Obama always seems to make embarrassing errors when he doesn't have a teleprompter. Not sure what point he was intending to make with that quote... [Pointing to How well UPS and FedEx perform versus the US Postal Service proves the point that anything the government touches turns to dirt, rather than proving the intended point that Private companies can compete and do well despite being in competition with the government] ...but it didn't help his side of the argument.
Antonious
Austin, TX
American-Statesman
So you agree with Obama that a public option will not drive away private competition? Remember, for mail delivery, the "public option" was the only one available for a long time, and private companies arose in spite of this.
You think the postal service is dirt? Give me an example.
They enjoy the highest success rate of any government service, reliable delivery of mail and parcels. The fraction of mail delivery problems is almost immeasurable when compared to the massive amount of deliveries it processes, and their efficiency has managed to keep the prices of their services very affordable to all. They have been completely funded without tax dollars, and are only recently started having budget issues because of the decline of regular mail over electronic mail.
How in the world can call this success "dirt"? Again, I think the only reason for the opposition is because the wrong person/party said it.General Postmaster, John Porter said, "As the postal service reaches the final quarter of the fiscal year it is clear that weakness in the overall economy is continuing to have a profound negative effect on our finances."
ColdMockingbird
Montgomery, AL
Advertiser
[Here's an excerpt from an article in the Yakima Republic-Herald http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/08/13/postal-service-needs-to-cut-to-stamp-out-deficit (first one that came up in my quick-search)...
...General Postmaster, John Porter said, "As the postal service reaches the final quarter of the fiscal year it is clear that weakness in the overall economy is continuing to have a profound negative effect on our finances." Porter said, by the end of this fiscal year, which is September 30th, he expects the postal service to be 7-billion dollars in debt...Our ultimate success also depends on a structural change. The biggest element being our ability to move from six-day delivery to five-day delivery,” said Porter...Other ways they’re looking at cutting costs…reducing work hours by 88-million hours...
If the Postal Service weren't already a government-run entity they'd be begging for a bailout. No argument that the quality of the US Mail's delivery service is exemplary. Ironically, that is the same reason why people from around the world -- many from nations with socialized medicine -- come to the USA for the best health care, quality-wise, anywhere. -ED]
I believe it was intended as a joke, that you conservatives always argue that the Post Office is so inefficient, yet are arguing that the efficiency of the health care public insurance option will put private insurance out of business...I think UPS and FedEx are both pretty inefficient themselves. However, all three players (and previously four players if you consider DHL) had very competitive market shares in the shipping business, provide considerable innovation in shipping and supply-chain management.
cKane
Cincinnati, OH Enquirer
[I'm not knocking the US Mail. In fact, I prefer to use them over the privates whenever possible because of the cost factor and the fact that my regular mail delivery service and experiences at local post office have always been very satisfactory.
But the government has not been unable to capitalize on this "goodness" and the USPS is running on a large deficit as a result of poor marketing, wastefulness, politics etc. So again, why would citing this agency make a good example for why government should be involved with health care?
Furthermore, the quality of the actual health care we receive in the USA can be described in the same terms as the goodness of the USPS. So why get government involved when tweaking what we've got is the logical, cost-effective, non-interventional, non-socialistic answer? -ED]
...I wonder how many more times he's gonna step on his whohaa before they tell him to quit ad-libbing & just read what's on the teleprompter or in his notes. That had to be one of the stupidest things he has said so far.
Exposerofmorons
Mansfield, OH
News Journal
[You're an exposer of overexposed morons, to be precise! -ED]
I wish the gov't would just stop wasting our money when it is proved time and time again that private industry can do ANY job faster, cheaper, and better. I would like to get our education system back as well. The Bush Administration doubled the funding for education; there isn't a person in the country, or the world, who can say our children's education is twice as good as it was 8 years ago.
HarleyRoad
Green Bay, WI
PressGazette
Grade point average for the first semester ... a resounding 1.0
deserttrek
Palm Springs, CA
Desert Sun
[Thanks for doing the math, Dez. -ED]
eddo...I always use FedEx to mail my letters, they are ultra efficient and will deliver a letter for far less than the 44 cents the USPS charges...now about that swampland in Florida...
KRidge
Des Moines, IA
Register
If you're using FedEx to deliver letters you must work for the government. They're the only ones I can think of that would waste that kind of money when the rest of us are scraping for the 44 cents. -ED]
Another good blog Ed.
fuguestate
Montgomery, AL
Advertiser
Last week I watched Obama on C-span. It was on the health care reform. When one person asked how it was going to be paid for as his big concern Obama did his spin thing The man said " you didn't answer my question" and then Obama did the same thing avoiding the question. The man kept interrupting his spins then saying that's not what I asked and Obama irritated was quite nasty and said "lets go on to something else" !!! He ended up just walking out on this audience then when others clapped for the man with no answer to his question about how it will be paid for. This is very very concerning to me as he was very mad looking.
Mythinking
St. Cloud, MN
Times
[In honor of the Dear Leader's visit they've re-named it C-SPIN. -ED]
I'd really like to comment on this whole health care debate, but I can't because I have much bias, as I'm not only a part of the machine, I'm part of the socialized health care that serves the military.
What I can say, compared to the rest of the health care system, the military system is far more advanced in record keeping and wellness programs and assessments. Procedures do not require long waiting periods and for routine medical appointments, the system works great. However, it is more focused on younger members of our society, then with the aging population, and is not focused on specialized needs.
The comparison with USPS is valid. The USPS is a successful and efficiently operated federal agency and we should be proud it's success, it does not deserve insult.
FreakyRunningMan
Montgomery, AL
Advertiser
[The military does better than most government-run endeavors because it is built on accountability and takes its members to task when they screw up. But notice how the Dear Leader and fellow socialists never cite the VA. Perhaps because it is not a well-run, un-rationed, immediacy-based health care entity that still provides great service as opposed to, say, the Mayo Clinic, Mass. General or Sloan Kettering?
No, instead it's the USPS vs Fed Ex. What a sick joke!
"Who would you rather have meddling in your personal affairs -- the FBI or a private detective agency?" is an equivalent question to Obama's "Who would you rather have involved in your health care -- the government or an insurance company?" -ED]
Would you really expect anything more from this administration?
Their "cash for clunkers" was a smashing success....except for the fact that it is driving some used car prices up and less than 2% of the dealer's claims are getting paid. The gov can screw ANYTHING up!
wellstoned
St. Cloud, MN
Times
More proof that teleprompter boy is a great reader. Not a great speaker. When he isn't using the teleprompter and reading other people's words, he fumbles and stumbles as evidenced above.
Taxcheatadmin
St. Cloud, MN
Times
Excellent read, except
for the "anything the government touches turns
to dirt" comment. I don't think the USPS is that
bad and has improved greatly with competition,
and the Fed hydro power has been very successful
and beneficial. They have had their share of
failures too...
rainbowed
Great Falls, MT
Tribune
[Perhaps I went a
bit strong on the USPS but I would not have done
so if they weren't mentioned -- ridiculously --
by Obama. I have no issues with the US
Mail but it would probably run as well and turn
a profit if it were being operated by a
private outfit. -ED]
Obama seems to be waving
a white flag with his dropping of the public
option. All it took was a couple tweets from
Sarah Palin to cause the whole house of cards to
begin collapsing. Just think what a great and
powerful leader she will be as President!
geiger
St. Cloud, MN
Times