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Entry bubble The Post Office Dilemma

By: Jake | February 02, 2009 | Category: Money

postal carrierWhen I was a kid, I loved Saturdays because I was out of school, cartoons were on all morning and I got to check the mail. Nowadays I don't look forward to the mail unless something I buy online ships USPS ground.

It's not just bills that have made my enthusiasm wane for mailbox deliveries, it's the fact that I do more socializing and business online. I am part of the reason why the Postmaster General recently told the U.S. Congress that the United States Postal Service (USPS) may be forced to cut service from six days to five. 

While some of that money the IRS takes from you goes to the United States Postal Service, most of their money comes from you and I buying their services. Use of email, online ordering, using other delivery services and the economic downturn (less bulk mailings, etc.) has really put a dent in post office sales. In fact the USPS could face a deficit of more than $6 billion this year.

The post office could cut back on those losses by suspending service on Tuesday or Saturday, their slowest days. Congress and postal officials would need to approve this plan, which a member of Congress says he will not do.

Even though I don't look forward to the mail's arrival anymore and it makes business sense to me for them to cut a service day, there's just something wrong with the idea of mail being delivered five days a week.

What's your opinion? Should the USPS suspend service one day a week and if so, what day would you suspend it?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [35] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: jake   post_office_closing   united_states_postal_service   usps  

Comments (35):

blue comment bubble Posted by Dan on February 02, 2009 at 08:17 AM EST

My Mom remembers when mail was delivered twice a day; one morning delivery and one, afternoon.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Sara on February 02, 2009 at 08:27 AM EST

How many government agencies are using FedEx to send packages and overnight/priority mail? I know mine does. I think a shift needs to be made to support our neighbor agency. We are ONE government after all.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Bix on February 02, 2009 at 08:47 AM EST

I vote to not suspend service.
If it's a done deal, I vote to suspend it on Tuesdays, so the mail (yours and mine) doesn't pile up over the weekend.

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blue comment bubble Posted by barberoux on February 02, 2009 at 09:18 AM EST

I vote for Saturday and give the carriers a real weekend to enjoy.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Sue on February 02, 2009 at 09:31 AM EST

We are so spoiled in this country - cutting back one day a week on mail delivery is not going to put this nation in harms way - Tuesday would be the ideal day as I agree with prior comment of not building up weekend mailings.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Arun Sinha on February 02, 2009 at 10:19 AM EST

Yes, I think we should. We mostly get junk mail, i.e. it is mainly for the benefir of businesses who want to advertize cheaply. Most people use other means of communication to communicate iwth friends, family, and other businesses. So, cutting a day off the P.O. Services won't hurt; provided we can lower the taxes correspondingly.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Rita on February 02, 2009 at 11:22 AM EST

I think the Post Office needs some investigation.In the last three years,I mailed two checks that never got to their destination.The checks were never cashed,however. I was recently talking to a representative of our local bank,and she said she had the same thing happen to her when she mailed a payment to a nearby city.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Jake on February 02, 2009 at 11:28 AM EST

There are great opinions on here today. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Rita,

If you or anyone else for that matter has a complaint about USPS service, call 1 800 ASK USPS (1 800 275-8777). That's their customer service line.

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blue comment bubble Posted by John Quigley on February 02, 2009 at 12:46 PM EST

We have limited service on Saturday anyway, and since I do most of my work online and use the mail for only a couple of bills now and then, it really doesn't bother me that they want to shut down on Saturday. Personally, I think the government needs to get out of the mail business and let the PO compete like FedX and Brown have to do. They will probably become a lot more efficient if they don't have all those bosses (Senate and House) telling them what they can and can't do.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Randy T. on February 02, 2009 at 12:47 PM EST

Absolutely yes. We don't need mail on Saturday. Think of all the gas that will be saved, and the Postal workers get a real weekend. I would even like a 4 day week, and have the Post Office open at 8 AM and stay open until 6PM, Monday thru Thursday. Then people wouldn't have to take time off work to go to the Post Office.

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blue comment bubble Posted by jerry on February 02, 2009 at 12:48 PM EST

all post office employees deserve Sunday off. However, at the present time delivery of mail is set up so that the full-timer(FT) works a five day week and one day a week is used by a part-time employee(PTE). Thus, if a FT works M-F, then a PTE works that Sat. When a FT works T-S then the PTE will cover for the FT on Monday. This rotation has been in effect for about 50 or more years. If, therefore, mail is delivered ONLY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY no PTE is required and the savings of an employee's salary is accomplished. Of course, sickness,vacation, etc. would still require PTE but think of the savings!

