the prize money) My car made it there &  back.

  NJ has PRIVATIZED vital records, so when I needed  a new birth certificate to get a border passcard, I discovered that Vitalrecords Inc. NOT LOCATED IN NJ, but in Tenn., wanted $15.00 to mail it to me  via Fed-Ex.  That’s a #10 envelope with a piece  of paper, not anything BIG!
  HABAND, mail order apparel uses the USPO.
  I WILL stop paying my bills by phone or online……I WILL send Christmas cards this year!

• Anonymous

  Most Mainers do have access to those other services.

• Anonymous

  Most Mainers do have access to those other services.

• Anonymous

  Most Mainers do have access to those other services.

• Anonymous

  Most Mainers do have access to those other services.

• Anonymous

  Have a look at CEO’s incomes first………… Don’t fall for the propaganda spewed by the ones who profit from our shortsightedness.
  Once upon a time, MOST citizens made the same kind of money the postalworkers make.
  WHAT HAPPENED?
  WHY?
  WHO GAINS?

• Anonymous

  It is obvious from the righteous indignation expresssed in the comments below, that a lot of it comes from postal workers, understandably afraid of losing a very well-paying job. I can understand that fear, as most anyone might react that way.

  But they need to understand that they are working in a dying industry. Many here, most of them employees, talk about how “valuable” the service is. The people who determine how valuable any service is, are the customers, not the employees.

  And the truth is that the customers, for many reasons, have been deserting the postal service in droves. Most of what comes in my mailbox is junk that I didn’t order or ask for.  I do use it for shipping in my ebay business but could use UPS just as easily, and cheaper for larger packages.

  The union has negotiated a no-layoff clause in the master contract, the ultimate job protection. This is an insult to all the rest of the non-union working people in America who work at will, so to speak. If their employer does not need their services, they have to find another job.

  Post office employees need to view the real world, rather than their insulated world, inside their cushy union contract, and realize their service is going to go the way of the dinosaur, rather they like it or not.

• Anonymous

  All businesses have had to downsize…or go out of business.  Time for the Post Office to fess up….downsize  and cut offices.  Ya let keep throwing money at a business that is not making a profit.  How about pay cuts?  Change how your retirement is funded.  Maybe stop funding it until Washington fixes this mess in the economy.  Many small business have not been able to give their employees raises for many many years and had to cut funding  just so the business can survive. Do the same.

• Anonymous

  So you want them to just go to a straight 401k?  I can go with that.  Do away with the pension system, they are doomed to fail and doomed to leave some holding nothing.

• Anonymous

  Love your posting name…..

• Anonymous

  A few years ago, the USPS started doing away with all the small branches located in stores in rural areas.  Bring these back, and no service will be lost to the rural areas.   Many small businesses would love to house a small postal unit, if only for the traffic that it will bring into their store.  Also, MWF delivery of mail is fine for me.  I don’t need a postman coming every day.  Bills I receive (yes, I make the stingy companies send me a paper bill and will continue to do so until they offer a paperless discount, besides, trees that make paper are a renewable resource), can be paid online, and nothing is that urgent any more.   Email, text messages, and fax machines have taken away a major portion of the USPS’s business.   This portion of their business is lost forever.  They need to so as many say, get with doing business in 2011.  Prefunding health insurance is not a bad idea considering the 10% jump in costs that was just announced this year!

• Anonymous

  I don’t see any value in an industry that makes and distributes trash, regardless of how many jobs it produces.

• Anonymous

  Perhaps the most damaging thing that the tea-party has done, is to convince its uneducated throngs that the United States government works just like their household budget.  If only the world were as simple as that.

• Anonymous

  Might be a boring life, but bangorian isnt the only one, All I get is junk mail…. I even let my hustler subscription expire…

• Anonymous

  I realize that your opinion is based on “all about you” but some of us use the mail and it needs to be timely. This isn’t just a delivery service for your cat supplies, it is an essential part of doing business for many of us and it needs to be operating when business is.

• Anonymous

  More welfare………

• Anonymous

  401k, lol, where would you dare place those?  Stock market?   lol

• Anonymous

  Congress has a conflict of interest. Read up on Congress.

• Anonymous

  Or most of that loss could be due to changing technology……..ever heard of e-mail?

• Anonymous

  What you say is true…however it’s Congress’ antics that forced the USPS into the hole along with the sour economy, and it’s also true that it’s the Postmaster General’s accounting that matters, not claims of profit by APWU workers and others sympathetic to their cause.  The real fix(long term) lies in the hands of the Congress and the PG.

• Anonymous

  Gentle people,  the Postal Service  has been here long before you  were born, and will be here long after your business’s are closed and you are dead and buried.  I wish to support those who rally for serving the public like all Postal employees.  The changes that need to be made will be decided in the voting booth when Senator Collins is up for re election. She wrote the Law that set the Postal world on fire.  As a result you eventually will pay more and get less from the Postal Service.  You won’t hear it from her, but I have the guts to tell you now.

  Ben  Franklin

• Anonymous

  Part time employees get full time benefits…WRONG!   I’m PT & just get hourly rate…THAT’S it.

• Anonymous

  Well, I can’t blame them for trying to protect the golden goose. My casual non-scientific observations suggest most PO clerks have one speed - SLOW.  Makes me think a motivated clerk could handle 2 or 3 times more customer transactions and thus, eliminate a clerks position or three. Multiplied by however many branches there are – that adds up to some savings. And that is just the front of the house. Who knows what happens throughout the rest of the system.

