The arrival of the holiday season brings with it thoughts of reflection, celebration and special times spent with family and friends. Traditionally, the end of the year also brings with it an increase in commerce and mailing activity. We are hopeful that will be true again this year as the economy and the Postal Service begin to recover from recession.
For the Commission, the coming months promise to be both busy and noteworthy. By year’s end, we expect to issue our Advisory Opinion in Docket N2010-1 evaluating the Postal Service’s proposal to eliminate Saturday mail service to homes and businesses nationwide. The Commission plans to conclude its public inquiry and issue its findings in Docket PI2010-1, on the emergency suspension of post offices.
The joint Commission-Postal Service Periodical Study is near completion and the findings, which are critical to resolving periodical cost coverage and pricing issues, will be posted on our website. The Commission hopes to issue its decision in the complaint of GameFly, Inc. against the Postal Service, in the near future. This would be the first Commission decision under its complaint authority established by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA).
On November 2nd, the Commission opened Docket CP2011-26 to review the Postal Service’s request for a general increase in competitive product postage rates. We will solicit public input and issue our decision by December 2nd. The Commission also will seek input on new rulemaking proceedings, issue its third annual report under the PAEA, and begin the Annual Compliance Determination (ACD) process to assess Postal Service performance for fiscal year 2010 (FY2010). The ACD review is critical to Commission oversight and postal transparency. The Commission also has 14 pending dockets to complete from FY 2010, having completed a record 183 dockets in the past year.
Like the proverbial elves in Santa’s toyshop, the Commission has much to do to finish the year and we are responsible for many deliverables. You can be sure that we will stay focused and productive, and we will deliver.
Thank you for your support during the past year and in the future. Best wishes for the holidays and the year ahead.
Ruth Y. Goldway
Chairman
Please don’t do it, I feel like this will be the beginning of the end of the USPS… This will hurts us in the long run, more than help us. So many of our CUSTOMERS depend on us (and only us) for delivery of their medications, that arrive on Saturdays. Don’t forget about the small Business who also depend on us, and how many payments will be late just because of the removal of Saturday Delivery, that will make more people pay their bills on line, instead of using the MAIL.. Don’t bite the hand that feeds us!