Post Office Follies

The postal unions have layoff protections. WTF!? How in the hell do you run a business....Oh yeah.

Of course the unions are all against losing their collective bargaining benefit (not a right). And they seem to be upset that the postal service wants to be actually solvent. No surprises there.

I'd say the should cut back to 3 delivery days a week with weekend service centers. They can spread the delivery personnel to multiple routes spread to different days and keep them full time while reducing overall personnel required. Processing facilities would still require a higher level of manning, but that would even see reductions.

Insurance cuts/realignments would be wise, especially if they believe they can do it. Retirement funds would be the same, though you can't get around funding retirements in real time. No ponzi schemes with someone's benefits.

A little message to the unions, Welcome to the world the rest of us live in.

Doctors, Guns, and Laws

Pretty moronic law, and an even more stupid response from the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Calling the law "an unprecedented intrusion into the patient-physician relationship," the authors write in the Journal of the American Medical Association that Florida set a dangerous precedent.

First, the law is a reaction to doctors making an unnecessary intrusion into patients lives. From personal experience a majority of doctors don't have a clue about firearms usage or the statistical risks associated with ownership. If they are querying about risky behavior, why don't they ask if you own a pool or a bath tub or ride motorcycles or sports cars? Behavior with risks come in multiple forms and asking just about firearm ownership is of no value unless you are asking about all risky behavior. Statistically gun ownership isn't nearly as hazardous as most of those things listed.

Of course, if you are a gun owner you should already know not to tell a doctor anything about your ownership and you should have made it clear to family that this is not a discussion to have with anyone beyond the immediate family.

Personally I've never been asked. But I do know that I will probably lie if I am asked and will probably cop an attitude if that is all they ask about.