Post Office moves to end Saturday delivery
The government moved today to end Saturday delivery by the Post Office, beset like other businesses with soaring costs and poor revenue. The Postal Regulatory Commission -- I had no idea there was such a thing -- opened a new case to consider the matter.
One filed piece of testimony estimates the agency could save $3 billion a year by stopping Saturday stops. Fine by me.
From the press release in my email:
Washington, DC – The Postal Regulatory Commission today established Docket N2010-1 to thoroughly review whether the U.S. Postal Service plan to eliminate Saturday delivery should be implemented. The Postal Service is required to ask the Commission for an Advisory Opinion on any change in nationwide service it proposes. This is one of the most significant changes the Postal Service has ever presented to the Commission.
“The Commission is the watchdog agency that determines if the Postal Service meets its Universal Service Obligation to the nation. Our process will provide multiple opportunities for the public to be heard and for all the facts to be considered before the Commission issues its Advisory Opinion,” said Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway. “The ball is in our court now. There will be no final decision until the record is complete.”
The Postal Service has advised the Commission that due to falling mail volumes and revenues it is considering eliminating Saturday mail collection and delivery except for Express Mail and existing post office box service. It submitted 11 pieces of testimony in support of its Request.
Comments
Well personally I'd like to do as Kramer tried to do and withdraw completely from the mail system.
Use email for most everything and Fedex/UPS for packages or an occassional document. Regular mail is pretty pointless and 95% of all mail is nothing but junk that ends up in trash/recycling.
Unfortunately for the Postal System their biggest problem is excessive benefits to their employees. They simply cannot afford the health & retirements benefits that are way out of line with reality and private industry.
Posted by: rich | March 30, 2010 7:03 PM
All I ask is that they stay OPEN on Saturdays... I'd like banks and post offices to be available a few hours a week for us 8-to-5-ers.
Posted by: Heather | March 30, 2010 7:59 PM
What about senior citizens and the disadvantaged that don't have access to a computer? They still get paper bills, write checks, and mail payments, greeting cards, etc.
Posted by: Joe | March 31, 2010 12:56 AM