Silk Road forums
Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: wpwl on February 08, 2013, 04:59 am
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http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20130207/NEWS01/302070033/U-S-Postal-Service-Saturday-mail-delivery-ends-August
Spread the word
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About time. One less day of the week to get bills and junk!
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service took another major step in its battle for financial viability Wednesday, announcing plans to halt Saturday delivery of first-class mail.
Postmaster General Patrick Donahue said package delivery, which has seen growth in recent years as online purchasing booms, will continue when the plan is implemented in August. He said the plan is expected to save $2 billion annually.
“It’s an important part of our strategy to return to financial stability,” he said.
The announcement drew mixed reviews on Capitol Hill, where USPS discussions on the subject of Saturday delivery have drawn fierce opposition in the past.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ranking member Tom Coburn, R-Okla., sent a letter to leaders of both chambers of Congress supporting Donahue’s plan. Issa and Coburn, the top Republicans on committees with jurisdiction over USPS, called the plan “common-sense reform.”
But some lawmakers from rural states more reliant on six-day mail delivery expressed frustration with the decision.
“This is bad news for Alaskans and small-business owners who rely on timely delivery to rural areas,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, who said the decision would slow overall mail delivery time for items, including Social Security checks.
Begich said the Postal Service should have allowed Congress more time to find a legislative solution. The Senate passed a postal bill last year that would have prevented the elimination of Saturday delivery for at least two years, but the effort stalled in the House.
“We wouldn’t be in this situation if the House had done its job and passed a bill,” Begich said.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called postal overhaul a “pretty difficult” issue and recommitted the chamber to action to help shore up the solvency of the nation’s mail system.
“Congress needs to act. There’s no question about that, and I hope that we’ll act soon,” he said.
American Postal Workers Union president Cliff Guffey said he opposes Donahoe’s plan, saying a solution must come from Congress.
“USPS executives cannot save the Postal Service by tearing it apart,” he said.
A random sampling of Brevard County residents Wednesday, found most undisturbed by the move toward eliminating Saturday seervice.
“I think if they need to cut costs, that would be fine,” said Jackie Flowers of Titusville, “It is a service that we are privileged to have on Saturday. It is not necessary and I will get along fine without it. I will get my bills on Monday.”
Bill Walker of Satellite Beach agreed with Flowers. “I think if it will help them continue to provide services, it’s a great idea.”
The volume of first-class mail has declined sharply since 2008 as more people pay their bills online. Last year the Postal Service had a $15.9 billion loss and defaulted on its pension plan contributions. USPS has also reached its borrowing limit, Donahue said.
“It’s put a tremendous financial pressure on the Postal Service,” he said.
The Postal Service previously had cut costs by eliminating 193,000 jobs and consolidating 200 processing centers. The service cutback will enable the Postal Service to cut more jobs, which Donahoe said can be done through retirements, buyouts and attrition.
“We take no tax dollars. We do not want tax dollars,” he said.
Under the new schedule, post office hours will not change and post office boxes will continue to receive Saturday delivery, Donahoe said. The Postal Service expects growth in package delivery, he said.
“America’s mailing habits are changing,” Donahoe said. “This makes common sense.”
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So..packages are still going to be delivered...to only p.o. boxes and not to actual houses/apartments?
What if I have a couple bills and a package? Are they going to pick and choose what they're going to deliver?
And yes, I'm serious about the above questions. Anyone have any good answers?
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my guess is they wait until monday, since there will not be drivers on the roads on saturday.
Fuck this captcha system, took me 8 times to post this...
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I heard about this. Que pena. Although, the article seems to only specifically say first class mail. Are priority and express mail spared?
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Well that sucks. But if priority still delivers than its not so bad
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Is anyone else mildly concerned about the prospect of special deliveries from SR being more scrutinized by the USPS since they're often shipped by priority? I know that the USPS still considers Priority Mail to be first class, it just gets filtered and sent ahead of everything else in the first class mail category (hence, derp, the term priority mail), but if it gets considered specially exempted from the usual first class non-Saturday deliveries, it does make me wonder. Yeah, I do know that the system isn't exactly teeming with postal inspectors and the reputable vendors stealth their parcels to hell and back, but I'm also a bit paranoid...
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I wondered when Saturday mail would be curtailed...... hope that will not include Priority!
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well thats balls...