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blue comment bubble Posted by Jason on February 02, 2009 at 01:26 PM EST

The Post Office does great work, not as good in some areas as their competition, tracking packages for example, but adequate.
The Costs however keep going up and up. They have one of the best medical retirement plans in the Nation, at the top of the Govt. heap. Govt. Employees who never worked a day for them figure out a way to get in on their retirement packages.

The other extremely costly activity in recent years, they have a hiring policy of hiring the least qualified indivduals in our society. Some of these people consistently deliver mail to the wrong houses, even the wrong streets, they are simply in the wrong jobs, the post office needs to change their hiring policy and at least be sure these folks can read. Meanwhile the older employees have to carry the load and make up for this nonsense.

Now they must cut costs:
Start with their retirement plan, stop the defined benefit plan and provide only a 401k with some match. This action has been taken every where else it is time the govt did the same thing.

Then eliminate the medical plan for retirement, they can go on medicare like the rest of the population, only provide a catastrophic plan as a supplement with a deductible of at least 5000. That is attractive compared to some of the deductables in the private sector. If they retire before the age of 65, no money of any kind until they are 65, no salary, no medical, period.
This needs to be done across all govt. employees regardless of thier function.

The time is now to get these elete pay systems reduced to what is consistent with the rest of the country in the private sector.

The very first action is to freeze all positions and then have a 10% layoff across the board, following that some admin types that are left will be required to take a route and do something productive.

In a nutshell, the above actions need to be taken now, no service cuts. These things alone will solve the problem.

They deliver less mail now, they should do it will less personnel, without a cut in services.

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blue comment bubble Posted by SHS on February 02, 2009 at 02:37 PM EST

I, too, recall when mail was delivered twice a day. I also recall when mail carriers and post office staff were friendly and when all mail carriers were able to read.

I use the U. S. Postal Service as little as possible because going to the post office is almost always an unpleasant experience with unhappy, arrogant, bullying and rude postal employees.

So, I am all for eliminating mail home delivery service on Tuesday AND Saturday. Anyone who needs to receive mail 6 days a week should rent a postal box from the USPS. That mail could continue to be put up 6 days a week.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Emmett Campbell on February 02, 2009 at 03:19 PM EST

Of the day to cut mail delivery would be ideal on Saturdays.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Connie on February 02, 2009 at 03:22 PM EST

I also remember when mail was delivered twice a day. Morning and afternoon and the mailman would have to carry a very large leather bag on his back.
I vote not to have the mail reduced to 5 days, as it is, the Post Offices are doing double duty..too much mail. What's going to happen if we go to 5 days delivery, I shutter to think, some mail may not be delivered, e.g third class mail.
If mail is light on Tusdays and Saturdays, why not deliver magazines and other advertisments on these slow days.
thank you for your time.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Guru on February 02, 2009 at 04:16 PM EST

Great article, plus it lets me get on my soapbox.

When I buy things on line, I have to pay the shipping and handling, BUT I am never allow to pick my shipper. I love dealing with the USPS never had any problems. I have seen UPS throw a my TV box from the back of the truck and drive off, during a rain storm, and yes it was broken and had to have another one shipped. More than few times UPS will leave my boxes on a porch miles from my house. FedEx is just as bad.

We need a law allowing the person paying of it to pick their shipper of choice.

If we are going to cut the days why not Saturday? Why Tuesday?

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blue comment bubble Posted by Jake on February 02, 2009 at 05:09 PM EST

By my count and I'm not a math person, the majority of you wouldn't mind discontinuing service one day. Saturday seems the most popular day to cut service with 6 of you saying it should be Saturday and only 2 of you saying Tuesday (and of course one of you says both).

I like Guru's point about being able to pick your own shipper. I recently bought some Washington Capitals tickets and the only choice I had was 2 day express delivery. The event isn't for another month so really it's unnecessary. :)

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blue comment bubble Posted by Adam on February 02, 2009 at 05:22 PM EST

Well, I never get mail it seems like later in the week. I think my mail person takes a day off anyways. On Thursday I got nothing, then on Friday I have an exploding mailbox.

Doesn't really bother me. We get more time to pay bills right?


