Turns out operating in high density areas that turn a good profit and low density areas that don’t is difficult. It’s why UPS and FedEx don’t do it. But it’s what USPS was set up to do.
If I live on a mountain top why should I expect people to haul shit to me for free? Why would you expect them to be charged the same as someone who lives on the corner of Main and State?
Because they aren’t allowed to, because it is considered a public service that should be equally available to all.
> If i live on a mountain top why should I expect people to haul shit to me for free?
Not for free. You pay taxes. And you should expect it because it’s what USPS does.
Now sure, there can be a whole debate about whether or not it should be the way it is, but that’s not what you asked. As per your original post:
> Unless they offer a better service than private industry, they will be a money sink.
It is a better service and it’s a money sink by design: it’s a public service that is funded by taxes. If they didn’t have insane pension obligations they’d be in a much better state financially, but they’ve been kept in a stranglehold over that for many years now:
I literally used the word "should" in the portion of my post that you quoted, but I see you were a little eager for electronic head pats.
There is no reason, in principle, why USPS can't eat up enough of the UPS/FedEx/Amazon market-share to at least stay afloat as a business without having to resort to the business tactics that people are most concerned about. (poor working conditions, anti-competitive behavior, etc.) But they aren't. They are chronically under-performing, and to me that is evidence in of itself that they are not serving their stated purpose right now.
Funding USPS for the rest of the calendar year is, in relative terms, not that expensive -- so, I would find your argument a lot more credible if you were willing to have the discussion about privatizing it in the new year.
It is obvious that I am making a prescriptive argument. I am under no illusions that they are able to enact these policies tomorrow. Their hands are tied by regulations.
You know what might make those regulations go away? Making them hurt a little bit. If it becomes clear that USPS cannot exist as an institution in its current form without being a perpetual sinkhole in which to dump taxpayer dollars directly, then they will have no choice but to adapt or die.
...Or I guess we could just keep throwing money at them and hope they get better because they super duper double pinky swear promised this time.