WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) late Thursday introduced legislation to strengthen the hand of rural communities in fighting post office closures in southern West Virginia.
“For more than two-hundred years, America’s postal system has helped to bind us together as a nation. When one looks at the hit list of targeted postal closures, it becomes clear how those closures could unravel our nation’s tight-knit fabric of commerce and communication. The bill I have introduced aims to help ensure that our small, rural postal facilities are not made to bear the brunt of the Postal Service’s nationwide budgetary challenges,” said Rahall, who has been vocal and active in fighting postal closures in southern West Virginia.
The bill – H.R. 4335, the Postal Service Accountability Act – would strengthen the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the independent regulator of the Postal Service, enabling it to act as a check on postal closures, directing the Commission to focus on the community impact of a closure. As part of the appeals process, which already exists in current law, the measure would give the PRC a binding authority to block a post office or sorting facility closure, and would increase, from two to three, the number of Commissioners needed to affirm a closure. Currently, PRC opinions are nonbinding and only two Commissioners are necessary to affirm a closure because of a vacancy on the Commission.
It also would apply the revised appeals process to postal sorting facilities. Currently, there is no appeals process for mail processing facilities. In addition, the Postal Service would be required to do an after-the-fact review one year after a closure to ensure mail delivery services have been maintained.
“Our residents and small businesses rely on the Postal Service for basic mail necessities – for sending bills and packages, newspaper deliveries, and reaching customers – especially in our more rural areas where internet access is limited. Cutting off services to rural areas simply is not an option. It’s not an option for seniors who need their mail-order drugs. It’s not an option for towns where the post office serves as the heart of the community. These closures will disrupt lives and local economies and there needs to be a better mechanism in place to ensure that those concerns are addressed,” said Rahall.
The Postal Service has implemented a moratorium on postal closures through May 15. The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider postal reform legislation later this year to address the Postal Service’s financial problems.
BaddBoyy: Forget trying to correct the grammar and spelling (or whatever else) in these posts. Most supervisors didn’t bother to learn either, and it would be a never ending quest on your part.
Malik: Great tongue in cheek post. But did we need it twice? You should be writing skits for Colbert…
The abbreviation for West Virginia is WV not W Va.
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — National Association of Letter Carriers President Details Union’s Concerns about Legislation in Letter to U.S. Senators
Fredric V. Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), has formally called on the U.S. Senate to pass S. 1789 — the 21st Century Postal Service Act – because it is getting very late, it will provide long-term fixes. He said that while the measure “will provide resources to allow the Service to recover within a few more years, it will change the downward trajectory of this vital institution.”
The NALC and APWU will join forces in a demonstration March, for Tuesday , April 3rd, 2012, the buses will meet you in the parking lots , located at 1580 Lake Street, in Elmira, NY , call your National or local for directions, all expenses will be paid.
In a letter sent today to each U.S. senator, Mr. Rolando stated, “S. 1789 appears to be based on the Postal Service’s Retirement Incentive strategy, which will alleviate the excessing of employees .
Mr. Rolando said NALC has “no choice but to Support S. 1789.”
Mr. Rolando noted that just last week, a USPS witness before the Postal Regulatory Commission acknowledged that a study ordered — but later stopped — by the Postal Service on its own plan for service reductions indicated that the “combined effects of all the service cuts under consideration, including the elimination of Saturday delivery (and 80,000 delivery-related jobs), would not be so severe if The Early Retirement Incentives were offered now.
Other key points from Mr. Rolando’s letter about the Decent Retirement Incentives in S. 1789:
It adequately addresses the single biggest cause of the Postal Service’s recent financial distress, the mandate imposed by Congress in 2006 that the Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health insurance benefits. That mandate — required of no other government agency or private business — has cost USPS $21 billion over the past five years. It is money that could have been used to offer the Early Retirement Incentives in April 2012, in a more lucrative way.
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — National Association of Letter Carriers President Details Union’s Concerns about Legislation in Letter to U.S. Senators
Fredric V. Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), has formally called on the U.S. Senate to pass S. 1789 — the 21st Century Postal Service Act – because it is getting very late, it will provide long-term fixes. He said that while the measure “will provide resources to allow the Service to recover within a few more years, it will change the downward trajectory of this vital institution.”
The NALC and APWU will join forces in a demonstration March, for Tuesday , April 3rd, 2012, the buses will meet you in the parking lots , located at 1580 Sullivan Street, in Elmira, NY , call your National or local for directions, all expenses will be paid.
In a letter sent today to each U.S. senator, Mr. Rolando stated, “S. 1789 appears to be based on the Postal Service’s Retirement Incentive strategy, which will alleviate the excessing of employees .
Mr. Rolando said NALC has “no choice but to Support S. 1789.”
Mr. Rolando noted that just last week, a USPS witness before the Postal Regulatory Commission acknowledged that a study ordered — but later stopped — by the Postal Service on its own plan for service reductions indicated that the “combined effects of all the service cuts under consideration, including the elimination of Saturday delivery (and 80,000 delivery-related jobs), would not be so severe if The Early Retirement Incentives were offered now.
Other key points from Mr. Rolando’s letter about the Decent Retirement Incentives in S. 1789:
It adequately addresses the single biggest cause of the Postal Service’s recent financial distress, the mandate imposed by Congress in 2006 that the Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health insurance benefits. That mandate — required of no other government agency or private business — has cost USPS $21 billion over the past five years. It is money that could have been used to offer the Early Retirement Incentives in April 2012, in a more lucrative way.
PRC should act a check point on postal closures.PRC should also act to close -consolidate small community post offices that have valid service reason to continue as tremendous savings could be created and service not affected. Many of these offices are in now suburbs of a large town or city and the once need for a community post office paying a postmaster $63000.-$72000. is not a reality this day and age for a Postmaster selling stamps to be paid a salary of such magnidtue as the responsibly no longer exist. Salary should be paid that is based on responsibilty not working as a sales clerk. Management pressure groups would use wasted political pressure to maintain these pm positions as due are created from pm organizations such as pm league and NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF POSTMASTERS.
This is just a start!Congress needs to step up and stop the distruction of the Post Office .Any Congressman or Congresswoman who doesn’t should be investigated for corruption !Everything being done now is to distroy the postal service so they can Privatize it!
Considering how simple this plan is that alone will be reason enough for it not to be made a law, too bad.
AT THE SAME TIME THE BIG WIGS IN THE POSTAL SERVICE ARE GETTING THOUSANDS IN BONUSES, WE ARE CUTTING PEOPLE BACK TO 30 HOURS A WEEK AND BRINING PEOPLE IN ON OVERTIME. WHAT GENIOUS THOUGHT THIS ONE UP TO LOOSE MORE MONEY. WHY IS IT THEY TRANSFER SUPERVISORS OFFICE TO OFFICE AND CALL IT DOWNSIZING OF THE OVERHEAD. I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE STAYING ON THE BUTTS OF ALL THE CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS, VOTE THEM OUT IF THEY DO NOT VOTE WITH US TO SAVE JOBS. AND YOU TO SUPERVISORS THAT ARE HIDING BEHIND YOUR HANDLES.