NationStates Jolt Archive

I've heard about this, but now have confirmed it. In my quest for finding the cost to mail a letter to Jolt, complaining about these bloody warps, I decided to see what the recirpocal (mailing from the UK to the US) is.

US-Domestic: 39¢=20p
US-to UK: 84¢=43p
UK-Domestic: 32p=62¢
UK-to US: 72p=$1.39

On the other hand, UK Domestic goes up to 100g or ~4oz. The cost here is $1.11 or 57p.

We have cheap everything...petrol/gas, mail, etc. And then they want to lower our taxes. What will we do with all this extra money? :confused: Wtf is up with that?

Does anyone still use mail a significant amout? I, personally, like the idea of mail, but rarely use it.

Thu Royal Mail also has this interesting thing called Second-class mail, which is overall slower, but cheaper. Why don't we have that?

I use the US mail a good bit, largely because most journals don't accept email submissions yet, and it drives me nuts to hear people bitch about the USPS. The amount of mail they process, the efficiency with which they do it, and the amount they charge for it is incredible, and all with no government subsidy. It's one of the very few government agencies that turns a profit most years, all while paying very good wages to their employees (not as good as in the old days, but still good).

I still think 39 cents is excessive. It adds up pretty quick.

I miss the USPS. Don't get me wrong, JapanPost is effecent and (normally) nice to work with; not to mention willing to put up with me. But it costs 80 yen to mail a letter domestically and 110 to send a letter back home. Packages are just down right expensive too.

I still think 39 cents is excessive. It adds up pretty quick.

Privatize it. Then you'll see expensive. The post office just has to break even--a corporate postal service would have to show increasing profits quarter over quarter.

Privatize it. Then you'll see expensive. The post office just has to break even--a corporate postal service would have to show increasing profits quarter over quarter.

Oh but you see, because it's the government, they have no incentive to be efficient, and a private company does, so a private company can do it better, BECAUSE they have a profit incentive.

Isn't that the line the privatization junkies claim?

Oh but you see, because it's the government, they have no incentive to be efficient, and a private company does, so a private company can do it better, BECAUSE they have a profit incentive.

Isn't that the line the privatization junkies claim?

Efficient=/=cheap.

I use the US mail a good bit, largely because most journals don't accept email submissions yet, and it drives me nuts to hear people bitch about the USPS. The amount of mail they process, the efficiency with which they do it, and the amount they charge for it is incredible, and all with no government subsidy. It's one of the very few government agencies that turns a profit most years, all while paying very good wages to their employees (not as good as in the old days, but still good).

I've heard they hadn't made a profit for like 20 years and this just changed.

I still think 39 cents is excessive. It adds up pretty quick.

They shoulda made it 40 cents, which is nice and even. It also gives them a bit more time. They are increasing it again within a year to 41 or 42. Just increase it to bloody 50 and they can keep it like that for a decade. :) Plus the nice superevenness of it.

I use the US mail a good bit, largely because most journals don't accept email submissions yet, and it drives me nuts to hear people bitch about the USPS. The amount of mail they process, the efficiency with which they do it, and the amount they charge for it is incredible, and all with no government subsidy. It's one of the very few government agencies that turns a profit most years, all while paying very good wages to their employees (not as good as in the old days, but still good).

They're pretty damn good for regular mail, but there's no way in hell I'd ever send a package through them. I've lost enough things that way to ever consider doing it again, and it wasn't cheap either (a new cell phone was the last straw).

Privatize it. Then you'll see expensive. The post office just has to break even--a corporate postal service would have to show increasing profits quarter over quarter.

I kinda doubt that the recent increases from (if I remember right) 27 to 39 cents reflect either inflation or increased operation costs. I don't think we ever got an adequate explaination there.

I've heard they hadn't made a profit for like 20 years and this just changed.

Basically the way it works is that when there's a hike in rates, that's because they're not running a profit anymore. I only know all this stuff because my g/f's dad is a letter carrier and has been for about 30 years. Don't ever get him started on the way Reagan fucked the letter carriers.