• Anonymous

  Sorry, but the demise of the USPS is caused by three things: technology making letters and direct mail almost obsolete,  private enterprise doing a much better job on package mail, the union.

  The answer to the first two is to adapt to the realities.  It is absurd for a government program to try to compete with private enterprise.  Did everyone read that it cost the government $200,000 each to “create” a $50,000 job?  That’s why the USPS trying to deliver packages is a losing proposition.  For those that live in areas not served by UPS or Fedex, smaller companies would fill the void.

  As far as the union goes, it’s important to realize that postal employees are very expensive (even compared to other federal employees).  The second worst president in modern times allowed them to negotiate pay and benefits.  So, they pay LESS for their federal benefits.  Also, compared to the skill set necessary to work in most of the positions within the USPS, they are very highly paid.  Those things combined with a very union-friendly contract (e.g. no lay-off clause) make the cost of its workforce ridiculously expensive.

  Answer: get out of the package business, reduce first class delivery to three days a week, close all post offices within 10 miles of each other, terminate all union contracts and bring them into line with other federal contracts.

• Anonymous

  bdneck is wrong.   This is strictly about cash flow.  The cash flow is there, just mandated by Congress to go to prefunding.   This is a way to break the post office so Fedex can take over the system.  Do you really think that Fedex can deliver mail to every home for less than $2 per piece?  If you own a small business, sending mass mailings will be prohibitive.   If you own a printing company, there will not be flyer to be printed.   If you do not believe in online banking or other financial services, you will be forced to use online statements and bill payment services.   Private enterprise is not capable of this service without diminishing the current service and charging much more.  Kind of like contract out wars:  After spending a trillion dollars on contractors, we find out it is not cheaper.

• Anonymous

  bdneck is wrong.   This is strictly about cash flow.  The cash flow is there, just mandated by Congress to go to prefunding.   This is a way to break the post office so Fedex can take over the system.  Do you really think that Fedex can deliver mail to every home for less than $2 per piece?  If you own a small business, sending mass mailings will be prohibitive.   If you own a printing company, there will not be flyer to be printed.   If you do not believe in online banking or other financial services, you will be forced to use online statements and bill payment services.   Private enterprise is not capable of this service without diminishing the current service and charging much more.  Kind of like contract out wars:  After spending a trillion dollars on contractors, we find out it is not cheaper.

• Anonymous

  bdneck is wrong.   This is strictly about cash flow.  The cash flow is there, just mandated by Congress to go to prefunding.   This is a way to break the post office so Fedex can take over the system.  Do you really think that Fedex can deliver mail to every home for less than $2 per piece?  If you own a small business, sending mass mailings will be prohibitive.   If you own a printing company, there will not be flyer to be printed.   If you do not believe in online banking or other financial services, you will be forced to use online statements and bill payment services.   Private enterprise is not capable of this service without diminishing the current service and charging much more.  Kind of like contract out wars:  After spending a trillion dollars on contractors, we find out it is not cheaper.

• Anonymous

  bdneck is wrong.   This is strictly about cash flow.  The cash flow is there, just mandated by Congress to go to prefunding.   This is a way to break the post office so Fedex can take over the system.  Do you really think that Fedex can deliver mail to every home for less than $2 per piece?  If you own a small business, sending mass mailings will be prohibitive.   If you own a printing company, there will not be flyer to be printed.   If you do not believe in online banking or other financial services, you will be forced to use online statements and bill payment services.   Private enterprise is not capable of this service without diminishing the current service and charging much more.  Kind of like contract out wars:  After spending a trillion dollars on contractors, we find out it is not cheaper.

• Anonymous

  bdneck is wrong.   This is strictly about cash flow.  The cash flow is there, just mandated by Congress to go to prefunding.   This is a way to break the post office so Fedex can take over the system.  Do you really think that Fedex can deliver mail to every home for less than $2 per piece?  If you own a small business, sending mass mailings will be prohibitive.   If you own a printing company, there will not be flyer to be printed.   If you do not believe in online banking or other financial services, you will be forced to use online statements and bill payment services.   Private enterprise is not capable of this service without diminishing the current service and charging much more.  Kind of like contract out wars:  After spending a trillion dollars on contractors, we find out it is not cheaper.

• Anonymous

  bdneck is wrong.   This is strictly about cash flow.  The cash flow is there, just mandated by Congress to go to prefunding.   This is a way to break the post office so Fedex can take over the system.  Do you really think that Fedex can deliver mail to every home for less than $2 per piece?  If you own a small business, sending mass mailings will be prohibitive.   If you own a printing company, there will not be flyer to be printed.   If you do not believe in online banking or other financial services, you will be forced to use online statements and bill payment services.   Private enterprise is not capable of this service without diminishing the current service and charging much more.  Kind of like contract out wars:  After spending a trillion dollars on contractors, we find out it is not cheaper.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  The rest of us work on our own merits and aren’t ‘protected’ even if we are incompetent or untrustworthy.  

  Union protection clause’s  only “Protect” workers from being fired without “just cause”. With the abscence of such “protection”, workers are at the mercy of (Subjective) determination of incompetence  or untrustworthness.
  These “protections” exempt employers from excercising their Personal (like’s or dislikes) of an individual in the determination of thier job performance!
  That is all they do.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  The rest of us work on our own merits and aren’t ‘protected’ even if we are incompetent or untrustworthy.  

