Why do my hard earned tax dollars support a bike team?



R

Ronde Champ

Guest
Hey,

Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
used. What a Boondoggle!

Thanks,
Ronde Champ
 
On 7 Jul 2004 08:58:13 -0700, Ronde Champ <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hey,
>
> Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> used. What a Boondoggle!
>
> Thanks,
> Ronde Champ


Actually, the US Postal service is entirely run from funds received from
postage. If you don't want your hard earned money to go to the US Postal
team, don't mail anything.

--
Bob in CT
Remove ".x" to reply
 
Ronde Champ wrote:

> I work hard for my money


no you don't, you spend most of the day on r.b.r
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>Hey,
> Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
>work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
>used. What a Boondoggle!


Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business. USPS
wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service, so they sponser
a bicycle racing team. For the money they spend, they get an excellent
return on investment. So they continued to do so until ignorant folks
started to complain.
-------------
Alex
 
"Alex Rodriguez" <[email protected]> wrote in message

>For the money they spend, they get an excellent
> return on investment. So they continued to do so until ignorant folks
> started to complain.


Who do you suppose you are talking to?
 
"Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:eek:[email protected]...
> On 7 Jul 2004 08:58:13 -0700, Ronde Champ <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Hey,
> >
> > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> > work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> > used. What a Boondoggle!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Ronde Champ

>
> Actually, the US Postal service is entirely run from funds received from
> postage. If you don't want your hard earned money to go to the US Postal
> team, don't mail anything.
>
> --
> Bob in CT
> Remove ".x" to reply


Bob, this guy doesn't understand that. He is really not all there. He
spreads so much **** around on this board and for some reason people reply
to him. Best thing to do is put him on ignore.

Curt
 
On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 21:27:58 GMT, curt <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> "Bob in CT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:eek:[email protected]...
>> On 7 Jul 2004 08:58:13 -0700, Ronde Champ <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> > Hey,
>> >
>> > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
>> > work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
>> > used. What a Boondoggle!
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Ronde Champ

>>
>> Actually, the US Postal service is entirely run from funds received from
>> postage. If you don't want your hard earned money to go to the US
>> Postal
>> team, don't mail anything.
>>
>> --
>> Bob in CT
>> Remove ".x" to reply

>
> Bob, this guy doesn't understand that. He is really not all there. He
> spreads so much **** around on this board and for some reason people
> reply
> to him. Best thing to do is put him on ignore.
>
> Curt
>
>


Ahhhh, ok. It's been a while since I came here, because the place is like
the MFW boards -- they eat you alive sometimes, usually over nothing.

--
Bob in CT
Remove ".x" to reply
 
I doubt most of the D3 pro's make enough to be taxed anyway. Sure
they take the taxes out, but you should get that all back. If not,
then you should spend time talking to an accountant and less talking
about all the money you're losing, because technically, just being a
pro bike racer in the U.S. is losing you money.

CH

[email protected] (Ronde Champ) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hey,
>
> Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> used. What a Boondoggle!
>
> Thanks,
> Ronde Champ
 
Bob in CT <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 7 Jul 2004 08:58:13 -0700, Ronde Champ <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Hey,
> >
> > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> > work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> > used. What a Boondoggle!
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Ronde Champ

>
> Actually, the US Postal service is entirely run from funds received from
> postage. If you don't want your hard earned money to go to the US Postal
> team, don't mail anything.


DUDE -- you're being trolled.

Dude...........
 
>Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business. USPS
>wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service


I wonder how you could use the USPS services in Europe??? Each country has it s
own postal services, most of the time a Federal Agency or close, so the
advertisement reason is void for Europe. Works only for USA
 
On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 02:57:30 +0000, Shussbar wrote:

>>Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business. USPS
>>wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service

>
> I wonder how you could use the USPS services in Europe??? Each country
> has it s own postal services, most of the time a Federal Agency or
> close, so the advertisement reason is void for Europe. Works only for
> USA


Maybe that's why USPS is pulling its sponsorship after this year -- they
are guessing that this will be Lance's last, and then, how many Americans
will care about the TdF, when it's between a few European riders, none of
which have LA's marketability quotient?

There is at least one way in which European USPS ads might make sense:
When shipping parcels from Europe to the US, one can choose between
carriers that do the last leg of the trip, actually making the delivery on
this side of the Atlantic. So when you see the Blue Train, maybe you
think, "That's who I want carrying my (products), not that wimpy FedEx...
where's their damn team, anyway?"

As far as how the dollars and cents stack up, who knows? But maybe there
was some profit in wooing this market segment, what with all the commerce
that takes place.

