Originally Posted by
misskaz
Source
I read elsewhere that the pension fund pre-payment requirements are well above what is typically needed, essentially requiring the USPS to pay into their pension fund for people that don't even work there yet. Some of the more conspiracy-minded think this is an intentional effort by the GOP that despises the idea of anything government related providing a service and doing so successfully. I'm not sure if that's the case or not.
Which is not to say that it doesn't face challenges as a result of the internet age and competition from other providers. Personally, I am ok with taxpayers funding a service that, or example, the poor and/or rural citizens of this country would otherwise not get. I don't think it would be cool to tell people in rural areas "tough ****, it's not profitable to mail letters for $.42 for you so you get to pay FedEx $10." But I'm a goddamned liberal, so.
Funding for retirement benefits are legitimate expenses for any business that provides for retirement benefits. They are not "prepayments" but are current costs of future benefits provided to employees providing a service now.
Interesting that you claim that those payments are above and beyond what is need or for future employees. I am not aware of that. Something to look into.
While asking $10 per letter may not be reasonable there is some number that would be reasonable and provide enough revenue to cover costs. There also could be much more done to cut services (reasonably) and overhead and just generally run more efficiently.
But since they have access to unlimited taxpayer funding and cutting services and overhead is politically unpopular we have the mess that is now the USPS.