Postmaster Proposes a Cutback in Mail Delivery

[Enoch]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-diary/?hpid=topnews

Saying the U.S. Postal Service "is in a severe financial crisis," Postmaster General John E. Potter is asking Congress to allow him to cut mail delivery from six days to five days a week.

In testimony prepared for a Senate hearing this afternoon, Potter said he needs "flexibility in the number of days we deliver mail."

"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, he said. "I do not make this request lightly, but I am forced to consider every option given the severity of our challenge."


He said the cut in mail delivery would be at least one day a week. Currently, the postal system delivers mail Mondays through Saturdays.


"First, it is possible that the cost of six-day delivery may simply prove to be unaffordable," he said in his statement. " If that should occur, it could become necessary to temporarily reduce mail delivery to only five days a week. We would do this by suspending delivery on the lightest volume days."

Well this is not good...we already have problems getting our mail, now they will have an excuse. Seriously..."change" is on the way...

 

[Revmitchell]

I do not see a problem with getting rid of sat delivery.

 

[mcdirector]

This isn't new even if just requested. The Post Office has been talking about this since at least summer. I sell online and it's come up on those boards as a concern for deliveries.

 

[Dale-c]

I don't see it as a huge problem. Fed Ex and UPS do not typically deliver on Saturday either. Though to be honest, I would rather see Monday go than Saturday.
Saturday allows those who have busy schedules a chance to go to the post office.
There are often days when I leave town before the post office opens and get back after they are closed.
But over all 5 days a week is not a huge deal.

 

[KenH]

I read in one news story that Tuesday might be the day that gets cut out if it happens.

 

[Salty]

Would only home delivery be canceled.
Would local Post offices be opened 6 days- would mail still be available at post office boxes?

 

[thomas not doubting]

I don't see stopping Saturday delivery as a big problem. I work processing the mail at a school. We are closed on Saturday as are most schools. The carrier just holds our Saturday mail at the Post Office until Monday. Many other business' are closed on Saturday as well and for many of those that are open, they have no administrative personnel to deal with the mail until Monday (in the past, I worked somewhere where that was the situation). In that case, Saturday's mail just sits there until somebody can open it on Monday.

Stopping delivery during a weekday would be more difficult on many business'. For example, stopping delivery on a Tuesday would mean that most business' would have double the outgoing mail for the carriers to pick up the next day, which would slow down the mail carriers. Plus, even though there would be no delivery on Tuesday, the mail would still keep moving through the system which means twice as much to deliver on Wednesday, again slowing down the carrier.

I have not seen any mention in any of the news stories that Post Offices' would be closed on Saturday. Post Offices' need to be open on Saturdays, even only for a half day as many people cannot get to the Post Office during the week.

The Post Office has been toying with the idea of stopping Saturday delivery for years.

 

[windcatcher]

I think the Post Office could benefit from looking at mail delivery and the opperating of the post office business as divided functions of the same industry:

Business hours for posting and purchases keep open Monday through Saturday, would allow for office pick up time critical items such as live animals (chicks are shipped by mail from hatcheries and critical in time pick up) and medicine. Business mail could still be delivered daily, as could post office box.....since the latter is already on-site.

But, for people like me who live out in the country on long mail routes...... why not cut home mailbox service to 3 days a week ..... like a Monday, Wednesday, Friday route, or a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday route? Any person who needed to post something by a deadline on a day when the mail doesn't run.... could still go post it at the office where it could be postmarked and sorted that day.

I'd rather this than the increases in postage...... and the unfruitful walks to the mailbox to get nothing or find junk mail!

 

[saturneptune]

Ken is right. The most likely combination is Tuesday and Sunday for non delivery days. This does not speak to how bad things are the the postal service. This will be followed by layoffs, plant closings, plant and post office consolidations, and if that does not work, cluster boxes for each block, similar to the ones at apartment complexes.

Like the rest of the economy, the postal service is in bad shape.

 

[4His_glory]

I see no problem with the post office cutting back delivery days. I used to complain about the US mail too, but after living over seas my perspective changed real fast. This is a developing nation, so its not third world, but the national mail system is not to be trusted. They have a history of robbing peoples mail or just plain not delivering because they did not "feel" like working that day.

Once around Christmas time, Correo Argentino (the national mail service) destroyed a bunch of international packages because there "were to many to handle." Hows that for mail service?

Despite the flaws the US has best postal service in world IMO.

Just wanted to shed a little different light on the situation.

 

[annsni]

It's honestly not a big deal to me. I think it's a good idea if it will truly cut costs as it needs to. I've also heard that Tuesday is the lowest volume day and that would be the day they'd cut.

 

[donnA]

and all the while continuing to raise rates, and gve poorer and poorer service.I frequently recieve mail thats been torn apart and the contents gone, or magazine ripped to shreds. My mail man used to take my tv guide home and deliver it the next week.
yeah, like everything else, more money recieve less for it.

 

[Jim1999]

I tried returning bills to sender, but it didn't work. The postman faithfully puts my mail, in good condition, in my postbox on side of roadway, daily. I remember when mail only came once a week, but it only cost thruppennybit.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[donnA]

The mail is a service we pay for, not something done for us, and theres no sense in treating it as if it's a favor to us, we PAY for it.

 

[saturneptune]

The mail is a service we pay for, not something done for us, and theres no sense in treating it as if it's a favor to us, we PAY for it.

If you do not like the way the Postal Service performs, don't use them.

 

[Jim1999]

mail service and postage was orginally a system of collecting taxes. It began in France. When people began refusing delivery it changed to a cost for doiing business.

By the way, we only get delivery in Canada 5 days a week, but the post office is open on Saturday for services.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[donnA]

If you do not like the way the Postal Service performs, don't use them.

And just what are the choices?
This statmeent is certainly one of the stupidest.
The government has a monopoly on mail delivery, we have to use them. there is no choice not to use the US mail system.
The very suggestion is by far one of the stupidest things I've ever read on the BB.