Official Office of Management and Budget Response to Preserve 6 Day Mail Delivery
A Balanced Approach to Reforming the Postal Service
Thank you for signing a petition about the U.S. Postal Service. We appreciate your participation in the We the People platform on WhiteHouse.gov and your concerns about the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in a challenging economy. The Postal Service is vital to the Nation’s commerce and communications, which is why we must act quickly to make the changes necessary to ensure its viability for years to come.
Postal volumes have dropped precipitously in recent years due to longer-run shifts in communication technologies and other economic factors. As a result, USPS accrued losses of $8.5 billion in 2010, and faced financial insolvency on September 30th. Without reform it is forecast to sustain greater losses this year and next.
However, the Postal Service needs more than just short term financial relief at this time; it needs a comprehensive plan for reform to ensure that it can be flexible and competitive in a changing marketplace. There are multiple ways to provide relief and reform, but the Administration’s proposal in The President’s Plan for Economic Growth and Job Creation [PDF] represents a balanced approach for postal workers, USPS, consumers, and taxpayers.
More specifically, the proposal includes a set of near-term financial relief measures that will provide the Postal Service with the time necessary to restructure its operations and take advantage of flexibilities in the proposal, such as the ability to cooperate with state and local governments and modest pricing flexibility.
In the longer term, we are proposing to help the Postal Service reduce its excessive operating costs by providing the flexibility to gradually move to 5-day delivery, beginning in 2013. Under USPS’ plan for how it would use this authority, post offices would still remain open on Saturdays, Express Mail deliveries would still be made 7 days a week, post office box deliveries would still be made on Saturdays, and USPS would continue to make Saturday deliveries in the busy weeks leading up to the winter Holidays. These and other cost structuring actions will ensure that the Postal Service remains viable for the medium- and longer-term.
We believe USPS’ financial situation demands such reforms and the Administration’s package includes provisions to reduce the impact for USPS workers and customers. We share petitioners’ concern for the health and viability of the USPS and developed this plan with the best interest of this vital institution in mind.
As we work to get our Nation back on a sustainable fiscal path, the Administration is making tough choices across the Federal government and asking everyone to do their fair share. These shared sacrifices are not easy, but together with investments in our economic growth and job creation [PDF], they will make us stronger and more competitive for the future.
Dana Hyde is Associate Director for General Government Programs, Office of Management and Budget
Occupy APWU HQ at 1300 L Street in Wash DC !
Get Real?
If you are not for Sat.deliverly
Better window services
Single stamp machines
Then you serve no purpose
Get real. Delivering mail on Sat. serves no purpose other than wasting money on gas delivering advertising junk mail. This day and time no one expects anything on Sat. other than junk mail. Loosing money on something that is not needed. Stop wasting money delivering JUNK mail on SAT..
“AtTrue patriot and murray you are right. Saturday delivery is political no one wants mail on saturdays”
Eat Crow
AtTrue patriot and murray you are right. Saturday delivery is political no one wants mail on saturdays. I work every Saturday its like a ice age no one around there off with family and friends enjoying there saturday
Save this veterans job. Eliminate Saturday and curbside delivery. I have a mortgage and young children at home. I need my representatives to do what must be done to save this company in the long term. Enough with the band aids. Everyone needs to support 1789 which puts the post office on a position of recovery and a solid foot for the future ahead. Write, call, email your local state reps and explain to them why it is important that they ignore the false rederick the NALC is spewing. At the rate they want us to go anyone with less than 25 years seniority is very unlikely to see any retirement, as the post office is unable to pay the salaries of it’s working employees. Support 1789 and believe me all of your “give me five” save the dues fund money is greasing hands as we speak. You must get your local and state politicians attention. Take 15 minutes right now to google their contact information and then spread the word.
elizabeth, you are a stupid fool. you want to complain about something you have been doing for 10 years? the usps should just let you go so you do not have to work at all let alone 6 days. I am astounded at people who would claim that 5 day delivery is ok. well i for one think mail should be delivered 7 days a week. no the employees should not work 7 or even 6 days a week, 5, eight hour days is what humans should be working. under stupid elizabeth why not just deliver 1 day a week? stupid fool
Its still veterans day for a few more hours, being a vet im still enjoying the hoops on the USS Carl Vinson, as a plank owner of the USS Nimitz i love these big bad ass ships.Thank you to all the men and women past and present of our armed services im very grateful to you all. Hope you enjoyed your day.
Sure miss riding those big storms of the Atlantic.