  Union protection clause’s  only “Protect” workers from being fired without “just cause”. With the abscence of such “protection”, workers are at the mercy of (Subjective) determination of incompetence  or untrustworthness.
  These “protections” exempt employers from excercising their Personal (like’s or dislikes) of an individual in the determination of thier job performance!
  That is all they do.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  The rest of us work on our own merits and aren’t ‘protected’ even if we are incompetent or untrustworthy.  

  Union protection clause’s  only “Protect” workers from being fired without “just cause”. With the abscence of such “protection”, workers are at the mercy of (Subjective) determination of incompetence  or untrustworthness.
  These “protections” exempt employers from excercising their Personal (like’s or dislikes) of an individual in the determination of thier job performance!
  That is all they do.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  The rest of us work on our own merits and aren’t ‘protected’ even if we are incompetent or untrustworthy.  

  Union protection clause’s  only “Protect” workers from being fired without “just cause”. With the abscence of such “protection”, workers are at the mercy of (Subjective) determination of incompetence  or untrustworthness.
  These “protections” exempt employers from excercising their Personal (like’s or dislikes) of an individual in the determination of thier job performance!
  That is all they do.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  The rest of us work on our own merits and aren’t ‘protected’ even if we are incompetent or untrustworthy.  

  Union protection clause’s  only “Protect” workers from being fired without “just cause”. With the abscence of such “protection”, workers are at the mercy of (Subjective) determination of incompetence  or untrustworthness.
  These “protections” exempt employers from excercising their Personal (like’s or dislikes) of an individual in the determination of thier job performance!
  That is all they do.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  It’s served it’s usefulness, because in a time of online transactions, email, text messaging, people need to change with the times. We no longer use 8-Track Players, Horse-drawn Carriages, and Heroin as a pain-killer.

  Do we need mail delivered everyday, (Saturday)? NO

  Do we need 438 Post offices in Maine, one in every little town and village? NO,
  I live in Machias, who’s post office is larger then it needs to be, we also cover Whitneyville, Northfield, Marshfield, and Roque Bluffs within our Zip Code. Now, within a 5-10 mile radius there are 8 other post offices. The Office in Machias is big enough to do those towns/villages. The Postal Delivers would work out of Machias, so they aren’t losing jobs, but the big money black-holes would go away, the 8 buildings the USPS is paying utilities, taxes, and bills for.

  Do we need 2 Mail Sort/Processing Facilities, (Scarborough/Hampden)? NO,
  Maine’s population is roughly 1,328,361 and we have two, yet New York City, (5-Buroughs) has 3 and their population is roughly 18,319,939. That’s roughly 13 times the population, yet we “need” one less facility? “Yes, Yes, I know the sizes and employment of the facilities is probably far different, but truly think about the overall picture.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  It’s served it’s usefulness, because in a time of online transactions, email, text messaging, people need to change with the times. We no longer use 8-Track Players, Horse-drawn Carriages, and Heroin as a pain-killer.

  Do we need mail delivered everyday, (Saturday)? NO

  Do we need 438 Post offices in Maine, one in every little town and village? NO,
  I live in Machias, who’s post office is larger then it needs to be, we also cover Whitneyville, Northfield, Marshfield, and Roque Bluffs within our Zip Code. Now, within a 5-10 mile radius there are 8 other post offices. The Office in Machias is big enough to do those towns/villages. The Postal Delivers would work out of Machias, so they aren’t losing jobs, but the big money black-holes would go away, the 8 buildings the USPS is paying utilities, taxes, and bills for.

  Do we need 2 Mail Sort/Processing Facilities, (Scarborough/Hampden)? NO,
  Maine’s population is roughly 1,328,361 and we have two, yet New York City, (5-Buroughs) has 3 and their population is roughly 18,319,939. That’s roughly 13 times the population, yet we “need” one less facility? “Yes, Yes, I know the sizes and employment of the facilities is probably far different, but truly think about the overall picture.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  It’s served it’s usefulness, because in a time of online transactions, email, text messaging, people need to change with the times. We no longer use 8-Track Players, Horse-drawn Carriages, and Heroin as a pain-killer.

  Do we need mail delivered everyday, (Saturday)? NO

  Do we need 438 Post offices in Maine, one in every little town and village? NO,
  I live in Machias, who’s post office is larger then it needs to be, we also cover Whitneyville, Northfield, Marshfield, and Roque Bluffs within our Zip Code. Now, within a 5-10 mile radius there are 8 other post offices. The Office in Machias is big enough to do those towns/villages. The Postal Delivers would work out of Machias, so they aren’t losing jobs, but the big money black-holes would go away, the 8 buildings the USPS is paying utilities, taxes, and bills for.

  Do we need 2 Mail Sort/Processing Facilities, (Scarborough/Hampden)? NO,
  Maine’s population is roughly 1,328,361 and we have two, yet New York City, (5-Buroughs) has 3 and their population is roughly 18,319,939. That’s roughly 13 times the population, yet we “need” one less facility? “Yes, Yes, I know the sizes and employment of the facilities is probably far different, but truly think about the overall picture.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  It’s served it’s usefulness, because in a time of online transactions, email, text messaging, people need to change with the times. We no longer use 8-Track Players, Horse-drawn Carriages, and Heroin as a pain-killer.

