Our Post Office is becoming a store holding an inventory of

[yy4me]

goods not necessary to the delivery of mail. Do we really need stuffed animals, colored wrapping paper, and countless other things available for sale in the lobby? How many millions of dollars are tied up in this waste of money? One whole side of our local facility is filled with goodies that I'm sure sit there for years. I have yet to see anyone buy one thing displayed in the shelves and cases. I thought the Post Office was meant to deliver mail, not act as a department store. This is, in my mind, another waste of our taxpayer dollars. Who was the genius that decided that the sale of these goodies was a function of the US Postal Service?

[bryant69]

1. I have to admit it was my idea. I thought people would like it

I'm sorry.

Actually presumably the idea is that by selling additional products they can keep the prices of postage down. Selling products isn't a waste of money unless nobody is actually buying. The fact that you haven't seen people buying doesn't mean for sure that nobody is buying. Anywhere.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[soothsayer]

2. How is it a waste of your tax dollars? First, the USPS is self-funded, and in fact

GIVES money back to Congress all the time. You pay a stamp tax, essentially, but they also expanded into other money making ventures. What's your beef?

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. Most people believe it's 100% taxpayer supported

A few years ago when I was making daily trips for hubby's ebay deliveries (lol!), I was surprised to learn that is not the case. :)

But, it's obvious that they've had some 'marketing consultants' for quite a while. Toys that grandma's going to purchase on a whim for the grandkids are just the latest gimmick. Before too long, they're going to be hosting DYI Mail Clinics and Love Letters for Singles Workshops.

[yy4me]

7. My beef is not with the Post Office but with the fact that they now

sell all this junk from the lobby. In the process, the time of the clerks is used in non-mail related functions. Our post office is small and always has a long line for service. The area used for these trinkets can be used for better purposes such as another window. The workers have enough to do instead of selling Beanie-Babies. Maybe I'm just cranky in my old age.

[SLadd]

3. I work at aPost Office and agree

It's ridiculous to see stuffed piggies and plastic knick-knacks littering the lobby and window-service area. It's junk and has nothing to do with the mail. It's not cute, and sure not lucrative. Plus, there are boxes of this crap back in the office, on the floor for us to trip over, and move around. Here's the deal: the postal board of governors and big-money mailers are pushing hard right now to privatize the Postal Service, first by turning offices into department stores, but more insidiously, by contracting-out craft work. If you really want to do something vital toward keeping universal delivery service of the mail, contact your representatives and tell them "No Outsourcing of postal jobs!"

[aikoaiko]

5. Because in the US businesses are permitted to sell things (within the law) to make $$$.

What taxpayer money are you speaking of?

[msongs]

6. gives ya something to look at while putting up with the poor customer service nt