Posted on 04/10/2013 9:01:26 AM PDT by Dave346
The United States Postal Service said Wednesday that it would delay its plan to cease delivery of first-class mail on Saturdays, rescuing for now a service that it says is costly but that many Americans rely on.
The USPS said in a statement that restrictive language in Congress' continuing resolution to fund government operations has forced it to postpone the move until "legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule."
The USPS said that while it is disappointed, it will follow the law but will continue to support the new schedule, which it says would save the cash-strapped service about $2 billion a year.
"It is not possible for the Postal Service to meet significant cost reduction goals without changing its delivery schedule – any rational analysis of our current financial condition and business options leads to this conclusion. Delaying responsible changes to the Postal Service business model only increases the potential that the Postal Service may become a burden to the American taxpayer, which is avoidable," said the UPS statement.
In February, the USPS announced that it would cease delivery of first-class mail on Saturday beginning August. It said it would continue to deliver packages, mail-order medicine, and express mail on Saturday, but not letters, bills, cards, and catalogs.
Wednesday's announcement throws a major roadblock in the way of the 237-year-old agency's attempt to save money as it struggles with the rising popularity of email and social media. The move was also meant to counter the rising costs of funding future retiree health benefits for its workers, as mandated by Congress, which oversees the independent agency of the government.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
The only ones who still want it are the unions.
I really don’t care if I get Saturday delivery or not. Another day without junk mail and bills would suit me fine.
The private sector example of Fedex does deliver on Saturday... but it is specially handled, and invokes extra charges.
The USPS should make this decision on its own, as a business decision, and not encumbered by the political whims of congress.
Gutless but expected. Communications have changed. There’s less need for delivered mail. With packages, private services are better, faster, and cheaper. With mail, there is absolutely going to be no impact with cutting Saturday service. USPS should downsize, and go to THREE day delivery... on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, spending the other two days processing mail. It makes absolutely no difference if you get that paper bill on a Friday instead of a Thursday.
As far as I’m concerned they could cut it back to tw0 or three times a week!!!
In other words, they're heroes because they say so, even though nobody cares then or now.
Problem is the USPS doesn’t get to make any business decision unencumbered of the political whims of congress. The primary reason they’re in trouble now is because congress makes them pay for the next 50 years of their pension, if they didn’t have to do that they wouldn’t be losing money and none of the things they’re doing to cut costs would be necessary.
Keep Saturday, add Tuesday and Thursday. Three days a week for delivered mail should be sufficient.
But it will never happen.
Agree - it’s all about the unions. Most of my mail gets thrown out.
They will threaten it again when they need more money.
Cut it down to 1 day a week...I’d be good with it.
Gosh yes. Id die if I didnt get a steady stream of pizza coupons /s
My thought is this just proves (as if it still needs to be) that nothing will be cut. Ever.
Wow - that was exactly what I started off saying and then I changed it to what I said. Exactly!
Reason #47 why Obama care will fail...the Feds can’t do anything correctly.
“The primary reason they’re in trouble now is because congress makes them pay for the next 50 years of their pension.”
Among the rank and file of the USPS, it is widely assumed that these in excess of any practical need pension payments are somehow being siphoned off to other federal pension plans.
The savings were always illusory.
Fact is that Saturday is not a light mail day - volumes are the same as for a weekday. Monday is already an extremely heavy mail day because of being closed Sunday and adding Saturday to that would either have required bringing in more help or letting the build-up trickle out during the rest of the week.
It was a hare-brained plan from the start. Congress must ease the prepayment of health benefits it imposed on the USPS and more high-paid employees should be encouraged to retire.
Yes it does, but it didn’t specify how often the horseback rider or motorized vehicle need to show up.
What do I think? I’m ticked off at this decision. I hate Saturday delivery and wish I could have it stopped right now.
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