APWU News
A USPS myth was demolished at House hearing April 15 — a myth that serves as the Postal Service’s rationale for eliminating Saturday mail delivery.
In response to questions by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Postmaster General John E. Potter admitted that predictions that the Postal Service would amass losses of $238 billion by the year 2020 were “theoretical.” The exchange confirms allegations made by the APWU that the USPS forecast is wildly exaggerated, outlandish and unsupported. [See Phony Deficit Projections Mask Management’s Real Goal]
The projections, which were widely reported in the mainstream press, have been cited by the Postal Service repeatedly as justification for ending six-day delivery
But Potter and Phillip Herr, of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), admitted in response to Connolly’s questioning that the figure is based on the premise that management would “do nothing” over the next 10 years to reduce costs, and that revenue, mail volume and the number of employees would remain unchanged.
“I’m a little concerned that in bandying about this $238 billion number, we’re ignoring some obvious things that are going to happen,” Connolly said. “It looks, frankly, a little bit like a scare tactic to get us to make some decisions.”
The figure would only be valid if nothing changes, Herr admitted. “The number was by far a worst-case scenario,” he said, “a number the Postal Service came up with.”
The exchange ended with Connolly addressing Potter about the validity of the $238 billion projection:
Connolly: “You’d have to assume for $238 billion to be real, we do nothing, including you. You’ve already said you’re going to use the authority you have to make reductions totaling $123 billion. Is that correct?”
Potter: “That’s correct.”
Connolly: “So the $238 billion number is already not real.”
Potter: “It’s a theoretical number.”
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform also heard testimony from Ruth Goldway, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission; David Williams, Inspector General, USPS Office of Inspector General; John O’Brien, senior advisor to the director, Office of Personnel Management; and Kevin Kosar, analyst, Congressional Research Service.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???? PMG POTTER IS LYING AND THEY HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??? PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF MANAGEMENTS BUTT AND YOU MIGHT SEE IT…. IF WE GET RID OF HIM WE JUST MIGHT SEE A BIG DIFFERENCE READ WHAT RUTH Y GOLDWAY SAID SHE CALLED HIM OUT ON HIS WANTING TO CLOSE EVERYTHING! HIS GOAL IS TO FAIL SO WE GO PRIVATE… NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!!! AND YOU SEE THAT HE WAS LYING ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND GOT BUSTED!! WHY??? TO SCARE THE PUBLIC.. WHY?????? BUSH SR PUT HIM THERE JUST FOR THAT REASON!!!!
BUSTED!!! THATS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TELL ALL OF YOU THEY ARE LYING ABOUT THE NUMBERS TO MAKE US LOOK LIKE WE ARE FAILING…THAT HAS BEEN THEIR GOAL ALL ALONG SO THEY CAN TRY TO HAVE THE USPS GO PRIVATE… THE USPS WAS NEVER INTENDED TO MAKE PROFITS WE WERE PUT INTO PLACE TO SERVE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC!!! AND TO DELIVER THE MAIL TO EVERY ADDRESS IN AMERICA!!! MAKE THEM STRAT MAKING CUTS FROM THE TOP STARTING WITH POTTER AND HEADQUARTERS WHERE WE ARE SO OVER STAFFED.. AND WHY DOES EVERYONE IN MANAGEMENT ALL HAVE COMPANY CARS?? 1 FOR EACH MANAGER, MUST BE ROUGH!!!! INSTEAD OF LETTING THEM ALWAYS MAKE THE CUTS FROM THE BOTTOM WITH THE CRAFT EMPLOYEES WHO DO ALL THE WORK EVERYDAY ON THE WORKROOM FLOOR AND ON THE STREETS TO GET THE MAIL DELIVERED 6 DAYS A WEEK!!! POTTER IS GOING TO DESTROY THE USPS!!!!! WE ALL THINK PRC CHAIRMAN RUTH Y GOLDWAY HAS GREAT IDEAS TO INCREASE BUSINESS, KEEP STATIONS OPENED NOT CLOSED LIKE POTTER WANTS, AND WE THINK SHE WOULD MAKE A (GREAT) POSTAMSTER GENERAL!!! HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT VOTEING FOR HER??? WHO DO WE ASK???? HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO KEEP PMG POTTER??? CAN’T HE BE FIRED FOR LYING ABOUT THE NUMBERS TO SCARE THE PUBLIC???? BEFORE HE DESTROYS THE USPS!!!!
Rep. Connolly, thank you so much for catching on to Potter’s shell game, your a real big help buddy! Now, what are you going to do about the $115,000,000,000.00 that we’re still short!!! Come on! Listen to Potter and postal management for Pete’s sake! They see the numbers and are trying to save jobs through attrition without layoffs and you and half the other do nothing congressmen do nothin’ but fight. Meanwhile the USPS is sinking waiting for your answer! Un-handcuff the USPS and let the business be a business!