Obama Lies on Single-Payer, Disses Post Office

[doublehelix]

This is a rant from UN-DH.
I'm just going to chime in here and say if you had to deal with my local post office and the postal workers within on a regular basis, you'd empathize with a little criticism thrown their way. Almost every time I had to deal with my local PO, I leave wanting to throttle someone. It's dirty, barely stocked with supplies, not to mention the surly employees with a bad attitude. Then there's the regular losing of mail, and things mis-delivered on a weekly basis. They really need to get their act together. I often send things via FedEx or UPS, and DHL was a good option for receiving things (they blew away the PO each time, with friendly drivers and super prompt deliveries).

I am not the only one who feels like this - there is a whole other online community in which this issue of our crap PO comes up and there so.many.posts filled with the frustration felt by the community about this f#@& post office! Grrrr.... :x :x :x :x
/RANT

Signed,
UN-DH

 

[10_stone_5]

Agreed; they are not responsible for the sheer costs ALONE......they are just part of the particularly convoluted problem. But the huge CEO salaries, billing bureaucracy, underwriting, advertising, and shareholder dividends of the private insurers are probably the most wasteful part of our dysfunctional health care delivery system. That's why Medicare, with all it's faults, can function with a 3% overhead, while private insurance providers can't do it for less than 10%.....and in some cases, as much as 25% overhead. Billions of dollars are being skimmed off premiums to pay for these things, money that could otherwise go to providing health care services.

There's a lot there, but I'll just tackle the "skimming" issue.
You can't just "skim" cash -- if you do, you'll go to jail.
Just ask any Mob guy.

 

[crazyeddie]

This is a rant from UN-DH.
I'm just going to chime in here and say if you had to deal with my local post office and the postal workers within on a regular basis, you'd empathize with a little criticism thrown their way.

I think it varies a lot from station to station. In the post office in the neighborhood I used to live in, the employees all looked and acted like they hated their jobs.....slovenly and surly. I was always waiting for one of them to "go postal" and shoot me with an Uzi. In my new neighborhood post office, they are a delight to do business with: cheerful and helpful, and they seem to take pride in their work.

 

[crazyeddie]

There's a lot there, but I'll just tackle the "skimming" issue.
You can't just "skim" cash -- if you do, you'll go to jail.
Just ask any Mob guy.

I meant that in the figurative sense, of course.

 

[doublehelix]

I think it varies a lot from station to station. In the post office in the neighborhood I used to live in, the employees all looked and acted like they hated their jobs.....slovenly and surly. I was always waiting for one of them to "go postal" and shoot me with an Uzi. In my new neighborhood post office, they are a delight to do business with: cheerful and helpful, and they seem to take pride in their work.

Well, I hope you are right, eddie. I am glad you have a PO now that provides a better experience and service. No one, and I mean NO ONE, should have to deal with the incompetence displayed at my PO. The lost mail is particularly worrisome, sigh.

 

[brandbll]

This is a rant from UN-DH.
I'm just going to chime in here and say if you had to deal with my local post office and the postal workers within on a regular basis, you'd empathize with a little criticism thrown their way.

I think it varies a lot from station to station. In the post office in the neighborhood I used to live in, the employees all looked and acted like they hated their jobs.....slovenly and surly. I was always waiting for one of them to "go postal" and shoot me with an Uzi. In my new neighborhood post office, they are a delight to do business with: cheerful and helpful, and they seem to take pride in their work.

All of the dogs(including mine) on my street got mysteriously poisoned by some sick a-hole douchebag and the postal delivery man was our main suspect. He'd walk by the house sometimes and the dog would bark at him and he'd just start yelling, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I delivered a monthly newspaper to over 3,000 houses once a month for about 5 years; i been barked at and attacked by dogs just like any mailman would be subjected to(only not to the same extent), and this guy doing this made him look certifiably whacko! I just thank god he's not around ever since we got our new dog a couple years ago...

 

[R1]

This is a rant from UN-DH.
I'm just going to chime in here and say if you had to deal with my local post office and the postal workers within on a regular basis, you'd empathize with a little criticism thrown their way.

I think it varies a lot from station to station. In the post office in the neighborhood I used to live in, the employees all looked and acted like they hated their jobs.....slovenly and surly. I was always waiting for one of them to "go postal" and shoot me with an Uzi. In my new neighborhood post office, they are a delight to do business with: cheerful and helpful, and they seem to take pride in their work.

I agree with crazyeddie, every post office I've been to, and especially my local one, is outstanding and professional. During the
republican administrations I do recall having a letter accidentally placed in my neighbor box on rare occasions. Even so, they were not
lost and still, the customer relations staff are all highly professional, friendly, and I rate them excellent. It's the same with DHL, UPS, and
FedEx, though, they're all nice and try to keep things cost effective and without ripping off consumers.

Many thanks to the USPS.

 

[10_stone_5]

That's why Medicare, with all it's faults, can function with a 3% overhead, while private insurance providers can't do it for less than 10%.....and in some cases, as much as 25% overhead. Billions of dollars are being skimmed off premiums to pay for these things, money that could otherwise go to providing health care services.

This, actually, isn't far off.

In 2007, according to CMS, Medicare had operating costs of just under $5B and Total Medicare Program of just over $400B. So that's a little over 1% for overhead.

United Healthcare, on the other hand, had operating expenses of just over $10B on revenues of just over $70B.
So that's about 15% for overhead.

Off course Medicare, like a lot of government agencies, offloaded a lot there administrative duties to 3rd parties.
So ... you be the judge.