Postal Service plans to end Saturday mail delivery

[Mikeod]

Yahoo is reporting the Postal Service plans to end Saturday mail delivery in August. The report says it's not clear whether Congressional approval is needed or not. Package delivery will continue on Saturdays under the plan. The expected savings is $2B /year.

[janmcn]

Excellent idea, IMO. Anything that saves money is welcome. Those postal workers that still have jobs will finally have two days off together every week after years of working Saturdays.

[Indydealmaker]

Yahoo is reporting the Postal Service plans to end Saturday mail delivery in August. The report says it's not clear whether Congressional approval is needed or not. Package delivery will continue on Saturdays under the plan. The expected savings is $2B /year.

Why wait? Rapid implementation is not exactly a bureaucracy's strong suit. If their savings projections are correct, they will unnecessarily waste $1 billion more by August.

[Lark7]

I concur - do it now so as to start reaping the savings. Do not allow Congress to thwart this decision - we will all adjust to mail not being delivered on Saturday. Of course, then more savings will have to be found to create a breakeven situation - it is an elephant.

[Monkei]

We can survive without Saturday delivery but it is unfortunate that Congress has put he postal service into this budgeting situation by making them pay for advance retirements. At some point we have to stop believing that privation is always the answer.

[BogeyBoy]

Why wait? Rapid implementation is not exactly a bureaucracy's strong suit. If their savings projections are correct, they will unnecessarily waste $1 billion more by August.

I am sure it will take that long to realign jobs, equipment, contracts with airlines and trucks, etc.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

No more Saturday delivery - I thought they'd have pulled the trigger on that decision long ago.

Bill :)

[2BNTV]

Should have done this years ago according to the article on Yahoo.

MTFlMi1iYmUzLWE3NjkxYTkzMjBlMw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRw c3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Should have done this years ago according to the article on Yahoo.

MTFlMi1iYmUzLWE3NjkxYTkzMjBlMw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRw c3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

"Do over!" :D The link got messed up.

Bill :wave:

[2BNTV]

Ok, Lets try again. :smiley:

U.S. Post Office Ends Saturday Delivery to Save Itself | Daily Ticker - Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/u-post-office-ends-saturday-delivery-save-itself-140127634.html;_ylt=AridHmnPdQgCnvNbFlm9ym2iuYdG;_ ylu=X3oDMTRwNmxmMDNqBG1pdANGaW5hbmNlIEZQIFRvcCBTdG 9yaWVzIG1peGVkIGxpc3QEcGtnAzg3ZGNhZmFmLTE3NDUtM2Iz YS1iZmQwLTE3ZThhYWMwOWQ3MgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCTG lzdE1peGVkTFBDQVRlbXAEdmVyA2MxMDUyZjgzLTcwODUtMTFl Mi1iYmUzLWE3NjkxYTkzMjBlMw--;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRw c3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3)

Joe :wave:

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Why wait? Rapid implementation is not exactly a bureaucracy's strong suit. If their savings projections are correct, they will unnecessarily waste $1 billion more by August.

I agree. i rarely use the postal service anymore,

[justjim]

Pony Express has had a good run----they are trying to get more into package delivery where the "action" is from Internet sales. It will mean more loss of jobs due to technology.

[mulligan]

Letter carriers need to learn to run from their trucks to the door like the UPS drivers. Get more efficient or lose your job.

[pauld315]

I just heard a report on CBS News that the postal service has been delivering on Saturday since 1863 ? I remember when I was a kid, mail was not delivered on Saturdays.It must have been in the 1960's when they started and I remember the postal workers were irritated that they had to start delivering on Saturday.

[pauld315]

Found it, Congress didn't mandate Saturday delivery until 1981. Bigger areas were probably getting 6 day delivery before the area I grew up in since it wasn't required.


from----> http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc26160/m1/1/high_res_d/R40626_2009Jun09.pdf



Since 1863, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been delivering mail to homes and businesses in
cities. In 1896, USPS extended delivery services to rural locations. Although USPS has
historically delivered mail to most locations six days per week, it was not until 1981 that
Congress statutorily required six-day delivery. Today, USPS delivers mail and parcels to more
than 149 million homes, businesses, government offices, and post office boxes six days per week.
Throughout the Service’s history, however, there have been discussions about reducing the
number of delivery days to conserve fuel and reduce costs.

[gomoho]

No brainer - should have happened years ago, but I guess it doesn't matter how much money they lose - the government will just throw more their way.

[janmcn]

The USPS is probably the only organization in the world, public or private, that is mandated by congress to pay 75 years of healthcare insurance for employees in 10 years. If it hadn't been for that requirement, the USPS would have made a profit.

[kb8tpw]

I parsed out that they meant Sat residential delivery, not post office boxes. I wonder how that affects us, we're some hybrid n between.......

I agree - long overdue.....

[Monkei]

The USPS is probably the only organization in the world, public or private, that is mandated by congress to pay 75 years of healthcare insurance for employees in 10 years. If it hadn't been for that requirement, the USPS would have made a profit.

Best and most accurate post of the thread. The move was made to allow some company to come in, privatize the postal service, and make money off the service and to do away with yet another union.

[allus70]

There's more to this than meets the eye. Monkei, you called this one right. Rep. Issa's real intent is to force the privatization of the postal service. Forcing the Service to prepay 75 years of pension costs in 10 years is setting them up for humongous losses and failure.
This isn't restructuring for the 21 century but rather a backdoor attempt to kill an organization that employs more veterans than any other in our country.

Issa Blocks Fix Of Post Office Pension Prepay Time Bomb, Says Robert Weiner,... -- WASHINGTON, June 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/issa-blocks-fix-of-post-office-pension-prepay-time-bomb-says-robert-weiner-former-spokesman-for-us-house-govt-reform-comm-bipartisan-bill-has-229-sponsors-but-chairman-issa-pushes-privatization-159224595.html)

[Monkei]

Most people would be surprised I am sure to find out that the USPS has NOT taken tax payer funding for over 30 years. They simply are a business or a model trying to run as a business with 500 clowns in the US Capital trying to micromanage them without taking the time to actually act on USPS reforms that the agency has requested.

Are fewer people using the service, sure. But somehow I can't ever imagine receiving graduation notices and wedding invitations and other intimate items via email.