  Do we need mail delivered everyday, (Saturday)? NO

  Do we need 438 Post offices in Maine, one in every little town and village? NO,
  I live in Machias, who’s post office is larger then it needs to be, we also cover Whitneyville, Northfield, Marshfield, and Roque Bluffs within our Zip Code. Now, within a 5-10 mile radius there are 8 other post offices. The Office in Machias is big enough to do those towns/villages. The Postal Delivers would work out of Machias, so they aren’t losing jobs, but the big money black-holes would go away, the 8 buildings the USPS is paying utilities, taxes, and bills for.

  Do we need 2 Mail Sort/Processing Facilities, (Scarborough/Hampden)? NO,
  Maine’s population is roughly 1,328,361 and we have two, yet New York City, (5-Buroughs) has 3 and their population is roughly 18,319,939. That’s roughly 13 times the population, yet we “need” one less facility? “Yes, Yes, I know the sizes and employment of the facilities is probably far different, but truly think about the overall picture.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  It’s served it’s usefulness, because in a time of online transactions, email, text messaging, people need to change with the times. We no longer use 8-Track Players, Horse-drawn Carriages, and Heroin as a pain-killer.

  Do we need mail delivered everyday, (Saturday)? NO

  Do we need 438 Post offices in Maine, one in every little town and village? NO,
  I live in Machias, who’s post office is larger then it needs to be, we also cover Whitneyville, Northfield, Marshfield, and Roque Bluffs within our Zip Code. Now, within a 5-10 mile radius there are 8 other post offices. The Office in Machias is big enough to do those towns/villages. The Postal Delivers would work out of Machias, so they aren’t losing jobs, but the big money black-holes would go away, the 8 buildings the USPS is paying utilities, taxes, and bills for.

  Do we need 2 Mail Sort/Processing Facilities, (Scarborough/Hampden)? NO,
  Maine’s population is roughly 1,328,361 and we have two, yet New York City, (5-Buroughs) has 3 and their population is roughly 18,319,939. That’s roughly 13 times the population, yet we “need” one less facility? “Yes, Yes, I know the sizes and employment of the facilities is probably far different, but truly think about the overall picture.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  It’s served it’s usefulness, because in a time of online transactions, email, text messaging, people need to change with the times. We no longer use 8-Track Players, Horse-drawn Carriages, and Heroin as a pain-killer.

  Do we need mail delivered everyday, (Saturday)? NO

  Do we need 438 Post offices in Maine, one in every little town and village? NO,
  I live in Machias, who’s post office is larger then it needs to be, we also cover Whitneyville, Northfield, Marshfield, and Roque Bluffs within our Zip Code. Now, within a 5-10 mile radius there are 8 other post offices. The Office in Machias is big enough to do those towns/villages. The Postal Delivers would work out of Machias, so they aren’t losing jobs, but the big money black-holes would go away, the 8 buildings the USPS is paying utilities, taxes, and bills for.

  Do we need 2 Mail Sort/Processing Facilities, (Scarborough/Hampden)? NO,
  Maine’s population is roughly 1,328,361 and we have two, yet New York City, (5-Buroughs) has 3 and their population is roughly 18,319,939. That’s roughly 13 times the population, yet we “need” one less facility? “Yes, Yes, I know the sizes and employment of the facilities is probably far different, but truly think about the overall picture.

• PaulNotBunyan

  Well, you’ve never seemed like much of an optimist.

• Anonymous

  Where do you think the pension money is invested?

• Anonymous

  Yeah…no that’s NOT all the union does.  I worked for the state and we had a guy who hid his case management files in the ceiling and under filing cabinets and did other questionable and unethical things…..and could we fire him NO…..because of the UNION.  Anyone else who actually works and lives in the real world would have been terminated….which is as it should be……

• Anonymous

  That is the most accurate statement that I have heard in a long time.  Unfortunately, they aren’t uneducated, just led astray by people who help stir the anger the people carry inside.
  The tea party is like cancer.  It destroys the good tissue and replaces it with genetically altered bad tissue.

• Anonymous

  Did you miss something? The primary reason why the post office is in the red is that since 2005 the government has required them to pre-fund the postal retirement account fund for 75 years in advance… this means the workers today are working hard to fund the retirement for people who are not yet born.  

  Employees working in the private sector are never required to pre-fund the retirement account 75 years in advance… they aren’t expected to pay for the retirement of future employees who may or may not ever work for a downsizing company or government office.   That too is a reality.

  I am in favor of supporting House Bill 1351 and allowing the post office to naturally downsize as people retire.  Nothing is free… it’s a bad idea to take mail for granted (especially in remote and rural areas) and especially at a time when so many people are already unemployed and during this time fewer and fewer people have access to electronic bills since the internet is the first expense to go when people are downsizing their budget.  You can’t do both… downsize mail delivery and downsize online access to electronic bills without creating an enormous problem. 

• Anonymous

  Democrats are in charge. I find the whole thing ironic that the postal unions were a major contributor and voters for obama, and yet this is happening under his watch, not republicans. Blame republicans when republicans are in the white house. This is on the dems…

• Anonymous

  Not all people have access to internet.  Cell phone service, a requirement texting, is not available thru out the state.  Your sorting facilities analogy is laughable.  That is like comparing Bangor International airport to JFK.  They both have runways longer than two miles and provide customs service to overseas arrivals.   I am sure there are other differences that are germane to the argument.   But I have presented the correct facts.

• Anonymous

  Not all people have access to internet.  Cell phone service, a requirement texting, is not available thru out the state.  Your sorting facilities analogy is laughable.  That is like comparing Bangor International airport to JFK.  They both have runways longer than two miles and provide customs service to overseas arrivals.   I am sure there are other differences that are germane to the argument.   But I have presented the correct facts.