Unfortunately the PO has reached a point in which it has the option between closing the doors or laying off a chunk of it’s work force. 80% of all postal revenue is spent on labor salaries. Mail volume is steadily declining and has made it impossible to pay all of these salaries even if Saturday and curbside deliveries are cut. I sypmathise with the rookie workers at the PO. Your best hope for keeping your jobs is to support a bill like 1789 that would make it realistic for the post office to be able to keep you. You have to literally see it in an either the people at the top of seniority who should have retired go or the people at the bottom go. The NALC has proposed stupid little changes that would in a best case scenario save the post office a few million, in a time where it is ten billion in the hole this year alone. Barry your comment ignores the 73% approval from customers to cut Saturday and curbside deliveries. Your comment also fails to agnowledge the billions that are needed just to keep the doors open. Saturday deliveries alone cost the post office 3 billion a year and no matter what you think customers will never ever bring in enough revenue on Saturday’s to justify even a small fraction of that delivery days expenses. The bill clearly states that post offices would be open for sales and pick ups on Saturday’s and express mail would still go out seven days a week. Please read the entire bill and it’s amendments, before misinforming other readers of this blog. As far as curbside deliveries which the NALC indifferent to what is in the best interest of it’s membership Ignores, is the time waste, dog bites, slips and falls, and wear and tear on human carriers. The bill does not propose one huge box at the end of each block for all deliveries, but simply to make all boxes come down and out to the curb wether on a gate or a post. How can a union created to look out for wages and quality of life for it’s members openly seek out to sabotage a best case scenario bill like 1789, which would help us get back into the black, help us save jobs by making them affordable and reducing cost so that even closing of post offices can be kept to a minimum. If you are at the bottom of the craft ranks it is most definitely in your best interest to support this bill.
I AGREE with Barry…..you ppl need to be grateful that you actually have jobs, when the unemployment rate is hovering at 9%…The USPS headquarter think tank are doing their damage along with the Republican party of NO,…Things aren’t always fair but considering the economic problems we are facing, reducing to 5 DAY is NOT THE WAY!!!!
barry you are postal wipped, hget a life the po has you brainwashed
Hopefully IF we go to 6 day delivery, the first people that lose their jobs are all of you shortsighted self serving whining fools who complain about having to work 6 days. If you do not like the job then QUIT. I have worked 6 days for years as a city letter carrier and have nothing but sympathy for all of you who do not have the brains or guts to stand up for yourselves. The US Postal Service needs to remain on a 6 day cycle not only for our jobs but also for our customers who depend on what we deliver. Evaluated routes are a joke and are simply a way for management to get more for less….which is all well and good unless you are giving more and getting less….you all need to be saved from yourselves…..
one question that has not been asked enough is this?
how much of the decline in first class revenue the last five years has been
because of managements destruction of service and their stupid policies that
make customers jump trough hoops to use the postal service???? yes, the internet is out there and some people chose that route to pay their bills. however, i am inclined to believe a hell of a lot more of ex-postal customers would still be
paying their bills by check if not for the policies of postal officials that have understaffed windows, cut window hours, closed windows and retail outlets altogether. postal officials removed vending machines from postal lobbies that made it convenient for customers just wanting stamps to get in and out quickly. now, the customer waits in line or hopes that the ONE self-serve machine is functioning or dosen’t have a long line waiting to use it. bottom line is this, the current postal management gives nothing but lip-service to customer service.
almost all their actions screw over the postal customer and make using the post office more inconvient. then, postal officisals act amazed that first-class mail is decling! it ain’t the internet you ******* moron, it is postal management and their dumbass policies! the consumer has more choices today than ever before and those customers will not gravitate to a business like the current post office that
makes it more inconvenient to use. i know this is stating the ******* obvious but postal management certainly dosen’t get it. their policies are about to put the postal service into a deathspiral from falling revenues that the service will not
survive. a bit ironic that while these knuckleheads like donahoe claim they are trying to save the post office, their “save the post office policies” are the biggest reason the post office is losing revenue faster and may enter the deathspiral.
Some good stuff here maters, I know when i went to the coffee machine to buy a small cup of coffee it went up to 50 cents along with everything else chips, candy soda. All the things we buy… the cost goes up and up.
The postal services cost to mail things are a lot less then any other places in the world, a tip of the hat would be nice for a change for these people.
You mass markets get some low bulk mail rates. NO?
IMO there’s hoodwinking people out there that will scam a federal agency at the pubilc expence like the postal service for their own gain with no shame.
Hope there are people looking out for us as a nation?
close on saturdays put all boxes on the street and put the city carriers on an evaluated pay..and get rid of all who are getting paid big money for nothing..that will do it for a long time..
USPS must reduce real estate holdings and rents for Post Oficies that are not need. Money being wasted for non needed services not in demand which create no revenue but add to cost. Management levels must be reduced from headquarters staphs through area, districts, postmasters as well as some local large officies. Wasted practices that have no bearing on processing and delivering mail must be eliminated. Local supervision should insure that set procedures are followed in mail processing and delivery and eliminate someone from district or another office being paid mileage to check delivery units for any mail in a case or pinkcards 3982 lined out. F2, F4 groups traveling to officies checking nonrevealant data which reults only to increases cost for travel for these groups.
Routes adjustment based on DOIS info creating built in overtime which results in cost when mail received from processing offices 30-45 minutes late. Delivering mail in dark up to 1900.
