Monday, August 24, 2009

How much is $7 billion

We need to brace ourselves for a $7 billion loss for this fiscal year.
That's a lot of stamps!

But, if you are like me, $7 billion is a little much to comprehend. My wallet only holds about $20. Mrs. Franklin and my little cherubs seem to pilfer any extra I have. I've seen $1,000 once for a about 10 seconds as a I sold a team of horses, a side of beef, and 42 pigs to a another farmer -- only to have my banker take the proceeds for a bad -- ahem -- debt I had. (I should have known he had three aces!)

But $7 billion for the Postal Service means we are losing:
  • $19 million per day
  • $810,000 per hour
  • $13,500 per minute
  • $225.00 per second!
What do you think about these losses? Can we bounce back? Comment here.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is no way in he** that we can make up for all of this debt with the attitude of most of the clerks and carriers that I know. They think it is a joke and won't even try to make anything happen, They stand around on overtime, they continually ask for overtime even though they don't need it. Supervisors don't even know what they are doing etc. So we will be lucky to make it another year.

Anonymous said...

Wonder how losses are figured ?
Who?
Where?
How?
Details ?
Free boxes ?
Last count:
Hudson Station rural carriers/
Modesto, Ca. each lost $1000's of dollars a year; plus now work 6 days a week on routes that have always been 2 days off weekly.
Go fgure that and multiply
times 40 something routes.
Who got that money...
...that each person forfeited ?

Anonymous said...

Let me go without penalty. Give me 5 years towards age/service. Thousands will leave. Good for the Service in the long run. I am a CSRS clerk and I know my limitations. Let the young stuff take over.

Anonymous said...

The unions need to step up and abandon the "us against them" attitude that they have had forever. They need to work WITH managment and put the best interests of the Postal Service first for once, or they're not going to have jobs to fight for!!

Anonymous said...

When the figures are put that way it's mind-boggling. We need to ensure Congress and the public realizes this and also realizes that we don't get tax support and what needs to be done to stop the losses before it's too late. According to some accounts everyone agrees we may need to close or consolidate some offices but when we try to do that, the public has a fit and then their Congressional delegates get involved. Well, if Congress isn't helping us they should keep out of the decisions. And if the public wants us to stay in their towns, they should use our services. As for employees, yes there are some who don't take this seriously and abuse their jobs. There are also lots of good, hard-working employees. Maybe the employees themselves can "police" the slackers better than supervisors and get them do the right thing. I think the next contract negotiations are going to be unlike any we've ever seen but if all sides really concentrate on what needs to be done to survive and comes up with a plan that provides incentives for good performers and penalizes the really poor workers we can stay alive. We also need to get rid of the too numerous admin positions that only create paperwork and reports so the employees who deliver, sort and process the mail can do their jobs. I firmly believe if most people are treated like adults and left to do their jobs they will do them and do them well.

D.B., SCS said...

There are many ways to cut costs that haven't even been touched on yet, mostly because they are local costs and not national. Every PO can do it's own part to reduce expenditures and eliminate wasteful practices.
In addition, the USPS has just offered all clerks and mail-handlers a $15,000 incentive bonus to leave. A cheaper alternative would be to credit the military time of our veterans to make them eligible for a regular or early retirement. Offer to buy back 5, 10, or 15 years of military service on the condition of accepting retirement. I, for one, would take that offer and it would only cost the USPS $4000.

Anonymous said...

One must remember that the projected loss is from a dollar amount the USPS hoped to make for the fiscal year. From MPG Potter's own letter of Aug, 19, 2009, he states, "If we did not have to make these advance contributions --...the Postal Service would have had a net profit throughout the recession." Therefore, the loss is not as large as the USPS is reporting. The new Business Development Teams are doing a wonderful job in securing new business. Again, we all see the wasteful spending and exorbitant benefits given to upper management. There is more room for cuts before straining the workforce. I work at a P&DC, and manpower has been cut beyond the bear bones.

Anonymous said...

Lets focus on productive workers and all do their part and we be successful as we always have been. Sometimes if we see slackers if they are elderly and trying to make their ends meet, give them a chance. You can't expect a 50 year old work the same way a 20 year old can. So if we see someone taking rest for a while and if they are resting a while give them some empathy but if they do all the time train them good work ethics and beyond.

Anonymous said...

i agree with the comment about let the young ones work and give the old ones the incentive and the sick leave towards retirement.

Anonymous said...

Stuns the mind.....yet as we suggest real cuts in worthless programs.....we are ignored.

Anonymous said...

While the financial numbers don't lie, some of the current cost cutting measures are just playing games with the employees and customers. I agree we need a more efficient organization, but lets go back to the top and trim more of that overhead.

As far as the latest round of incentives, we appraently can do with less clerks and mailhandlers, because the offices are sorting and prepping the mail for them.