Postmaster General: MAIL DAYS may need to be CUT

agreed


no more junk mail.

agreed


no more junk mail.

junk mail subsidzes real mail.

you don't wanna know how much it would cost to mail a letter if they banned junk mail.

Postmaster General: Mail days may need to be cut
WASHINGTON – Massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday, in asking lawmakers to lift the requirement that the agency deliver mail six days a week. If the change happens, that doesn't necessarily mean an end to Saturday mail delivery. Previous post office studies have looked at the possibility of skipping some other day when mail flow is light, such as Tuesday.

Faced with dwindling mail volume and rising costs, the post office was $2.8 billion in the red last year. "If current trends continue, we could experience a net loss of $6 billion or more this fiscal year," Potter said in testimony for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.

Total mail volume was 202 billion items last year, over 9 billion less than the year before, the largest single volume drop in history.

And, despite annual rate increases, Potter said 2009 could be the first year since 1946 that the actual amount of money collected by the post office declines.

"It is possible that the cost of six-day delivery may simply prove to be unaffordable," Potter said. "I reluctantly request that Congress remove the annual appropriation bill rider, first added in 1983, that requires the Postal Service to deliver mail six days each week."

"The ability to suspend delivery on the lightest delivery days, for example, could save dollars in both our delivery and our processing and distribution networks. I do not make this request lightly, but I am forced to consider every option given the severity of our challenge," Potter said.

That doesn't mean it would happen right away, he noted, adding that the agency is working to cut costs and any final decision on changing delivery would have to be made by the postal governing board.

If it did become necessary to go to five-day delivery, Potter said, "we would do this by suspending delivery on the lightest volume days."

The Postal Service raised the issue of cutting back on days of service last fall in a study it issued. At that time the agency said the six-day rule should be eliminated, giving the post office, "the flexibility to meet future needs for delivery frequency.

A study done by George Mason University last year for the independent Postal Regulatory Commission estimated that going from six-day to five-day delivery would save the post office more than $1.9 billion annually, while a Postal Service study estimated the saving at $3.5 billion.

The next postal rate increase is scheduled for May, with the amount to be announced next month. Under current rules that would be limited to the amount of the increase in last year's consumer price index, 3.8 percent. That would round to a 2-cent increase in the current 42-cent first class rate.

The agency could request a larger increase because of the special circumstances, but Potter believes that would be counterproductive by causing mail volume to fall even more.

Dan G. Blair, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, noted in his testimony that cutting service could also carry the risk of loss of mail volume. He suggested Congress review both delivery and restrictions it imposed on the closing of small and rural post offices.

The post office's problem is twofold, Potter explained.

"A revolution in the way people communicate has structurally changed the way America uses the mail," with a shift from first-class letters to the Internet for personal communications, billings, payments, statements and business correspondence.

To some extent that was made up for my growth in standard mail — largely advertising — but the economic meltdown has resulted in a drop there also.

Potter also asked that Congress ease the requirement that it make advance payments into a fund to cover future health benefits for retirees. Last year the post office was required to put $5.6 billion into the fund.

"We are in uncharted waters," Potter said. "But we do know that mail volume and revenue — and with them the health of the mail system — are dependent on the length and depth of the current economic recession."

He proposed easing the retirement pre-funding for eight years, while promising that the agency will cover the premiums for retirement health insurance.

At the same hearing the General Accounting Office agreed that the post office is facing an urgent need for help to preserve its financial strength. But the GAO suggested easing the pre-funding requirement for only two years, with Congress to determine the need for more relief later.

Potter noted that the agency has cut costs by $1 billion per year since 2002, reduced its work force by 120,000, halted construction of new facilities except in emergencies, frozen executive salaries and is in the process of reducing its headquarters work force by 15 percent.

___

On the Net:

U.S. Postal Service: [link to www.usps.com]

They are bluffing. They won't stop Saturday deliveries because they are afraid that their competitors will gain on them. The USPS would be afraid of losing customers for not just Saturday, but for all week long!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!1!!


... no and no, not true a'tall, lol... we have no competitors in the business of letters, catalogues, etc... and too... UPS and Fed Ex are already off on Saturdays anyways.

Now Saturday is what if there a holiday on Friday OR Monday? There we go again with 3 days without mail.

Did you guys know that the delivery mail people cycle every 5 weeks and they already get 3 days off in a week?

They should have Lance Armstrong and his one nut deliver the mail for a day for as much as they paid to sponsor him!

Does anyone really expect that the volume of mail would decrease if they cut a day out? Probably not.

So, what they are effectively saying is that they want to get 6 days worth of work out of their employees, for 5 days worth of pay -- since it is obvious that they will be expected to make up for lost time when they open back up after the day off.

Receiving mail in your mailbox at your house (delivery) is a federal benefit and binds you to Federal Jurisdiction.

In reality, you should use general delivery and GOTO the post office to get your mail, and not have it delivered.

Just liek they did for a hundred years. Plus, you avoid the Zip Code, adress, City corporate jurisdiction.

Oh wait.. y'all think your mail is government .. right, its not, its private contract.

Now Saturday is what if there a holiday on Friday OR Monday? There we go again with 3 days without mail.

Did you guys know that the delivery mail people cycle every 5 weeks and they already get 3 days off in a week?