AMG
 
And this post, ladies and gentlemen, beautifully illustrates WHY USPS is not
going to be sponsoring the team anymore.

As for the reason why they did it in the first place, there is a reason. In
1998, USPS was launching a new service, Global Priority Mail, which would
guarantee delivery to most major cities in the world in 3 days. This
service was being launched not only here but overseas, where they sought to
pick up some business currently monopolized by DHL. They felt that
sponsoring a bicycle team that would race around the world would increase
the visibility of the US Postal Service.

It's not a crazy idea, and by the way, it did work. But they feel they've
accomplished as much as they can market-share-wise, plus all the pressure
from groups that think it's a waste of money, and so they decided to pull
the plug.

Other point -- the US Postal Service receives NOT ONE RED CENT of tax
dollars. It fully supports itself via the sale of postage stamps and other
shipping services. It is a corporation, albeit one owned by the US
Government, but does not receive tax money to support its operations --
those are purely financed by its revenues from the sale of stamps and other
delivery fees.

Regards,

Joe Hurley

> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> >Hey,
> > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> >work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> >used. What a Boondoggle!
 
On 7 Jul 2004 08:58:13 -0700, [email protected] (Ronde Champ) wrote:

>Hey,
>
> Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
>work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
>used. What a Boondoggle!
>
>Thanks,
>Ronde Champ



At the risk of being trolled, especially in light of this being my
annual post to rbr, I offer this (which I'm sure many have seen). It
would appear USPS ****ed up yet again. Maybe if they'd kept their
collective noses clean...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Lake Worth Herald, in a July 2003 editorial wrote, "Shouldn’t the
post office be directing its efforts into more efficient mail
delivery, more cost savings within the organization, better ways to
deal with for-profit competitors and leave the heavy duty sponsorships
to private businesses which can properly track the effectiveness of
said campaigns?"

In 2002 the newspapers filed three Freedom of Information (FOIA)
requests with the USPS for expenses of postal executives attending the
Tour de France race in Paris.

The newspapers learned that more than a dozen postal executives spent
tens of thousands of dollars on first class airfare, luxury hotel
suites and in Paris’ finest restaurants.

"On July 3, 2001, then Vice President of Sales Gail Sonnenberg, and
her husband Robert Maddern, manager of post office operations in the
Washington DC metropolitan area, flew to Geneva, one day after the
USPS raised postal rates."

"During less than one month, she expensed nearly $20,000 to the post
office for two roundtrip flights and $1,020 a day hotel charges among
other expenditures," the newspapers reported.

Asked by the Herald/Observers at the time if he paid his own hotel and
expenses while in Europe, Maddern responded, "It’s none of your
business."

http://www.postalwatch.org/news2004/2004_03_24_au_revoir_lance.htm

C.
 
"Alex Rodriguez" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> >Hey,
> > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> >work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> >used. What a Boondoggle!

>
> Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business. USPS
> wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service, so they

sponser
> a bicycle racing team. For the money they spend, they get an excellent
> return on investment. So they continued to do so until ignorant folks
> started to complain.
> -------------
> Alex
>


I would like to see some proof that they are getting bang for their buck in
terms of promotion and advertising. I doubt they are.
 
But USPS does not pay taxes on the building or land it owns as does FedEx
and UPS which is a big business advantage. Even with the monopoly it has,
it cannot make money. Some people should be fired and the postal carriers
union is part of the blame.

Can anyone show proof that sponsoring a bike team increased their market
share?


"Joseph Hurley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> And this post, ladies and gentlemen, beautifully illustrates WHY USPS is

not
> going to be sponsoring the team anymore.
>
> As for the reason why they did it in the first place, there is a reason.

In
> 1998, USPS was launching a new service, Global Priority Mail, which would
> guarantee delivery to most major cities in the world in 3 days. This
> service was being launched not only here but overseas, where they sought

to
> pick up some business currently monopolized by DHL. They felt that
> sponsoring a bicycle team that would race around the world would increase
> the visibility of the US Postal Service.
>
> It's not a crazy idea, and by the way, it did work. But they feel they've
> accomplished as much as they can market-share-wise, plus all the pressure
> from groups that think it's a waste of money, and so they decided to pull
> the plug.
>
> Other point -- the US Postal Service receives NOT ONE RED CENT of tax
> dollars. It fully supports itself via the sale of postage stamps and

other
> shipping services. It is a corporation, albeit one owned by the US
> Government, but does not receive tax money to support its operations --
> those are purely financed by its revenues from the sale of stamps and

other
> delivery fees.
>
> Regards,
>
> Joe Hurley
>
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> > >Hey,
> > > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> > >work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> > >used. What a Boondoggle!

