ONE OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT DECISIONS the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors can make is to file a rate increase request with the Postal Rate Commission.
And the emphasis is on the word board, largely because the BOG consists not only of the nine presidentially appointed governors but also the postmaster general and his deputy. Any action by the board is of great consequence to all whose interests are tied to the viability of our postal infrastructure. One can only hope that its decisions will be founded on wisdom and not administrative expedience.
The USPS is in a financial pickle. It needs more money to provide universal mail service. But our economy is in the dumper. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan is laboring mightily to get the economy back on its feet, and the last thing he needs is another weight added to his shoulders. That brings us back to the BOG.
Infrastructure services are designed to facilitate commerce. Unfortunately, that doesn’t describe how the postal service has been operating. With two rounds of 2001 rate increases already under its belt, the USPS intends to ask for more before year’s end. Postal officials have hinted that these will be whoppers
