Does Postal Reform Boil Down to a Turf War?
There’s a lot of agreement in our industry that the U.S. Postal Service could get along without its large staff and number of facilities around the country. Service would not suffer appreciably if the USPS made these moves.
But that runs against resistance from members of Congress, especially ones from rural states who fear they’ll lose their post offices which have traditionally been very important to their lives in maintaining their contact with the world.
“It’s like a turf war [among members of Congress],” said Tony Conway, executive director of the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers.
Even if this bill becomes law after becoming reconciled with a House measure, it wouldn’t implement five-day delivery until two years after the bill is signed into law, which Conway, doesn’t think can happen until at least 2013.
But then there are the postal unions, some of which plan demonstrations on April 12 in front of the Senate office building opposing S.1789, the bill currently under consideration in the Senate. That bill would eventually end six-day-a-week mail delivery, close some postal facilities and make other cost-cutting moves.
Last year, we all saw what effects demonstrations could potentially have on the political process—at least in some foreign counties.
Meanwhile, the USPS continues to hemorrhage money with a $3.3 billion loss for the quarter ended Dec. 31.
