Send Congress a Letter: Don’t Destroy the Postal Service
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is presently considering the flawed postal reform bill S. 1486. In the coming weeks, the committee may move to entertain amendments to the bill and approve it for consideration before the full Senate. In its current form, S. 1486 would permit severe cuts to service, allow the shuttering of mail processing facilities nationwide, and needlessly punish postal workers.
Will you take a minute to call upon your lawmakers to oppose the destructive policies set forth in S. 1486? Will you ask them to support reasonable policies to get the USPS back on track?
According to media reports:
Official Capitol Hill negotiations start next week. The first official meeting of the larger House-Senate negotiating team is scheduled for next week.
Republicans are looking at a bushel basket of cuts to Medicare health care providers contained in Obama’s budget. They also have voiced support for curbing Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, an idea Obama has backed, but only in the context of a broader deal in which Republicans would allow tax increases. That proposal won’t fly in the current talks.
There are also several supercommittee ideas like curbing Postal Service cost overruns, making federal workers contribute more to their pensions and raising premiums on higher-income Medicare beneficiaries.
6 day street delivery has no justification to exist as this waste serves no purpose. Bulk business throw away junk mail is high distribution cost and low revenue generator. The only postal products that have any justification for SAT. DELIVERY IS express AND/OR PROITORY where a premium has been paid to exceed regular delivery standards. Reduce fuel and work hour economic waste that serves no purpose. Americans stand in awe that such ignorance exist at a time when USPS financial condition continues to loose millions of dollars and politicians, USPS management and leaders of craft unions appear to be too dense to grasp the corrective action necessary to operative cost effective to preserve a means of employment for postal employees. The common sense approach is being ignored and employees will suffer the end results.
i pray they get rid of saturday delivery,at my office you cant get a saturday off ever
eliminate saturday delivery, what a waste
USPS delivery should be sold to Amazon as a market exist for this service. Cost effective operations to meet market demand would provide long term security for employees. Levels of management would decrease resulting in substantial saving by eliminating wasted tired management that only exist due to being tied to government regulations going back in time when the USPS was the sole means of communicating Americans personal and business communications. This need no longer exist. Decrease in revenue personifies this present day reality. Politicians as well as craft and management unions
have their own self interest and not employees in their selfish agendas.
Like 2 kick their can down the road an then some!
WHO CARES;THEY WILL NEVER VOTE ON THIS BILL,THEY JUST KEEP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
I do not get it. If the postal service needs to downsize why not leave the early out option open. Leave it open until they get the number of employees they want.
I do not get it. If the postal service needs to downsize why not leave the early out option open. Leave it open until they get the number
Are we finally talking no Saturday delivery???? I just got a semi….
ol’ Richard hads no idea what he talks about and most if not all of the general public do not know what goes on in the USPS. Most people have no idea of the number of people that the Postal Service feeds,clothes,shelters,educates and in turn those employees support the town that they live in by buying products sold in their hometown. Do I say that there are no problems-nope,but there are problems anywhere there are human beings trying to make it work. Try to be more considerate in your thoughts and reactions and be patient.
In all your comments I see some truth and a lot of hate. Know all the facts: the postal SERVICE would be in the black right now if the $5 billion dollar a year prefunding wasn’t in place, remember that’s prefunding healthcare and retirement 75 years in advance, no other gov’t agency or private corporation has to do this. This bill was put in at the eleventh hour in 2006 during the Bush years, just a slick way to take money from the only gov’t agency that pays its own way.
In the current so called postal reform bills going before congress, there are some drastic changes, such as: no more home delivery, cluster boxes on the corner (what happens when the neighborhood drug addict uses his pick up to pull down the box to steal checks or credit cards or any of your personal info) :closing down post offices in rural communities, is just wrong, not everyone can afford a computer and some don’t want to. Just because you think everyone owns a smart phone are a computer doesn’t make it true.
I have been delivering mail for 32 years and know there are other ways to save money, in my office alone when I stared there were 42 routes and now there are 29 and we’re about to lose another one, no the houses didn’t burn down, our routes just got longer, so don’t think we don’t contribute to saving money. One certain way to save money would be with evaluated routes, carriers would be paid for the route and not by the hour, this would save millions in overtime and would provide better service. For some reason this is never discussed. I could go on, but remember this, look into who is trying to push these postal reform bills through. Daryl Issa (the second richest congressman) from California has been trying for years to pass bills through congress that would destroy the Post Office. Don’t be fooled this is just an attempt to privatize the PO so these clowns can step in a say it would be better if it was privatized. It’s a billion dollar industry and they want to own it.