Did you know that they have an assigned sub carrier who rotates the same cycle filling in for that carrier on his days off?

Did you know they have at least a half-dozen or so of these subs assigned to each post office?

Did you know that eliminating saturday delivery would effectively eliminate that sub position?

So you think delivering mail is a laid back job, eh? I was one who said the very same thing. I changed my tune real quick after my first week delivering mail.

Imagine walking up and down porch steps all day long with 25 to 30 pounds of mail over your shoulder trying to avoid obstacles in your path and at the same timee keeping your eyes peeled to the 2 to 3 bundles of mail stuffed in your left hand. Have you ever used a stairmaster? Well, to it for about 4 to 5 hours straight. Is that pit bull going to jump the fence again and attack me like it did a month ago? Oh crap, I stepped in dog shit again. Fuck, it's raining again! Mr. Johnson asks why his mail is wet. Well, uh, it's raining. duh! Ack! I've got a letter that requires a signature...so I knock on the customer's door, show them where to sign, all while doing the best balancing act I can with the bundles of mail in my hand. I've done mostly manual labor in the past, but I hated delivering mail and really glad I don't do it anymore.

I always chuckle when I hear civilians try to express their opinions about the postal service. They usually are the ones who gripe about some misdeed that happened 3 years ago. These people are usually sad sacks who complain about anything and everything. I imagine these people have no real happiness in their lives and just looking for oppurtunities to hate on something.

They are bluffing. They won't stop Saturday deliveries because they are afraid that their competitors will gain on them. The USPS would be afraid of losing customers for not just Saturday, but for all week long!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!!1!!


... no and no, not true a'tall, lol... we have no competitors in the business of letters, catalogues, etc... and too... UPS and Fed Ex are already off on Saturdays anyways.


UPS makes Saturday deliveries. I would think any true mail carrier would know that....hmmmmm.

Now Saturday is what if there a holiday on Friday OR Monday? There we go again with 3 days without mail.

Did you guys know that the delivery mail people cycle every 5 weeks and they already get 3 days off in a week?


Did you know that they have an assigned sub carrier who rotates the same cycle filling in for that carrier on his days off?

Did you know they have at least a half-dozen or so of these subs assigned to each post office?

Did you know that eliminating saturday delivery would effectively eliminate that sub position?

So you think delivering mail is a laid back job, eh? I was one who said the very same thing. I changed my tune real quick after my first week delivering mail.

Imagine walking up and down porch steps all day long with 25 to 30 pounds of mail over your shoulder trying to avoid obstacles in your path and at the same timee keeping your eyes peeled to the 2 to 3 bundles of mail stuffed in your left hand. Have you ever used a stairmaster? Well, to it for about 4 to 5 hours straight. Is that pit bull going to jump the fence again and attack me like it did a month ago? Oh crap, I stepped in dog shit again. Fuck, it's raining again! Mr. Johnson asks why his mail is wet. Well, uh, it's raining. duh! Ack! I've got a letter that requires a signature...so I knock on the customer's door, show them where to sign, all while doing the best balancing act I can with the bundles of mail in my hand. I've done mostly manual labor in the past, but I hated delivering mail and really glad I don't do it anymore.

I always chuckle when I hear civilians try to express their opinions about the postal service. They usually are the ones who gripe about some misdeed that happened 3 years ago. These people are usually sad sacks who complain about anything and everything. I imagine these people have no real happiness in their lives and just looking for oppurtunities to hate on something.


Thanks for the post. Yeah, I've always thought that being a mail carrier would be tough for a lot people, for exactly the reasons you've stated. But I've known some people who have done it and really enjoyed it, even when they were out there in the crappy or cold weather. I guess they just really liked working outdoors or something. Just thinking about being a mail carrier in some place like Detroit when it's the middle of January makes me shiver.

LOL at all the desperate postal workers trying to justify their huge salaries, you have the easiest, most brain-dead job in the world

Receiving mail in your mailbox at your house (delivery) is a federal benefit and binds you to Federal Jurisdiction.

In reality, you should use general delivery and GOTO the post office to get your mail, and not have it delivered.

Just liek they did for a hundred years. Plus, you avoid the Zip Code, adress, City corporate jurisdiction.

Oh wait.. y'all think your mail is government .. right, its not, its private contract.

what about netflix.

In my building we get more netflix than any other mail.

they should be renamed the netflix delivery service.

UPS makes Saturday deliveries. I would think any true mail carrier would know that....hmmmmm.


... no, sorry, but they don't. And hey, check it out for yourself... just google "does UPS deliver on Saturdays?".. and you'll find that unless you pay one hell of a lot more for a second day air 'Saturday' delivery, they don't. And yes, lol, I am a for real true blue mail carrier too.

They have been overpricing themselves out of the business.

I used to pay my bills by mail, but when they raised the rates too high I said, "Forget that bullshit, I'm paying online". and now I don't use the mail service for much.

They have been overpricing themselves out of the business.

I used to pay my bills by mail, but when they raised the rates too high I said, "Forget that bullshit, I'm paying online". and now I don't use the mail service for much.



Raised their rates too high?? Their rates are the lowest of any postal service across the world.

And have you ever heard of a thing called inflation, stoopid?