Monday, October 10, 2011

Please Mr. Postman, Look and See, If There's a Six-Pack in Your Bag For Me

President Obama thinks beer and wine are just the thing to help the U.S. Postal Service with its financial problems.

The "President's Plan for USPS Reform" includes "acceptance of beer and wine in the mail," according to a recent presentation by Postmaster General Pat Donahoe. Current law prohibits shipping alcoholic beverages by mail.

The Obama Administration may also have altered its USPS plan in a way that would definitely give mailers a hangover, the Donahoe presentation indicated. The Administration announced last month that it would propose "a modest one-time increase in postage rates." (See Obama Supports Postage Increase: Is He Dissing the Print Industry?).

But Donahoe's description was a bit different: "Give USPS ability to raise postage rates above current price cap." Have "one-time" or "modest" been dropped from the plan?

The beer-and-wine language is also a bit mysterious: "Allow USPS to increase collaboration w/ state and local governments; e.g. non-postal products, acceptance of beer and wine in the mail." With many states having tight controls and hefty taxes on beer and wine, it's not clear how enabling the Postal Service to deliver such products would constitute collaboration rather than competition.

Perhaps the states will enjoy a spike in their liquor-tax revenues when mailers are notified of the new postal rates.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The majority of the alcohol wouldn't make it to it's destination,it would be stolen and drank on the job by postal workers!

Anonymous said...

I'll drink to that!

Jason Nota said...

Do you think I would risk losing what I support my family with for a six pack of beer or a bottle of wine? Maybe you would since you think others would do the same. I think that it is a great idea because I have been part of one of those beer-of-the-month clubs and the price FedEx and UPS charge for shipping is unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

I'll drink to that also, can you blame us? Try working for the USPS, pay is good, but the bull we put up with.......give me a drink!

Anonymous said...

From the start of the Obama Administration with his public comments on how well UPS and FedEx are doing compared to the USPS, it was quite clear that the President and/or all of his advisers knew absolutely nothing about USPS operations or it's business model...and his latest "suggestions" on how to "fix" the Postal mess continue that low level of cognisense.
It is now a full blown catastrophe with the imminent end of the Postal Service as Americans know it, with a Congress paralyzed by Republicans in the House and Senate TOTALLY UNABLE TO RESOLVE MATTERS with the USPS stuck into the PILE OF CARCASSES referred to as "DEFICIT REDUCTION".
This country is doomed by an electorate that has placed MORONS in Congress who cannot govern.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure the supervisors would steal them, and then give the craft employee an investigative interview, then a l.o.r. professional thieves and liars they are!!

Anonymous said...

Shame on all you USPS workers that DISS the company that supports you and your families. No job is perfect, but you still have yours...right. We need to support everything that will make us stay in business. That includes raising postal rates, shipping alcohol, and what ever else we can do. Don't be haters!

Anonymous said...

There is no way I would risk losing my job, currently the only source of income for my family, for something as petty as stealing. If delivering alcohol will make more money for the company then that's what I'll deliver. Also, there is nothing wrong with going to 5 day delivery. As many offices as there are closing on Saturday would safe a ton of money....literally. Costs to operate the buildings, plus the cost to pay the carriers, as well as clerks. If one day would help save costs, but we would be able to keep our jobs then so be it.