Privatize it. Then you'll see expensive. The post office just has to break even--a corporate postal service would have to show increasing profits quarter over quarter.

But we already have that in the form of FedEx, UPS, and DHL, and in all honesty they're way better than the Post Office when it comes to package delivery.

Basically the way it works is that when there's a hike in rates, that's because they're not running a profit anymore. I only know all this stuff because my g/f's dad is a letter carrier and has been for about 30 years. Don't ever get him started on the way Reagan fucked the letter carriers.

To be fair, though, the real cost of a stamp has been constant since the early 1970's. Those rate hikes haven't increased the real operating income of the PO significantly...they're just doing it to keep breaking even.

But we already have that in the form of FedEx, UPS, and DHL, and in all honesty they're way better than the Post Office when it comes to package delivery.
They are way more expensive and only do package delivery in limited service areas. The post office goes everywhere.

They are way more expensive and they don't do mail They only do package delivery and only in limited service areas. The post office goes everywhere.

Generally, I only use them if it's important. For regular mail, the PO rules.

The amount of mail they process, the efficiency with which they do it, and the amount they charge for it is incredible, and all with no government subsidy.


The USPS receives 96 million dollars per year from taxpayers (admittedly, a fraction of their operating costs, and a drop in our budget bucket). Before 1970, they were a full-fledged taxpayer supported entity.

The USPS does get some taxpayer support. Around $96 million is budgeted annually by Congress for the "Postal Service Fund." These funds are used to compensate USPS for postage-free mailing for all legally blind persons and for mail-in election ballots sent from US citizens living overseas. A portion of the funds also pays USPS for providing address information to state and local child support enforcement agencies, and for keeping some rural posts offices in operation. (http://usgovinfo.about.com/blpostalservice.htm)

The USPS receives 96 million dollars per year from taxpayers (admittedly, a fraction of their operating costs, and a drop in our budget bucket). Before 1970, they were a full-fledged taxpayer supported entity.

The USPS does get some taxpayer support. Around $96 million is budgeted annually by Congress for the "Postal Service Fund." These funds are used to compensate USPS for postage-free mailing for all legally blind persons and for mail-in election ballots sent from US citizens living overseas. A portion of the funds also pays USPS for providing address information to state and local child support enforcement agencies, and for keeping some rural posts offices in operation. (http://usgovinfo.about.com/blpostalservice.htm)
I stand corrected, but I still feel good about the performance of the USPS. :)

They are way more expensive and only do package delivery in limited service areas. The post office goes everywhere.

Interestingly enough, many of the major package carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) sub-contract the USPS to deliver their packages, especially in rural route areas.

Interestingly enough, many of the major package carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) sub-contract the USPS to deliver their packages, especially in rural route areas.

And they do that because there's no money in going to remote areas. My brother-in-law used to live in Red River NM, which is about 40 minutes from Taos. Couldn't get anything delivered to his home unless he used the USPS, which had a post office a few blocks from his home. It's a ski resort. UPS laughed at him when he asked about pick up and delivery--they weren't going any farther than Taos. Those are the kinds of places that require government services because without them, those people would never get served--there's not enough money in it for corporations.

We have cheap everything...petrol/gas, mail, etc. And then they want to lower our taxes. What will we do with all this extra money? :confused: Wtf is up with that? Lol. :p

And yeah, your postal service is cheap. Really cheap. You suck. *mopes*

Does anyone still use mail a significant amout?Not exactly for personal, handwritten letters, no, but I buy a lot of things online, so of course that's all done by mail. I also sell & buy stuff on eBay, including to and from abroad, so I'm painfully aware of the prices here and the prices in other countries. *grumble*

They are way more expensive and only do package delivery in limited service areas. The post office goes everywhere.
They're also easier to contact to get that missed package. I don't know how many times I've had to argue with UPS over getting the thing I just bought. UPS seems to be of the opinion that everyone can take a day off to wait for the van that MIGHT show up sometime between 9 am and 3 pm.

but I buy a lot of things online, so of course that's all done by mail. I also sell & buy stuff on eBay, including to and from abroad, so I'm painfully aware of the prices here and the prices in other countries. *grumble*That's what I use the Postal Service for too. It's very nice!