Always look at things from all angles, the politicians aren’t looking out for the American public they are just looking at ways to make themselves richer.
get real you are correct; 6 day street delivery is a noose choking survival of USPS. The need no longer exist as is verified in the demise of revenue as decline in first class volume. Revenue generation must be created by means of supply and demand. The demand is increasing parcel delivery market as is shown in quarterly reports where parcel and shipping revenue is positive to SPLY. The basic laws of economics
must be in place to yield a break even point.
The service issue of providing mail service to all Americans as created by Ben Franklin is history and irreverent in todays age of communication technology. Cost effective operations must employed with revenue generation to sustain a postal service to provide employment without government subsides. The need for small cluttered community post offices is past history as the need was prior to modern transportation and communication means. Some areas have 5-6 post offices within and 18 mile radius with a large high level in the nearby town. A total waste as the need is past history. National retail grocery and drug stores sell stamps at same price as a post office. Postmasters in these level 15-18 level offices are paid $62,000-$72000.(depending on length of service) to sell stamps, box mail and maybe manage 3-4 rural routes. Consolidate or eliminate would result in substantial savings without any hindrances to service needs.
Politics, management and craft unions voice strong opposition as this would result in less monies to union and management pressure groups. Changing demographics over time has resulted in less need than what existed in the 1900s.
Walmart here I come!!
@wctodd
Postal management has to this date not laid off any employees, and said all along that the downsizing would be through attrition and early outs….. Its people like you who are going to be the demise of the Postal Service by maintaining the the unrealistic 6 day delivery (fuel-labor cost) and supporting the Self Serving position of the Union.(more employees, more Dues) If the Unions had got on board with management and assisted with the downsizing, We would not be in this position where Congress is going to butcher our benefits
Just the Republicans, the Unions are buying the Democrats……..
Capt Jack, I only hope that you are one of the 65% of the delivery employees laid off! That is America today, think only of yourself! Just what the Ratpublicans believe, divide and rule. Some will survive, and some won’t. Follow what HERBERT SPENCER said “survival Of The Fittest’ While the rich prosper, the workers fight each other! wake up! The Ratpublican don’t have to do much, the workers will do ourselves in. They will just have to pick off what is left! This new Postal deform bill will speed the destruction of the Postal Service. At least I hope the Postal executives can keep the “executive only Gym”, and limousine service.
That’s right folks; Continue to argue about letter mail and bulk mail while UPS and FEDEX continue to skim off the real profits from USPS. Most parcels now originate at these two companies and are delivered by the PO. THE MONEY IS IN THE PACKAGE BUSINESS!!!!! So while you continue to argue about the pennies in the cash register, Management and UPS are running out the back door with the SAFE. Smarten up Congress is being bought by our competition!
It’s going be like flying a B52 bomber over Germany taken flack soon.
Get ready an zip-lock them sandwiches.
What we really need is a Congress Reform Bill.
If a congressman receives money from lobbyists….YOU’RE FIRED!
If a congressman is board member or CEO of company……..YOU’RE FIRED!
If a congressman is receiving a salary from a company…..YOU’RE FIRED!
Do this and 90% of Congress will be FIRED on the spot!
Richard says: shut down and sale it, problems solved…and the REAL PROBLEMS START!
After Hurricane Andrew and Katrina, the US POSTAL SERVICE delivered the mail. UPS and FED-X did not.
After every major snow storm, the US POSTAL SERVICE delivers the mail, UPS and FED-X will not.
After 9-11, the US POSTAL SERVICE delivered the mail, UPS and FED-X couldn’t.
Currently, a 45 cent stamp will get a letter from Houston to New York in two to three days. According to the FedEx website, two-day delivery of a similar letter to the same destination will cost between $20-30 dollars.
wpoi iiop I’ve been saying for years RESIDENTIAL delivery should be 3 days weekly. A carrier can carry route 1 on m/w/f and route 2 on t/t/s with a relief carrier like today. The volume is no longer there and no residence has a need for 6 day or even 5 day delivery. Cut about 35% of delivery employees and service not effected.
A lot of what Dante says bears a lot of truth. Wake up America and smell the coffee and oh by the way it smells better if Saturdays were eliminated!