>
>
 
"Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Alex Rodriguez" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> > >Hey,
> > > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> > >work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> > >used. What a Boondoggle!

> >
> > Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business.

USPS
> > wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service, so they

> sponser
> > a bicycle racing team. For the money they spend, they get an excellent
> > return on investment. So they continued to do so until ignorant folks
> > started to complain.
> > -------------
> > Alex
> >

>
> I would like to see some proof that they are getting bang for their buck

in
> terms of promotion and advertising. I doubt they are.
>
>


My God you're an idiot.
The fastest rider and the fastest team in the biggest race in the world!
And you want proof?
If you don't think thats good promotion and advertising then you tell us
what is.

Marty
 
On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 19:28:35 +0200, David Off <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Ronde Champ wrote:
>
>> I work hard for my money

>
>no you don't, you spend most of the day on r.b.r


ROTFLMAO!
A truer statement has never been made on r.b.r.
 
"Marty Wallace" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Alex Rodriguez" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > In article <[email protected]>,
> > > [email protected] says...
> > > >Hey,
> > > > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
> > > >work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
> > > >used. What a Boondoggle!
> > >
> > > Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business.

> USPS
> > > wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service, so they

> > sponser
> > > a bicycle racing team. For the money they spend, they get an

excellent
> > > return on investment. So they continued to do so until ignorant folks
> > > started to complain.
> > > -------------
> > > Alex
> > >

> >
> > I would like to see some proof that they are getting bang for their buck

> in
> > terms of promotion and advertising. I doubt they are.
> >
> >

>
> My God you're an idiot.
> The fastest rider and the fastest team in the biggest race in the world!
> And you want proof?
> If you don't think thats good promotion and advertising then you tell us
> what is.
>
> Marty


Speaking as a non-American I would never have heard of the "USPS" if it
wasn't for the Tour, so their marketing worked in my case :)

USPS is smart to do this, they are getting all of Europe focused on their
name, cycling 'I sense' is much more popular in Europe than North America :)
 
In article <[email protected]>, Churchill wrote:
>
> "Marty Wallace" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> >
>> > "Alex Rodriguez" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]...
>> > > In article <[email protected]>,
>> > > [email protected] says...
>> > > >Hey,
>> > > > Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in France? I
>> > > >work hard for my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better
>> > > >used. What a Boondoggle!
>> > >
>> > > Like any other company, you have to advertise to get more business.

>> USPS
>> > > wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their service, so they
>> > sponser
>> > > a bicycle racing team. For the money they spend, they get an

> excellent
>> > > return on investment. So they continued to do so until ignorant folks
>> > > started to complain.
>> > > -------------
>> > > Alex
>> > >
>> >
>> > I would like to see some proof that they are getting bang for their buck

>> in
>> > terms of promotion and advertising. I doubt they are.
>> >
>> >

>>
>> My God you're an idiot.
>> The fastest rider and the fastest team in the biggest race in the world!
>> And you want proof?
>> If you don't think thats good promotion and advertising then you tell us
>> what is.
>>
>> Marty

>
> Speaking as a non-American I would never have heard of the "USPS" if it
> wasn't for the Tour, so their marketing worked in my case :)
>
> USPS is smart to do this, they are getting all of Europe focused on their
> name, cycling 'I sense' is much more popular in Europe than North America :)
>
>


Also, I think the USPS is privatized and therefore not supported by the
US government. Complain instead about how the US government does support
the US automakers, US highways, and the US petrolium industry. Talk about
a boondoggle. Since when is it the responsibility of any government
to 'bail out' a corporation (Chrysler) or a city (New York)?

Mike
 
"Churchill" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:VucHc.45732
>
> Speaking as a non-American I would never have heard of the "USPS" if it
> wasn't for the Tour, so their marketing worked in my case :)
>
> USPS is smart to do this, they are getting all of Europe focused on their
> name, cycling 'I sense' is much more popular in Europe than North America

:)
>


But this is pointless because the USPS doesn't serve European customers.
That is, as I understand it, Europeans can't even use the USPS to send mail
or packages from Europe to the US.

However, even though cycling isn't as popular here, Lance has very high name
recognition in the US and the commercials featuring him racing through
"sleet, snow, gloom of night, etc" are actually pretty effective images for
a delivery service.

As for the USPS advertising in general -- of course they have to advertise.
They're in competition with FedEx, UPS, Airborne, etc for the package
delivery business, which is the potential growth area. The rise of the
Internet has greatly increased package delivery (due to internet shopping)
while it has reduced ordinary mail delivery (due to email).

Mark
 

Similar threads