Senator Susan Collins: Rural Post Offices not the cause of USPS financial crisis

Senator Suan Collins issued the following statement on possible post office closures:
July 26, 2011
The United States Postal Service today announced a list of nearly 3,700 post offices it will consider for closure.
Senator Susan Collins, who is the Ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and who in February introduced postal reform legislation, issued the following statement:
“The fact is, maintaining our nation’s rural post offices costs the Postal Service less than one percent of its total budget and is not the cause of its financial crisis.  While there are some areas where postal services could be consolidated or moved into a nearby retail store to ensure continued access, this simply is not an option in many rural and remote areas.   For example, Matinicus Island is about 20 miles off the coast of Maine and receives mail five — rather than six days a week — and then only in good weather.  Closing this post office or moving it into a large retail facility is simply not realistic.
“It is essential that the Postal Service solicit local input before deciding to close or consolidate a post office, and it must weigh the potential impact of any decision on the community as well as on its legal obligation to provide universal service.”

4 thoughts on “Senator Susan Collins: Rural Post Offices not the cause of USPS financial crisis

  1. usps closed 7districts claimed it saves 1 billion a year close 35 more districts this will save 5 billion a year next

  2. clerkguy, where I am, the laziest are the younger people playing with their phones and Ipads all day. Not to mention their sense of entiltlement issues. So up yours, pal!

  3. Yes, I agree with D.B.’s last point…..one time MANDITORY retirement for all who are eligible, with NO incentive. They will receive a VERY nice retirement package as is, nothing extra needed. Also, in most cases they are the most unproductive employees in the USPS……just riding the gravy train in cushy jobs. In our office we have a group of senior clerks assigned to manual letters…..we do not need them all……they spend most of the time talking and joking among themselves while “working” at a snail’s pace……and does supervision EVER ask them to help out in other areas, like automaton, when things get hectic…..hell no…..besides, they probably couldn’t do it anyway, since it doesn’t envolve SITTING DOWN. Thanks for your service, adios, have a nice day! Many of those positions can then be abolished or PSE’s can be brought in…..that’s how the new contract that we (APWU) approved was designed to help reduce USPS expenditures. Let’s get it done!!

  4. Let’s just go to a 5 day delivery, most of the revenue is generated Monday thru Friday during normal business hours. This would save the post office thousands of dollars in fuel cost every week.

    The rural post offices do not need a post master to run that office, put a senior clerk in that position and at the same time assign that office the the next larger office and have that office answer to them.

    Finally most of all, employes that are close to retirement or over in years and age make them retire and then adjust to fill those position if need, but do it in a timely manner so that there are no short falls in service.
    We also need to have a better check and balances for work mans comp. Many employes go out and abuse the system, their has to be a faster response in catching the people who are abusing the system.

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