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blue comment bubble Posted by Linda E, Las Vegas, NV on February 02, 2009 at 09:11 PM EST

I understand that a measure has to be implemented in order to thwart a mounting budget deficit at USPS however, cutting mail delivery by one day is do-able but not entirely effective. The day mail is not delivered means it will pile up for already overburderned and lean staff. So the agency would be right back to square one, trying to work harder in less time to get the mail out. This would cause delays in receiving mail several days and possibly employee overtime.

In addition, one less delivery day will throw off prescription mail outs and common bills e.g., utilities and credit card statements. It will cause a domino affect with consumers scrambling to make timely payments and get their medicines and supplies. This could also halt some mail out programs. But it's a do-able plan with many reaadjustments that need to be thought out very carefully.

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blue comment bubble Posted by RB on February 02, 2009 at 09:15 PM EST

I think Saturday delivery should be stopped. Saturday is not a standard business day. I think stopping delivery on a weekday is wrong. Business day mail should not be stopped. Delivery should be on a 5 day a week schedule just like businesses and schools.

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blue comment bubble Posted by maria ellis on February 02, 2009 at 10:14 PM EST

discontinue Saturday delivery, it only started in 1983, way before the internet and email etc...

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blue comment bubble Posted by Caroll on February 03, 2009 at 01:06 AM EST

I not only remember twice a day delivery, I also remember large mail box receptacles every few blocks in neighborhoods, so residents could put their mail in for pick-up at certain times of the day.

Every few years scheduling should be re-evaluated and revised to suit the needs of the community and not all will be alike, so some latitude in hours would probably work. As methods of mailings and transport change, it only makes sense.

In case it is not universally known, the mail carriers are allowed to work until their route is delivered and their work is completed at the P.O. for the day, then they can leave and still be paid for an eight hour day even if they work four, five, six, etc. I know this from first hand experience. Quite a perk, I would say. I 'm ambivalent about that as long as they do a good job and deliver my mail on time to my address, with the mailbox closed so it doesn't get wet in the rain and my magazines are not torn up. Their route stops are timed so that their work can be accomplished in a specified time frame. I think a light load of mail would be the only way they could manage a short work day. And we have to remember that certain times of the year their work load can be overwhelming. I don't know if they would then qualify for overtime because of that.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Patricia Ewert on February 03, 2009 at 03:44 PM EST

Yes I think they shoud cut a day. I think it should be a Saturaday,so they can have weekends off.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Katie on February 04, 2009 at 10:29 AM EST

I met my mail carrier around Christmastime of this year and he showed me the back of his truck - which was packed with letters and packages. It was already very late in the day and he told me that he gets paid the same whether it takes him 6 hours or 16 hours to get all that mail delivered. It made me feel better about sending emails instead of cards!

I have never had any problems with the USPS and I agree with the person who would like to be able to choose USPS when ordering items online. USPS would never leave a package at my front door unsecured like the UPS and Fed Ex guys do (no, I've never signed anything that says this is ok with me.) I wouldn't mind if I didn't have mail delivery on Saturdays, but I do like being able to go to the post office on Sat. mornings since I can't often get there during the week. With all the services available online and in machines, I rarely need counter service, but when I do, Sat. is about the only day I can make it.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Myoung Kang on February 06, 2009 at 06:09 PM EST

Home of the Brave not the Bailout

I, the undersigned, oppose a government (a.k.a. taxpayer funded) bailout of the financial and automotive industries.

A bailout would:

1. Tax the struggling private sector.
2. Reward irresponsibility and decades of bad planning.
3. Penalize innovators by taking private capital away from new ideas that could give rise to fresh economic opportunities.
4. Serve special interests.
5. Be a “quick fix” - ultimately less effective than filing for bankruptcy, which would force these companies to focus, reorganize, and innovate.
6. Bankrupt taxpayers instead.
7. Precipitate a dangerous reliance on government for bailouts, handouts, and protection from customer-driven change.

Change is not merely a political notion. It is an economic necessity. By bailing out industry, our government sends a signal: We fear change. We cannot cope. We can’t adapt.

America - Land of the Free - can and will roll with the punches. We have the courage to acknowledge our failures and learn from them. We seek adventure, entering new markets engineered by strong minds.

