Hearing Focuses on Postal Service Finances
The U.S. Postal Service is hurting and hurting badly.
To explore just how badly, the Senate subcommittee on federal financial management, government information, federal services and international security is holding a hearing today on "the impact of the economic crisis on the U.S. Postal Service."
A Government Accountability Office report, "Deteriorating Postal Finances Require Aggressive Actions to Reduce Costs," scheduled for release today provides some background and guidance. It says Postal Service revenues are flat, despite rate increases. The bad economy has reduced mail volume, while fuel costs and cost-of-living pay raises for employees have increased expenses.
GAO says, among other things, Congress could help the Postal Service by allowing it to change the way it funds retiree health benefits.
William Burrus, president of the American Postal Workers Union, has told his members that any action designed to fix Postal Service finances that affects employees should be spread around. "There is no justification for the retention of supervisors, managers and contract employees at previous levels when the number of craft employees has been reduced...," he said.
By
Sara Goo
|
January 28, 2009; 12:23 PM ET
| Category:
Postal Service
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Next: Postmaster Proposes a Cutback in Mail Delivery
Posted by: sterlinggo1 | January 28, 2009 5:42 PM | Report abuse
Yes, cut back to 5 days a week. But do not raise the price of stamps!!
Cutting back to five days a week for regular delivery undoubtedly slow down mail delivery but it will also force the business and Republican interests who complain about Big Government to realize that all the cutting of government spending and government jobs is not the final answer. By keeping the first class postage while charging more for priority and express mail that should be kept rolling through the weekends, this could do one of three things:
Make people realize that the USPS was providing a public service at reason price
Reduce the perception and the habitual practice that assumes everything needs to be rushed and prioritized
Fits the times - where an economy that has been exponentially reduced is tailored to meet the demands of people who don't want to pay taxes or who don't believe in or want government serving the people.
Posted by: Anadromous2 | January 28, 2009 6:54 PM | Report abuse
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The Proletarian Review
The News of the Forgotten People, The American Workforce
The Network of the Proletarian-Republicanism and the Conservative Movement in America
Topic:
Ergonomics for the American Workforce, Re-engineering the Workplace
Subtopic: Slowing the curve of governmental growth in the United State Post Office: A 4 day work week
Objective: The American Workforce is need of a 4 day/10 hour work week. 3 days needed for rest and relaxation. Moreover, coordination of child care responsibility can be better established between spouses.
The time has come for the Department of Labor, The President and Congress to endorse a change in how Americans work. With single parentship, the family norm in the United States, a 4 day work week will take the edges or pressure off parents’ decision-making issues with the regards to child guardianship. The week day change would reduce the cost of child guardianship (Day Care) over time, compounding, the scheduling of guardianship is now made easier. Therefore, our lawmakers can truly live up to the promise of reducing the number of Latch-Key children in our society. Thereby, maintaining Family-Values Concepts (FVC) between child and parent, with further reductions in the work-site emotional pressure of two working spouses, as well. Its time the Department of Labor, The President and Congress to enforce Family-Values Concepts (FVC) so our Workforce can be more competitive in the Global Economy. Thus, keeping our families together.
If, we do not become more competitive, the economic survival of America is jeopardized. Therefore, placing America’s Industrial muscle would be in an atrophical state with a continuum to lose the War on Poverty (WOP). The War on Poverty (WOP) will be another lost conflict on American soil. Re-engineering the American workforce is a principle of the New Generation Economy (NGE).
Antonio the Sun