USPS revenue is in massive decline as the core product to creat revenue is(was)
FIRST CLASS MAIL. VOLUME has decreased as DEMAND for this USPS POSTAL PRODUCT IS DECLINING with no future as Electronic mail has made means available to provide online personal and business communications. The INTERNET has made means for instanst messaging. Direct deposit, auto pay, and online processing has created the PAPERLESS means to communicate in business and personal communication. FIRST CLASS mail was a product of the 20th century which no longer requires physical delivery or need to purchase a postage stamp for a 1-2 day delivery frame. New APPS are being introduced to totally eliminate paper delivery to a physical address.
The market for the USPS is delivering advertising mail and parcels. This is the 21st century core products to create revenue. Operations to move from a defeict state must be based on COST EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS. 6 day advertising and parcel delivery to physical street addresses is an unnecessary cost as time is not a cruical element for these Postal products. FED X and UPS OPERATE IN SAME MODE FOR ITEMS NOT CRUICAL TO A SET DELIVERY TIME. When time is a factor an extra premium is paid to expedite same as EXPRESS and some Priority.
Sat. delivery for USPS core products, advertising mail and non time cruical parcel delivery is a TOTAL WASTED COST. Sat. mail delivery to phyical street addresses has no revealance to American individual or businesses this day and time in the 21st century. Eliminating Sat. mail delivery would eliminate petroleumn products for 292,000++ and workhours for delivery personnel.
Operations must be cost effective to break even as was the mandate under reorganization in the 1960s when mail delivery was cruical to individual and businesses. This is now history as advance communication technology has made the manual process of the 20th century obsolete.
Is anybody home?
elizabeth,
oops, i forgot to tell you one other thing. the post office is a little worried about the public being told about this pay-for-performance scam scheme they have going. they are so worried they are hiding some relevant information that needs to be made public. the post office has refused to release the details (by that i mean identifying exactly which employee got exactly how much bonus $$) of
the pay for-performance scheme money!! the post office is so worried about this information being seen by the public that they went to court to keep the details of exactly who got how much a secret. could the entire $20 billion dollar loss the post office claimed in fiscal years 2007-2010 could have been $20 billion dollars paid out in bonus money that the post office has refused to disclose? i really don’t think so but the post office is hiding the amount of bonus money paid out for a reason, and it ain’t a good reason. tel your family, friends, neighbors and anyone else that will listen about the post office’s pay-for-performance scheme!
have them contact their congressional rep and demand an inquiry. i also think the general public as well as postal employees can file a complaint with the office of the inspector general online. they need to go to the office of the inspector generals office THAT OVERSEES THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE TO DO THAT. there is an inspectors generals office for a lot of gov’t orginizations, so be sure to get the office of inspector general of the united states postal service.
ELIZABETH,
do you realize that while you have been working for the post office for 10 years without health benefits that postal managers have enriched themselves with the pay-for-performance BONUS PLAN? they give themselves and their connected buddies bonus money supposedly for “hitting their goals.” they lose billions and billions of dollars but these same idiots somehow managed to “hit their goals.
it really is laughable but the reality is it so harmful to the future of the post office it is sickening. hold on it gets worse. not only do they give themselves these bogus bonus raises, but the bonus raise is then added into their base salary for the next year. for example, say you have your average worthless supervisor making
70 thousdand a year. he gets a 3% bonus one year through the pay-for-performance bonus scheme plan, that equals 2,100 dollars. that 2,100 is then ALSO added into his base pay which becomes $72,100 the next year!!!!
what a racket eh? go out about ten years and the numbers climb very rapidly.
the postal regulatory commission or the office of the inspector general have failed miserably in holding postal management accountable for this obvious unethical bonus scheme plan. an ethical, moral company simply does not
hand out bonus money left and right when they also claim they are on the brink of
INSOLVENCY AND NEED A BAILOUT OF SOME SORT!!!!
elizabeth you are 100% right THERE SHOULD BE NO SATURDAY DELIVERY, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MAIL FOR EVEN 5 DAY DELIVERY, ITS A CRIME FOR USPS TO SAVE 3 BILLION A YEAR ELIMINATE SATURDAY DELIVERY. ITS THESE CONGRESSMAN AND UNION LEADERS THAT DONT WANT IT BECAUSE THEY STUFF THERE POCKETS AND GET THERE GREASY HANDS ON UNION DUES
I am a substitute rural route carrier. I believe there should be NO Saturday delivey!
The route I have been subbing for 10 years is a 6 days a week job. I dont feel people should work 6 days a week. Saturday delivery is ok if you have a route that is 5 days a week. Being a sub all these years is very difficult – I ALWAYS get stuck with flyers [even after the regular carrier has them for up to 2 days and knows I will have a heavy volume from mail after a holiday] I ALWAYS work after a holiday[that’s a given since there will be heavy volumn] And of course I dont have any health care benefits being a sub [albeit fot 10 years!]