• http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

  I am not saying that we should get completely rid of the Post Office, what I am trying to convey is that the changes proposed by the USPS are feasible, yes, they will make life a “LITTLE” harder for some, but how many of those people have to mail stuff every Saturday, or are a “significant” distance from another, larger post office. The bulk of the complaints have been about “inconvenience” and having to drive 8 miles to the post office instead of 5.

• Anonymous

  What is one person’s inconvenience is another’s hardship.  At today’s gas prices, it would cost 90 cents for the extra 6 miles rountrip.  That’s using 25mpg at $3.50.   How is that cheaper than a stamp or more environmentally friendly?  The whole purpose of the law was to:  break the post office financiall;  confiscate the cash to subsidize the contractors;  place the burden of the benefits and retirements on the taxpayers.  
   The post office generates enough cash.  There can be efficiencies derived.  But the numbers of the costs are so skewed by the requirement to prefund for 75 years.  These become the talking points for the agenda driven to privatize the USPS.  Maybe Fedex should prefund their health care plan for 75 years.   Let’s see how the numbers look then.

• Anonymous

  My spouse works there – full time – for 15 years — my family of 5 is considered “eligible” for welfare (food stamps and mainecare) though we refuse to use the system…..   he works hard, very, very hard every day, has little time off, works overtime….. the whole nine yards… his income isn’t the problem….. he MUST pay for people to retire who aren’t born yet…. all because the gov’t requires it….   and WE PAY DEARLY for benefits……. our copays and deductables are redick – and we pay a large monthly premium…..

• Anonymous

  When did you do your last walk through?  Just curious?  I did one last week… and people were hustling…..

• Anonymous

  Of course… anyone who disagrees with your ideology (which I personally think is idiotology — see what I did there) is uneducated?  Come on, get over yourself…. you reek of ignorance

• Anonymous

  I hope these workers are successful in their mission. The last thing this country needs now is another large wave of recently unemployed people vying for the same jobs.

• Anonymous

  The people at the P.O. in my town are great.  That said, the USPS desperately needs to change its business model and become more responsive to the needs of its customers or it will deserve to die.

• Anonymous

  An optimist would recognize the value of producing unwanted trash, sorting and distributing it, by hand, all over the area and then collecting it and burying it in a landfill?

• Anonymous

  An optimist would recognize the value of producing unwanted trash, sorting and distributing it, by hand, all over the area and then collecting it and burying it in a landfill?

• Anonymous

  An optimist would recognize the value of producing unwanted trash, sorting and distributing it, by hand, all over the area and then collecting it and burying it in a landfill?

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7T3YNF6MG3FPEAVTFIJC44VQUI Dlbrt

  Bull,

  They couldn’t fire him because they  couldn’t prove that he violated a work rule with real objective proof!  

  Objectivity rules!

  Subjectivity fails!

• Anonymous

  Are you telling me you don’t get medical,sick time, or vacation? My sister-in-law works part time and gets all of that with $28 an hour. Sounds like you are getting screwed.

• Anonymous

  Are you telling me you don’t get medical,sick time, or vacation? My sister-in-law works part time and gets all of that with $28 an hour. Sounds like you are getting screwed.

• Anonymous

  That’s half the problem with our welfare system, people making $25 plus an hour still qualify for welfare.

• Anonymous

  YOU DID NOT LISTEN TO WHAT THESE PEOPLE SAID. USPS HAS NOT LOST MONEY. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER COMPANY IN THE WHOLE WORLD WHO HAS TO FUND THEIR RETIREMENT AND HEALTH CARE FUNDS FOR THE NEXT 75 YEARS? USPS IS MAKING A PROFIT, BUT CONGRESSES’ MANDATE TO FUND RETIREMENT AND HEALTH CARE HAS STOLEN ALL THE PROFITS. USPS IS MAKING A PROFIT!!!!!!

• Anonymous

  You did not listen to what was said here. The Ed Show had a great piece on this last night. Go on line and LISTEN.

• Anonymous

  You try to provide for a family of 7 on $25 an hour, Knowitall617. In today’s world, you would be considered poor. To lindsaygray: Thank your husband for us. He should be proud of his hard work. He is a true, hard working American.

• Anonymous

  AT TWICE THE COST!!

• Anonymous

  SO DOES USPS, AT HALF THE COST!!

• Anonymous

  YOU DID NOT LISTEN TO THIS. USPS IS NOT LOSING MONEY!!!! Congresses’ mandate to fund retirement and health care for the next 75 YEARS is the reason that the books do not show the profit that USPS IS MAKING. NAME ONE OTHER COMPANY IN THE WORLD THAT HAS TO DO THIS????????

• Anonymous

  I want congress to stop working for corporate America and let USPS fund these systems as any other company does….one quarter at a time. Every company in America would fail if they had to meet this requirement. 75 years of funding for retirement and health care. How dumb can the Republicans get? Idiots.

• Anonymous

  I don’t believe you.

• Anonymous

  “being forced to pre-fund retirement for people who retire 75 years from now”

  LOL…so let me get this straight, these folks want to get a sweet salary, great benefits with a retirement package that is guaranteed by the government, and now they are squabbling about actually having to pay for those who will follow in their footsteps, perpetuating their elevated grandeur?  If they don’t want to “pay into that which eats up all the profits”, then they should stop promising themselves, the stars, the sun, and the sky!  Regardless, reality is catching up with their over extension and ultimately, both services and worker benefits will necessarily be curtailed. 

