Be wary of talk about privatizing the post office. 'A recent default by the U.S. Postal Service has revived talk about privatizing the post office, but the U.S. mail hasn't come close to outliving its usefulness.' The Constitution,
Article I, Section 8, gives the federal government responsibility for postal service. 'Yet, in some quarters, talk of privatizing the post office never seems to ebb. That talk is experiencing another surge just now, because the U.S. Postal Service is in the process of defaulting on a payment of more than $5 billion owed to the Treasury.'
[more inside]
posted by VikingSword
on Aug 8, 2012 -
96 comments
As he travels the highways of America, courthouselover stops in every county and parish along the way to snap
a photo of its courthouse. "From the Prairie-style courthouses in the Dakotas to the antebellum beauties of Alabama, and from the Romanesque masterpieces of Central Texas and Indiana to the Mission style structures of New Mexico, they are all national treasures."
[more inside]
posted by SpringAquifer
on Apr 17, 2011 -
33 comments
Ever Try Getting Wine Shipped in the U.S.? Looks like Montana had set up a "wine connoisseur" rule that allowed for some shipping into the state if you filled out some paperwork, blah blah blah. PAIN!
As someone who enjoys a good wine and wanted to order a bunch of it earlier in '02 when I was in Sonoma, CA and have it shipped home, only to be crushed when I couldn't have it done, I'm looking for a way to get this to work.
Anyone else come across these various laws? Anyone else live in a state where they CAN get wine shipped in to them? 13 states allow reciprocal shipping from other partner states, and 14 others have some strict rules about it. Will opening these rules up allow minors an easy way to get alcohol?
Some great links at the bottom of the article, too.
posted by djspicerack
on Nov 26, 2002 -
30 comments
Two sworn enemies that have been battling for a hundred years, each with their own agenda. Neither side has the moral high ground, and you would think that one side would know better than to use the tactics they do. Another mid-east post? Nope. Mail-carriers versus dogs.
posted by machaus
on Apr 21, 2002 -
10 comments
YES! You can help save the US Postal Service! With the USPS raising rates every month, it seems, and continuing to run with a $2 billion deficit, it's beginning to look like this quasi-public agency is going to lose the battle to those other overnight delivery companies. But since there are some people who can't afford the luxury of email or the high prices of FedEx, there must be something the common man can do to help keep Ben Franklin's baby afloat. There is!
via Pigs & Fishes
posted by crunchland
on May 17, 2001 -
10 comments
Had this idea about a year ago over beer, when netthings were a-cookin', fleshed it out with some geek-comrades, pitched it under an NDA to a VC, got the green light, and then chickened out and went back to the day job. Once you really thought it through and calculated the wired populace as a percentage of the unwired, we figured, the idea was fabulous, a service to The People
and a MoneyMaker. Now
someone else seems to have had the same idea, more or less. I wish them luck. If it takes off, I'm gonna feel mighty dumb, and if it tanks, mighty lucky.
Now I can finally ask the MeFi jury...Silly thing or smart?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken
on Jan 31, 2001 -
17 comments
Post Office expedites delivery of military ballots . "...such a procedure cannot be done with civilian overseas absentee ballots because they arrive at numerous air mail centers throughout the country, not just in Florida."
How can this be fair? Republicans have been smugly contending that the military vote will seal the election for them, while the Democrats are hoping for votes from Floridians in Israel. I smell a conspiracy.
posted by hit-or-miss
on Nov 14, 2000 -
0 comments
