Even though the U.S. Postal Service isn’t mentioned once in the stop-gap spending bill approved by the House this afternoon, the measure deals a blow to the agency’s hope of ending Saturday mail delivery this August.
For about 30 years, Congress has used annual appropriations bills to continue a ban on any reduction in mail delivery frequency. But continuing resolutions like the one that cleared the House today are basically just extensions of whatever Congress did the previous year. And because this particular CR is ‘silent” on the mail delivery issue, that means the prohibition would remain in force through the end of the fiscal year in September, according to a House Appropriations Committee spokeswoman.
The bill still needs Senate approval, as well as President Obama’s signature. But with all sides now preoccupied with the across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester, the odds are pretty good that lawmakers aren’t going to act to allow the Postal Service to end Saturday mail delivery this year unless there’s a much bigger deal on an overhaul to get the money-losing mail carrier back in the black.
In an email, USPS spokesman Dave Partenheimer declined comment on today’s House vote, but stressed the view that the plan to end Saturday mail delivery (while continuing Saturday package delivery) “is a responsible and reasonable approach to address our urgent financial situation and America’s changing mailing habits.
“We continue to lose $25 million per day,” Partenheimer said. “The new delivery schedule would save approximately $2 billion annually once fully implemented and would be a significant step towards improving our financial stability.”
22 Comments
I bet if we eliminated a few of these useless USPS spokesman, and VP, positions, we’d have a lot more money.
If you don’t touch the mail, your job should be eliminated.
Payroll dept doesn’t touch the mail. Janitors and custodians and security people don’t touch the mail. Are these people irrelevant? “If you don’t touch the mail, your job may still be required”, moron.
AMEN TO MAILMAN. Ditto
5 day is needed. Now if they were smart, the USPS would offer carriers an early out NOW. and replace them with the new CA at a way lower pay no matter what happens to 6 day delivery.
“We continue to lose $25 million per day,” Partenheimer said. “The new delivery schedule would save approximately $2 billion annually once fully implemented.”
And ending the 5.5billion per yr congressional mandate would save, oh $5.5 billion a year.
privatization is the best solution, offer better services and IRS get more tax revenue
I wonder if Mr. Partenheimer had to step out of the Postmaster Generals 2 million dollar reception, in Las Vegas, to provide his response.
How can a company be run, by continually slashing services, employees and still be able to establish two new Vice President Positions paying six figure salaries?
I guess he would have no comment on this issue either.
Jackie, privatization was tried before in the 1800’s. Companies charged what ever they wanted to deliver mail but only in big cities. Rural American was left for the Dept. Of the Post Office, which was not profitable for the private carriers. Congress stepped in and gave the P.O. a monopoly to deliver the mail. If you think things would be different now consider this. A friend at UPS was at a training session and was told if the post office is privatized, UPS would raise rates 20%. Careful what you ask for, you won’t like the result.
My questions are: If their sole job is to sort and deliver mail safely and effectively, why do they need to go to conferences? Why do they need to be salary heavy at the top? It’s not like their mission is consistently changing. It seems to me that sorting and delivering the mail is a pretty straight forward thing that doesn’t change too much except maybe the security aspect of it.
“Now if they were smart, the USPS . . .”
Now that is funny!
pmg must step down now
LOL @ Ricky. It’s so simple that it’s a no-brainer! How can they not see this?!?!
“privatization is the best solution, offer better services”
Ask the millions of rural communities if they are better served by private companies. The majority of revenue lost is from rural Post Offices and rural delivery. We would be abandoned by private UPS/FedEx.
Privates want the profitable business service but not the Unprofitable daily door to door, or rural services.
It is the U.S. Postal SERVICE!!!
Ya take more jobs away , theres still lots of Gov cheese from Obama . Just dont exspect your children to have anything !
Ya take more jobs away , theres still lots of Gov cheese from Obama . Just dont expect your children to have anything !
Will this melancholic drama ever end? Just cut EVERYBODY (no exceptions) 10% across the board and be done with it. Cut Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, Defense, Offense, Special Teams–EVERYBODY!
Yea, save six day delivery!!!! And keep to USPS going. Get rid of the waste. Like the $220,000 conference for USPS Exec’s in California. Well, they do have to pay for their own Golf. All new hire workers who do touch mail have taken a very HUGH cut in pay. It would be nice if the PMG would lead by example.
Most of these responces are from uninformed people. Even if the USPS did not have to make the $5.5bil prepayment they would still be in the red some $3 bil a year. They is absolutely no reason Saturday delivery can’t be eliminated. The house keeps saying they won’t help until the USPS makes money saving efforts but every time they want to enact savings they step in and stop it.
Rather than allowing congressional members free use of the USPS to the tune of millions of dollars perhaps thier respective states should foot the bill for those services and actually take a constructive step in dealing with the USPS funding problem. They all want smaller government so put your money where your mouth is.
You know its funny you all talk about Postal Exec’s going to conference’s etc. but what do all the Unions do every year in lush areas, they do the same. APWU- Reno, Las Vegas, Orlando, come on!!
Why do people blame Congress for the prepayment requirement? Do you think our senators thought this one up on their own after solving all the other problems in the US? Or is there maybe a small chance the unions, having realized the pension plan was unsustainable down the road, put a little bug in their congressman’s ear in hopes of getting some money in the bank before it all went belly up?
Maybe the post office could cut back the paid holidays for their employees that the rest of the world still works which would save bundles in ot for the following two days .Also our office has a voma that does nothing but take our vehicles to a garage that po has contract with.Maybe one of our 3 supervisors could drive the vehices over for a maintence check?