• PaulNotBunyan

  Look on the bright side. It creates a few jobs. I realize the pay is low but it gives them some money for Allen’s and cigarettes. That helps to create more minimum wage retail jobs. The end result is that the retailers can afford to send us more junk mail.

• Anonymous

  Why would you have 5 kids if you can’t live off $25 perhour?

• Anonymous

  Why would you have 5 kids if you can’t live off $25 perhour?

• Anonymous

  Why would you have 5 kids if you can’t live off $25 perhour?

• Anonymous

  Why would you have 5 kids if you can’t live off $25 perhour?

• Anonymous

  Most private companies (minus the upper upper management) are/have gone away from anything relating to retirement benefits.  The only retirement benefit for most of todays future retirees is THEIR 401k (if lucky they got a company match of 10%).  As much as I would love a pention like my dad gets, or the medical he gets, etc I know that is not in the cards going forward.  Pensions have proven to be unpredictable and debilatating in tough times and good times.  Pensions always assume their will be new people doing the same job to pay into the pension.  Well as we have learned that is not the case. 

• Anonymous

  Most private companies (minus the upper upper management) are/have gone away from anything relating to retirement benefits.  The only retirement benefit for most of todays future retirees is THEIR 401k (if lucky they got a company match of 10%).  As much as I would love a pention like my dad gets, or the medical he gets, etc I know that is not in the cards going forward.  Pensions have proven to be unpredictable and debilatating in tough times and good times.  Pensions always assume their will be new people doing the same job to pay into the pension.  Well as we have learned that is not the case. 

• Anonymous

  Most private companies (minus the upper upper management) are/have gone away from anything relating to retirement benefits.  The only retirement benefit for most of todays future retirees is THEIR 401k (if lucky they got a company match of 10%).  As much as I would love a pention like my dad gets, or the medical he gets, etc I know that is not in the cards going forward.  Pensions have proven to be unpredictable and debilatating in tough times and good times.  Pensions always assume their will be new people doing the same job to pay into the pension.  Well as we have learned that is not the case. 

• Anonymous

  Most private companies (minus the upper upper management) are/have gone away from anything relating to retirement benefits.  The only retirement benefit for most of todays future retirees is THEIR 401k (if lucky they got a company match of 10%).  As much as I would love a pention like my dad gets, or the medical he gets, etc I know that is not in the cards going forward.  Pensions have proven to be unpredictable and debilatating in tough times and good times.  Pensions always assume their will be new people doing the same job to pay into the pension.  Well as we have learned that is not the case. 

• Anonymous

  How many private companies these days are still using a pension system?  Most are or will go away from them….they are too risky.  This is why many do either nothing or 401k.  As far as medical, huh, most private sector companies are or will not be giving employees health insurance upon the completion of employment.

• Anonymous

  How many private companies these days are still using a pension system?  Most are or will go away from them….they are too risky.  This is why many do either nothing or 401k.  As far as medical, huh, most private sector companies are or will not be giving employees health insurance upon the completion of employment.

• Anonymous

  How many private companies these days are still using a pension system?  Most are or will go away from them….they are too risky.  This is why many do either nothing or 401k.  As far as medical, huh, most private sector companies are or will not be giving employees health insurance upon the completion of employment.

• Anonymous

  How many private companies these days are still using a pension system?  Most are or will go away from them….they are too risky.  This is why many do either nothing or 401k.  As far as medical, huh, most private sector companies are or will not be giving employees health insurance upon the completion of employment.

• Anonymous

  They don’t need to, I am guessing within the last 10 to 20 years they have fazed our their pension system and gone to 401k.

• Anonymous

  I don’t care if you don’t believe or not that’s what happened…..and I would have a reason to make something this ridiculous up because???????  I have nothing else to do but make up stuff that a poor excuse for state employee did???  Were you there? ahhhh no you weren’t….. never fails to amaze me how someone like you can have an opinion on something that you have no knowledge of….let me guess state worker??  You’re a joke.

• Anonymous

  Yes…..that’s it ….the state policy for maintaining client records is for case managers to conceal state property (i.e. case files) in the ceiling and under filing cabinets…that’s standard operating procedure.   The state just buys employees desks and filing cabinets for looks, but not for use…..it’s a huge conspiracy against all the union members…..you’re hilarious.

• Anonymous

  C’mon folks…. We need to pour more hard earned tax dollars into this money pit so postal workers from Houlton can keep on stealing prescription drugs from people who fought for our country!  It just makes sense.  Any privately run organization run like this one would be closed down right now.

• Anonymous

  Anyone who is relying on the postal service is living in the last century, it would be like someone still using a landline phone.  I can’t image that more then a handful of people rely on either now.  Time to move forward, their cushy union jobs need to go.

• Anonymous

  Not if your road isn’t perfectly sanded and your mail box has to be shoveled out to meet their standards. Not to mention if the rural mail carrier thinks that you have a pot hole or two.
  I do wish I had a copy of the picture that was on the front page of the BDN of a mail carrier in Florida who was delivering mail in about 2′ of water. I wanted to show that to the Baileyville Post Office when they were giving me and my neighbors a hard time. It sure is fun to find a note in your mailbox that they were unable to deliver your mail, then you drive 10 miles into town to pick it up only to discover that they are closed for lunch.