New Zealand just cut delivery from 6 days
To 3. They are going to lay off half
the postal workers. Do you think this
related?
Reform ? More like ‘reform’ school ! Colder than a crock of sauer kraut !
It really irks me to read stuff like Richard’s “shut it down problem solved” idiocy. Think for a minute, Richard – your suggestion will put 800,000 out of work. Are you a postal employee advocating your own demise? I would recommend you quit if you have that kind of outlook.
You obviously don’t give a shit about anybody’s welfare but your own because if you did you’d see how selfish and mean spirited your comment is. That’s the life blood of Republicans and postal management, fuck everybody but themselves. You’re entitled to your opinion, but I find it repulsive and cruel. Good luck living with yourself.
It is basically a Senate version of Issa’s Postal Service Destruction Act and the Repubs will vote for this piece of trash bill so you must put the pressure on the Democrats to make sure this bill is DOA!
Politicians will do anything to maintain political life.
Operative cost effective. Create means to increase revenue generation in growing parcel market. Eliminate services that demand no longer exist and create built in monetary loss. 6 day street delivery has no need to exist. Americans using written mail as a means of communication passed away with the advances in communication technology.
Cost reduction for wasted spending must cease to ever reach a breakeven point. Management pressure groups, craft unions as well as political selfish agendas must be eliminated. Headquarters staff salaries must be held in check as the USPS is overburden with debt with no recovery in present operation mode.
@MIKE the MILKMAN:
Your words were carefully thought out and conveyed. I AGREE.
Everyone should just take a minute,and look up your congressman’s phone numbers (and that is for both, the Senate, and the House), and tell them
this is a flawed bill. Explain to the constituent’s, the voter’s will remember them when it comes election time. Just everyone call your Congressman and tell them to get this S.1484 bill right, and to take the necessary time to make it fair to all the people that it will effect. The cuts are coming, but be fair, and then “grandfather” the area’s that need to be “grandfathered”. Also when you call, and just everyone take a few minutes to do this. The voice your concerns that the voters do not like the Congressman passing laws that they themselves do not have to adhere to, and tell them we do not like them cutting all the entitlements to the average ‘JOE”, and not to themselves. The Congressman are not above the law. They have all exempted themselves from Obamcare, taken no pay cuts, etc. Hell !, they even passed law that they can buy stocks when they have insider information, but we citizens do it, we go to jail, and we get a stiff fine. But they can profit on the info, and w/o any worries of jail. This is an exclusive club they belong to, and the only way for these congressman to understand and listen “to the people”, is to constantly tell them they can be remove from office. PEOPLE, take a few minutes and just call and make your voice heard. If you don’t, I am 100% positive that you PEOPLE will be the first to start complaining, why is this happening to me/us….I have come to know that most postal workers will not take the time to have their voice heard, or will just not call their Congressman. They think the others that do take the time, will be sufficient. Well, it is not. Just think if 500,000 postal workers start calling their elected officials.
Then, while your at it, send them some SANDWSICHES, they’ll appreciate the gesture…..
I too have worked for 30 years at the Post Office as a Letter Carrier but although there will always be workers that dont perform as they should it should be noted that this happens in almost any workplace. The thing people often forget is the Postal SERVICE was never supposed to generate a profit. It was simply a way for every household and business in america to communitcate with each other. This infrastructure is unmatched anywhere in the world and you simply could not make a profit charging 46 cents for a stamp with all the technology and hours given to each piece of mail it just doesnt add up. As for the company i owe everything i have to this job and it has been a good living free of the stress of working in the private sector where we would have to look over our shoulder at every economic downturn. We are very fortunate to have this job and anybody in the private sector would agree.
The employees of the Postal Service need to understand that all we have left to separate ourselves from the competition is a willingness to give superior service to our customers that is our lifeblood and until management understands that service is not black and white and a computer readout cannot properly constitute an 8 hour day we will have a tremendous amount of unhappy carriers but remember guys we get paid well no job is free of stress and be careful what you wish for.
Good Luck to all employees and be sure to smile and say hello to your customers you might be amazed at how much better you will feel about yourself.
I have worked at the USPS for 30+ years, because I had to do it this long for personal reasons. This is the most screwed up organization on the face of the earth, I would say downsizing is really a positive step but the level of incompetence in management and just the level of useless employees is unbelievable. Run like a business my ass, never happen!!! A REAL SHIT HOLE!!!!
shut down and sale it, problems solved.