May we forever be the Home of the Brave, not the bailout.
Myoung Kang

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blue comment bubble Posted by Tom Price on February 08, 2009 at 12:43 AM EST

USPS is like government agencies and should learn to manage the business, Over the years there was always an unlimited cash flow and irresponsible management. The USPS workers pay and benefits are a big part of the financial issues. It is time for the government to take a hard look at all government salaries and services including the USPS. The pay and benefits should be more in line with private busienss for equal skill requirements. Continually raising the price of postage tp pay for increased pay and benefits is a joke. I feel certain my fellow Democrats who control Congress will have no other solution except top raise postage. So much for change.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Keely R on February 09, 2009 at 09:28 PM EST

I'm personally not aware of where all you people work. Some of you probably have it pretty easy and don't struggle too hard in life. Well I've got news for you I don't approve of this taking Saturdays away from our postal workers. Did it ever occur to you that they might need that Saturday and if they loose it they may get layed off. Trust me all of those people who have been there all their lives and are earning retirement can easily get a day off, I would know because my mother is the one on the other end of the deal that picks up everyone else's slack. And just because they're called a substitute doesn't mean they work part time. In fact most of them work more often than those who are actually earning any benefits. So beore you decide that this is a good idea really think about whats going on. Just think if you had a family at home to take care of and your boss just up and took one of your shifts away, I bet you wouldn't like it. No one likes a pay cut. And to all you people out there complaining about where your tax dollars are going to, you should consider this one of the good places because there are much worse thing it goes towards rather than the postal service, such as people on welfare that really could get a job, but instead they are soaking up your poor little tax dollars.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Vicky Bair on February 11, 2009 at 08:31 PM EST

Why not a Monday - That way postal workers could have a weekend like the rest of the people. Some people they only day they have to get to post office is a Saturday.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Vicky Bair from Bull Shoals on February 11, 2009 at 08:46 PM EST

In one town - depending on where you live - your only choice is a P.O. Box. Some places close on noon on Saturdays.

They are real sticklers if your mail isn't addressed properly. Case in point. Our church has a street address and mail goes to P.O. Box. Sometimes people addressing things to the Church put a street address on it. It gets bounced back to the sender because it didn't have correct address. Gees we are a Small Town. of 2000.

So I thnk also some of their expense is haveing to send mail back to sender. No one paid for that mailing.

Rural carriers - if one is sick - they may have to pull one from another area to run route and that person doesn't know the route and takes 2x as long. I like my postal carriers and not everything can be done online.

It was genius whoever came up with the forever stamp. People had thought that way for years about making that type of stamp.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Bob on February 14, 2009 at 03:00 PM EST

I think the time has come for us to realize this should be done...
I think the best day to ellminate the delivery would be Sat. because most buisinesses are closed...

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blue comment bubble Posted by Anita (Victoria, Australia) on February 16, 2009 at 09:10 PM EST

Wow - you guys have had it good, we have only ever had mail delivery five days per week. Now we have some post shops open on Saturday mornings in some shopping malls, but no delivery! I can't recall whether there was ever more than one delivery per day, but that's all we get now. And sometimes it's not very good...

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blue comment bubble Posted by chainsaw38 on February 17, 2009 at 06:01 PM EST

i think closing the post office one more day a week is a stupid idea based on the fact that if you are losing money do you really want to be shut down on a day of possible sales??? if anything the post office should OPEN on sundays but only for sales and not delivery. and maybe shut down some of these tiny tiny post offices that are burdens on the operations of the postal service. i saw an article that stated that there was a tiny office who's year intake was less then 1000 dollars but it was 12000 a year just to keep the power and utilities running plus the post masters salary of around 50000 plus the building was leased!!!!!!!! but apparently there is a law against closing post offices and this my friends is why the postal service is in trouble.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Unknown on February 18, 2009 at 02:24 PM EST

Yes, suspend Saturday delivery! Many people aren't even at home on the weekends!

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blue comment bubble Posted by go for it on February 22, 2009 at 10:06 PM EST

I vote for the post office closing on Sat. not Tues....the schools,
the doctors office , the attorney,even banks except for the drive
through are closed on Saturdays... the post office needs to cut
back on all the bonus checks given to the post master and all the
higher ranking officers..it would save them bundles...

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blue comment bubble Posted by terri on March 01, 2009 at 06:16 PM EST

saturday would be the best day to not deliver mail. Most businesses are closed on that day anyways. Besides carriers that carry the mail 6 days a wk all year could use 2 days off in a row. and nobody likes mondays so why even consider giving them 2. i mean carry saturday off sunday carry monday off tuesday carry wednsday just doesnt seem wise.

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