• Anonymous

  The reason to pre-fund the pension program 75 years in advance is so that Congress can pillage it as they have Social Security and other Federal Employee retirement systems. The Federal Government cannot live within their means and will look anywhere to fund the runaway bureaucracy that we have allowed them to create. The USPS has issues, but mandating that funding a pension plan 75 years in advance and doing so within ten years is an unattainable expectation. That is not to say that the USPS does not need to modify its business plan. No one will ever convince me that it is necessary to have two locations within 1 to 2 miles of each other  with a total population being served around 3000 residents, just to give the citizens the feeling of community and a place to gather and share the days local gossip. The internet has forever changed how the USPS will operate or maybe cease to operate.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Val-Nostdahl/1025990186 Val Nostdahl

  real world of a postal widow:
  In 2005 my spouse had worked in a small office in nd for about 15 years, at the time he was hired he was one of 6 in the office and told no hours and was going to pull on his military to get unemployed just to stay employed, later one person was let go and another had a bad operation, so he moved up to get hours and was known as a ptf or part time flexible, most people who worked in the usps around here did not belive much in union, but he joined because he felt he would need thier services, and how true that came to be, for at the 10 year point in the office ( and most dont know that the usps is run by the us labor dept which signs off on contracts with unions, the usps is the 2nd largest company in the USA , at the time in 2005-06 it employed over 700,000 workers and was 2nd to walmart which is the largest in the USA , that includes companies, like microsoft or disney, they beat them out) the inner workings of the usps is that most offices have 4 unions, one is the labor union which most postmasters belong to, then their is the clerking union, and the NALC which means national assoiciation of letter carriers, and the rural route, which is for all rural areas, usually , along with that in an office most dont usually know what the other union is going through with labor , and this is even when they work in the same office as coworkers, there is also the united mail handers union and the american postal workers union, which comprise most mail handlers and Nalc combined , a bigger union so to speak that takes on contract negotiations for the union with labor, and how did that come about, in 1917 the US Congress was ingnoring work situations in the US of postal workers, so then a collective bargaining was legally allowed to prevent violence, murder and blood shed, they felt it was much more civilized to sit down at the table and bargain for workers bad working conditions and this way ensure human conditions for workers, congress agreed after being massively confronted in dc and signed in to effect collective bargaining effect, along with that what further followed was the hatch act, and other benifits for the general public, once the unions for the post office took effect, so that if you have a job now, and get regular hours guatenteed of 40 hours a week, time off for vacation , sick days, minimum wage guarenteed, fmla for family emergencies, and yes, health and retirement benifits on any job that came all through union interaction, in 1970 there was a nation wide strike of postal workers who were again being mistreated and not earning a decent wage, along with that the usps union of national letter carreirs were given a raise to meet cost of living expenses, so that their salary kept up to what the cost of living would encrue, and also had to sign a no strike policy made into federal law and in effect every since so that the only way to negotiate against contract violations when managment wants to mistreat them or ignor the contract is by collective barganing) so that at the 10 year point my spouse had to do a grieavnce and try to win to be promoted , where others in the office automatically moved up , he could not because the management wanted to put an untrained worker who had not worked the routes and from about 150 miles away and keep him at the lower level, so a grievance had to be filed, at about that time I became an unpaid paralegal in research in the 2005 jcam or joint contract arbitrated manual, that is signed off by mangement ( labor ) and union( nalc) , it took about 3 months to find the legal laungauge that allowed him to be promoted and keep his position and become what is known as a full time regular in the usps, one who had his own 40 hour a week route with a little more vacation time and benifits after having earned them at the 10 year point of doing all routes in town, in a on call basis of being available for the other workers at any time to do the job. He was fine for about another 6 years, even with new mangment that took over, and was different from his old postmaster that called him an asset to the usps for the good job he had done, but in 2006 the postal accounitbilty and enhancement ( which might as wel be called subtraction) came about, if you want to read up on that action and how it effected offices in the usps and the stress in the workplace you can go to first area tricounty local, awpu 3800 and read in the library section of how the ongoing violation of the guiding principals of the usps caused a toxic work enviorment by clerk joy goldberg which is copywritted , that was published in 2008 and also the book online of beyound going postal, with dr. stephen muscarro)
  In 2005 my spouse father died, and he was not allowed the day off from usps,due to politcal reasons of the managment not wanting to follow the contract and had to work within 45 minutes of his WW2 dad dying and barely got the day of the funeral off to attend. In 2006 with the signing of the paea, managment then instilled prefunding for future retires for workers not even born yet, or their parents born, either and not working for the usps, at the same time they were taking out of the postal workers checks for retirement, and then allowed the managment to not replace retirees that retired in the usps. This is what happened to my spouse at the 16 year point of employment with 4 years to go for retirement, he had 2 retirement of fellow workers and also one ptf fell and got injured on the first day of bid to become a ftr and bid on the route, that worker got permenately injured, but according to contract law could not be removed from the bid of the route for over a year.Overnight my spouse became legally responsible for all routes in town, that is his own 40 hour a week job, another 40 hour a week job in the office and another auxillary route of 15 to 25 hours a week, those hours do not even include coming in , pulling down the mail, sorting it , to put it out and then afterwards the hours are for walking the routes and delivery. This was  a push by management who was forcing the post office to pay 5 billion dollars a year into a retirement fund but at the same time retaliating and removing staff after retires where taking place, so that the remaining workers would be short staffed, and either quit or resign and not get retiremen or have health issues and be overworked, this was to make sure that the usps would be streamlined and not able to pay out for more retirements , so that the funding could be taken from the usps and placed in other parts for the national debt. The usps was being looked at as a cash cow for helping with the economy that had been over spent and workers were getting the blame. It took a year of  trying to get help in the office, meanwhile my spouse was accussed of slowing down on the job, was told to improve production to gain a hire and had to do the job of upper managment to get hires by collective bargaining to fight what had happened in the non replacement of retires, he finally won hires at the 10 month point, but at the same time at the year point had to do a final grievance to remove the injured worker who had not worked for a year, while he had undeggone all of this, and did so , only to have it denied illegally which was a supreme court mandate denied, and illegaly had a newly trained casaul removed, then worked food drive short handed and died the next day. Since then the usps has undergone massive changes withtin the managment system , at times people were expected to work and not get paid, and that was gone thru in the court systems and denied, and causitive for sucides in the workplace along with non replacement of retires. Meanwhil the prefunding which is suppose to be in an account somewhere, is at 20 billion dollars, for future retires, if you are lucky enough to get retired and not be overworked, plus there is a push where representatives are being bought up to do away with collective bargaining ( case in point wisconsin)  and do away with all benifits, and retirement. My spouse had been self employed and then entered the usps to gain retirement which would of probably aided his social securuity and given us about 3,000 a month to live on for our old age, I did not recieve that retirement because he did not die while retired, instead had been overworked to cause him to have a heart attack. And they are doing this on a regular basis, all over the nation now of not replacing workers, on top of that there is a new twist of selling post ofice, getting that money and keeping it, and then also streamlining more workers out of job to keep the money from the retirement fund , and that is what going on. They want to put 220,000 or more workers out of work and keep that money, to put into other parts of the economy even though it is the workers money. They have cash strapped the post office to put it out of business. If you support the post office and want to learn more go to www. savethepostoffice.com and also request your representative to sign off on H.R. 1351 to help save the current crisis from destroying the usps, people lives and lively hood. By the way the only gravy train for retirement is for the usps post master generals who in the postal accountiblity and enhancement act were givin incentives bonuess to betray the common working man and retire with huge retirements of 5.5 million for the rest of their lives like pmg potter did , while the average working man’s retirement if from 600 to 1,000 a month, and this is done by congress in the first place through the postal accountibilty and enhancement ( subtraction ) act for postal workers, and the union are standing against all that in congress trying to fight for middle class workers so they dont loose out, against the the rich 2 percent at the top. The only money the usps has lost is in the prefunding account that is not accountible or to be found. No taxpayers dollars support the usps, and infact the worker who do work their are taxpayers as well, something congress forgets, so in 2006 the usps made a profit, but it got taken away with the paea, and also went from 700,000 workers to somewhere in the nieighbor hood of the current 420,000 and now they want to cut the workforce that they prefunded for, down to 220,000 when they are understaffed and risking their lives as it is.

