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What should be done to fix the U.S. Postal Service?

By Jeremy Quattlebaum, Student Voices staff writer

For the U.S. Postal Service, a check in the mail might be needed to save the constitutionally mandated government service.

Facing a $10 billion budget shortfall, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has called for assistance from the federal government. “We are at a critical juncture,” Donahoe testified at a Senate hearing. “Action from Congress is sorely needed by the close of this fiscal year” on Sept. 30.

The Postmaster General said that in addition to financial aid, the Postal Service has requested that lawmakers address changes in congressional oversight over the mail.

Any change in policy for the Postal Service requires approval from Congress. That means rate increases, mass hiring or layoffs, changes in health care for employees, and frequency of delivery must be approved by Congress.

Unlike the EPA, IRS or FBI, creation of the U.S. Postal Service is authorized in the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8, which outlines the powers of Congress, specifically addresses the need for the federal government to establish and maintain post offices. Until 1971, the postmaster general was a member of the Cabinet and the last in the presidential line of succession. When the Post Office Department was reorganized into the U.S. Postal Service, a special agency independent of the executive branch, the postmaster general was removed from the line of succession.

To make mail delivery more functional, Postmaster General Donahoe has asked Congress to break union contracts to fire workers, loosen requirements on paying future retirees, and end the Saturday delivery of the mail.

The Postal Service already has closed 3,700 locations throughout the nation, most often in rural areas that have seen a drop in use. “Our customers’ habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal businesses,” Donahoe said.

Many of these closings were met with protests by employees and residents alike who contend that the closure of the retail spaces will hurt areas already harmed by the bad economy.

Already on the table is reducing the work force by 220,000 by 2015, mainly by not replacing people who leave, either voluntarily or by retiring. Cliff Guffey, president of the American Postal Workers Union, said before Congress that the proposed reduction of staff is “outrageous, illegal, and despicable.”

Another cut that is being mulled is the end of Saturday service. Once considered the hallmark of the Postal Service, with the delivery of the Saturday Evening Post to American mailboxes, the service is considered less necessary. E-mail and the Internet have further cut down on the need for physical mail.

Others argue that the delivery of Saturday mail is necessary. Many businesses that are open over the weekend have come to depend on the Saturday service to mail out goods, and eliminating the service would hurt them.

What do you think?

How should Congress handle the Postal Service's budget shortfall? Of the proposed measures – cutting jobs, closing locations or ending Saturday service – which one would be the most effective? Join the discussion and let us know what you think!

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Comments

4/26/2012
hickory/nc

darla
ebh
The PO delivers for UPS and Fedex infact they deliver over 60 percent of UPS packages. To have delivery from either of them on Saturday is very expensive. The biggest problem with tho PO is way too much management. They have cut employees, closed plants, cut services, and hours, but management has grown by over 7 percent.

10/31/2011
Rudyard, MT

ShelbyL.
Mrs. Campbell
If I had to choose one of the options I would start with closing the post offices on Saturdays in rural areas. There is no need to keep the postal services open on the weekends in areas that don’t utilize them. Keeping these buildings open is costing our country money and we are already in debt. If that doesn’t cut down on the costs enough then buildings might have to be shut down also. Rural areas with little towns close together don’t all need their own post offices. Email has taken over the mailing services because of the speed that people move at these days. Faster is better and email gives you faster results. Little towns that only send out a couple letters a day are costing our country more money than they are making back.

9/26/2011
irving/ texas

Caterine Crux
Bradley/ nimitz
I disagree with closing the U.S Postal service on Saturday, many people depend on it. Just because the budget was $100 billion shot that the federals fault, they should keep up with it also. They cant layoff people obvious they need the job, too many people have lost their job already. Since the government has their job secure don't mean they can be doing that to the post officer workers. Yes I understand the budget fall but people really need their jobs to support the family, pay bills etc.

9/22/2011
Smithville Ms

Lee
Smithville
I've heard a lot about ways to save USPS, and reasons to do so. What many do not understand is the fact we as Americans are broke and can not afford to throw money at the problem in hope that things will change. Most people understand that we live day to day on a budget, but when it comes to our government we seem to think there's an endless amount of cash to bail out these bloated government institutions, its just not so. If this were a private enterprise we wouldn't even be having this conversation. For those concerned about Saturday delivery, as far as I know Fed-Ex delivers on Saturdays and is doing quit well. I ask you why is it Federal Express is doing so well and the United States Postal Service is a miserable failure. It's simple USPS is run by the government, wasteful spending, and poor management of funds. Fed Ex on the other hand is a shinning example of private enterprise, responsible spending. Think about it...

9/20/2011
Irving, TX

Ashley Bo.
Bradley/Nimitz
The U.S. Postal Service issue is hard to face since it has a huge budget fall. Post offices are used a lot everyday. It would be such a big change when most of the post offices are gone. People send letters or packages to family, companies, colleges, and other. It is important to have several post offices around especially since online shopping is getting very popular. You cannot send a package through the web. The biggest change would be people losing jobs and closing locations. Nobody wants to drive far away just to send mail. Congress should give the U.S. Postal Service money to have. The United States need their mail and packages to arrive. It would be very difficult with less locations.

9/16/2011
Irving Tx

Karla R
Bradley/ NImitz
I think that Congress should do something about the budget downfall like paying it off or lending the post office some cash, because the people of the United States need their mail to come and if the post office will close down in several places, it will make it harder for people to get their mail. I think the most effective of the proposed measures would be cutting jobs since there will be several complaints about the end of Saturday mail and more complaints about the closing down of the locations even if they have no use for them because it is highly likely that they will have a use for the post office in the future and it will be highly inconvenient if you would have to drive 3 hours out of town/state just to go to the nearest one. So I disagree with closing down post offices locations.

9/14/2011
beeville tx

jose a
ac jones
i think that the goverment has to put more security in the contry

9/14/2011
beeville tx

josh
ac jones
if the goverment can give general motoers money to get out of debt than they should be able to give the postal service some money