And they do that because there's no money in going to remote areas. My brother-in-law used to live in Red River NM, which is about 40 minutes from Taos. Couldn't get anything delivered to his home unless he used the USPS, which had a post office a few blocks from his home. It's a ski resort. UPS laughed at him when he asked about pick up and delivery--they weren't going any farther than Taos. Those are the kinds of places that require government services because without them, those people would never get served--there's not enough money in it for corporations.

even in small towns that get ups delivery, ups is a pain in the ass. if im not "home" (the house in town that i no longer live in) they cant deliver many packages. i have to wait until after 4 when the local office opens and get it then. with fedex, i have to drive 75 miles to the facility in albuquerque to pick it up. with the post office, i do have to wait until the carrier is done with his route but the post office is always open.

same for sending things out.

I miss the USPS. Don't get me wrong, JapanPost is effecent and (normally) nice to work with; not to mention willing to put up with me. But it costs 80 yen to mail a letter domestically and 110 to send a letter back home. Packages are just down right expensive too.
I just converted that and now I'm even more grumpy.

80 yen equals 0.51 € (isn't there a decent way to write "51 cents" but make it clear that you mean €?) - in Germany, the minimum for a domestic letter is 0.55 €. (0.77 $US)

110 yen equals 0.71€ - the minimum for a letter from Germany to the US is 1.70 € (!).
That's 263 Yen or 2.25 $US.


Hrmph. :mad:

the minimum for a letter from Germany to the US

awww, were you sending me a letter?

awww, were you sending me a letter?And spend 2.25€ on you? Do I look crazy to you?

Don't answer her, it's a trap!

nooooooo! *flees*

and seriously, the price of a letter to the us went from 2.25 dollars to 2.25 euros in a matter of about 15 minutes?

That's a hell of an inflation problem you guys got going over there.

And spend 2.25€ on you? Do I look crazy to you?

Don't answer her, it's a trap!

Don't answer her, it's a trap!You could only wish all traps were that obvious even to men. ;)

and seriously, the price of a letter to the us went from 2.25 dollars to 2.25 euros in a matter of about 15 minutes?

That's a hell of an inflation problem you guys got going over there.
You have no idea.

<.<

The USPS receives 96 million dollars per year from taxpayers (admittedly, a fraction of their operating costs, and a drop in our budget bucket). Before 1970, they were a full-fledged taxpayer supported entity.

The USPS does get some taxpayer support. Around $96 million is budgeted annually by Congress for the "Postal Service Fund." These funds are used to compensate USPS for postage-free mailing for all legally blind persons and for mail-in election ballots sent from US citizens living overseas. A portion of the funds also pays USPS for providing address information to state and local child support enforcement agencies, and for keeping some rural posts offices in operation. (http://usgovinfo.about.com/blpostalservice.htm)

For the size and capacity of the USPS, I am honestly surprised they don't have to alot more, honestly. And looking at what that money is actually used for, it really does seem that the USPS is more or less self-sufficient, only really needing the money for a few specific reasons.

American mail is cheap *nods* (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5463194370273222085&q=police+shot+with+an+arrow&hl=en) Nowhere near is effective as good, old fashioned, European mail.

American mail is cheap *nods* (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5463194370273222085&q=police+shot+with+an+arrow&hl=en) Nowhere near is effective as good, old fashioned, European mail.
Oh boy, it took me forever to get why you linked that. Punny. :rolleyes: :p

I'
They shoulda made it 40 cents, which is nice and even. It also gives them a bit more time. They are increasing it again within a year to 41 or 42. Just increase it to bloody 50 and they can keep it like that for a decade. :) Plus the nice superevenness of it.

Superevenness is a word I want to use now.


you may have an extra 50 points and a gold star to take home.

I have nothing but praise for the USPS. It is the one government service that I can say I am impressed with. They get it right 99% of the time. I have used UPS and can say for the cost they did not compare with the USPS.