This isn’t really about government being bad at mail or private companies being good at it. It’s about politicians putting a thumb on the scale against USPS for decades so they could turn around and say see, look how bad they are, we should privatize. USPS is required to deliver to every address in the country at the same price, something no private carrier would ever agree to, and Congress has also blocked it from expanding into new lines of business to make up the difference. Then came the poison pill: a 2006 law forcing them to prefund retiree health care decades into the future, about $5.5 billion a year, which no other agency or company had to do. That alone killed any chance at profitability until Congress finally repealed it in 2022. Then DeJoy started removing sorting machines in 2020 and mail slowed down everywhere. And when he rolled out his big network overhaul in 2024 we saw packages just sitting in Atlanta for days after the new processing center there opened. It’s like hitting Nancy Kerrigan in the knee and then pointing at her and saying wow, what a terrible skater.
But federal employees get good pay, medical benefits, and a pension. How much do you think those benefits and pension cost? Why should my taxes be paying for Cadillac benefits that people doing the same job in the private sector don’t get? Who the hell gets a pension in 2026 that doesn’t work for the government? How is that reasonable? You think all that isn’t making your mail much more expensive? If Amazon gave all of their employees full medical and a pension, your socks would cost $400.
the USPS doesn’t receive any taxpayer funding though, it’s funded through postage/shipping. as @stammig said it’s the 2006 law that forced the USPS to prefund healthcare decades in advance + the tragedy that is the current postmaster (removing sorting machines, ‘redoing logistics’ that resulted in packages sitting in sorting centers) is what made the USPS stagnate into inefficiency
pensions are also just deferred pay, most workers get it in lieu of a higher wage, either by paying into it out of their paycheck or intentionally having a lower salary. it used to be very normal in the private-sector too until companies realized they could save money by putting everyone on 401ks
also imo everyone working jobs like this should be entitled to good pay, benefits, and a pension, if we can’t have same day delivery without abusing labor maybe we shouldn’t have same day delivery..
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I want to make it clear that I am totally NOT defending Amazon’s behavior regarding it’s employees.
So when an agency “loses” 10 billion dollars in a year, what do you think that means? They don’t pay people with “lost” money. They have to give them REAL money! Where does that come from? And also, everyone everywhere should have great pay and benefits, but again, $800 pizza.
How much does the military lose every year?
The government has to run a military. It does NOT have to run a postal service. Every agency the government runs is inefficient and behind the curve. So it always was, is, and ever shall be. THAT is why they should have their grubby paws into as little as possible.
americans are so dumb. its a federal service. it doesnt “lose” money thats the cost of providing the service. open the schools
a lot of hyperbole here..
USPS’s own earnings report breaks down the $9b loss number into about $3b in real running cost, the rest goes to worker’s comp adjustments/pension payments (most of which still goes to CSRS which hasn’t been accepting new employees since like 1980 something)
also once again.. no private company will deliver to every address in the country at one price, that is literally the job of the USPS, not a sign of inefficiency
We closed all the schools in 2016, sadly
Wherever it “goes”, it’s still gone. And I think you are making an assumption about what private companies will or won’t do. All sorts of industries subsidize things in one place or another to provide a more consistent price all around.
i lose 200 dollars every time i go to the grocery store. this makes no sense, i should hire a ceo for 26 million a year to solve this inefficiency.
I’m spending my Friday night arguing about the post office on a yoyo forum! How cool is that? Man, I need to get out more!
obviously the corporations treat people fairly..
…clearly…
meanwhile basically every large scale company engages in union-busting, price-gouging, tax avoidance through complex shell company structures, political lobbying to influence regulators, handing executives millions in bonuses while workers are told ‘we dont have the budget for a raise’
and THEN they’ll ask for bailouts when things go south..
which are all practices of corporations with the best interests at heart for their workers 
That is correct. It all sucks! But if you are asserting that USPS does NOT suck, I think you are wrong. And it is not the fault of the “current administration” that it DOES suck.
Anyone defending corporations in 2026 needs to quit huffing the Musk
if elon and associated corporations paid their fair share of taxes we could literally fund the entirety of the USPS
My point is its a drop in the bucket for a very useful service… The Iran conflict alone has directly cost many times more than what USPS apparently costs you in a year. Why would that be your first choice to look at trimming the fat?
It’s not his fault the post office sucks, either.