• Anonymous

  Reading these posts, it is easy to see that paranoia is alive and well in Maine.  There is also another analogy that pops into mind and that is the Downfall of Greece.  Everyone wants everything to stay the same but insists that governmental agencies (or quasi like USPO) live on less then whine like hell when “the less” affects them. No one needs 6 days of delivered mail. Five would be fine and we would adjust to it in no time flat.  Maine doesn’t need a post office or two or three every 6 miles like we now have.  Driving from Waterville to Bangor you pass a post office in Waterville, another in 3-4 miles in Fairfield, 6-7 more miles you will see one in Clinton, probably in Burnham as well but I am not sure about it, Pittsfield has one then another 6 miles there is one in Newport and 3 more miles out there is one, for whatever reason, in East Newport.  6 more miles comes the Etna PO, 5 more miles is one in Carmel, 7-8 miles in Hermon village and then Bangor’s.  Now, really!  who in hell needs that many USPOs?  No one.   Postage can be bought on-line and in many stores.  

• Anonymous

  You can thank our wonderful Republican Party for all of these attempts. It is all across the US. They can’t stand to have a Democrat in the White House so they are doing everything they can to undermine things the Democratic Party stands for.   Voting rights are another one of their projects.

• Anonymous

  Don’t believe everything you read. Use some judgement. I know I don’t have all the answers but I am willing to bet there are some financial projections going forward that means they are planning for less revenue into the retirement plan. My bet is that a situation is developing like Social security where 3 workers are supporting 1 person on social security. I bet it is some actuarial thing like that happening with a large number of retirees many approaching retirement age in the next few years increased health care cost projections and retirement income. It is possible that the union is working in their short term interest and are blind to the long term ramifications. It is not the first time a union has made that mistake.

• Anonymous

  7???

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MLD4PUC2FDBZG3UWLM6KFTEBBM Mrs_O

  Ha, so much for “I am the 99%”

   Sorry, but when you have a job with excellent pay and benefits, paid federal holidays, and a no-layoff clause with the requirement of little more than a high school diploma, you are not part of the 99% – you are part of the problem.

• Anonymous

  MPA??

• Anonymous

  MPA??

• Anonymous

  Read the article before posting a comment. They are not losing billions, they are forced to spend their profits on pre-funding the pension 75 years in advance. They were not picketing to have money “dumped” into the USPS coffers, they want to relax the mandate for the pre-funding.

• Anonymous

  Read the article before posting a comment. They are not losing billions, they are forced to spend their profits on pre-funding the pension 75 years in advance. They were not picketing to have money “dumped” into the USPS coffers, they want to relax the mandate for the pre-funding.