WASHINGTON – ( Julu 23, 2009) Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) today introduced legislation to help address the dire financial situation facing the United States Postal Service.
Sen. Carper, as chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the postal service, has been closely monitoring its deteriorating financial condition and has been seeking way to keep the mail flowing.
“The economic slowdown and the ever-growing electronic diversion of the mail have put a serious strain on our nation’s Postal Service,” said Sen. Carper. “We in Congress must provide some way to help preserve the vital services post offices provide for American families and businesses.”
Recently, Postmaster General Jack Potter and Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Carolyn Gallagher notified Congress and officials at the Treasury Department that the Postal Service will not make its $5.4 billion retiree health, pre-funding payment by September 30, as required by law.
That is why Sen. Carper introduced his “Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009” to restructure the postal service’s retiree health payment schedule to produce significant cost savings over the next several years. The Carper bill also gives the postal service more borrowing authority to meet its financial obligations and get through this current fiscal year and next.
“This bill will put the Postal Service on more sound financial footing as we approach the crucial holiday shopping season. I am confident that with the changes called for in my bill, the Postal Service can continue to provide the quality service we all depend on,” said Sen. Carper. “But this bill is not a silver bullet that will fix everything wrong with the Postal Service. Its management also needs to find ways to attract new business and further streamline operations. And, Congress and postal employees need to continue to work closely with management to keep the Postal Service running smoothly and reliably.”
The Postal Service expects mail volume to be roughly 175 billion pieces this fiscal year, a decline of 38 billion pieces since 2007. The Postal Service is also projecting a loss of $7.1 billion in FY2009 despite its success in working toward $6.1 billion in cost cutting in one year.
Sen. Carper hopes this bill will be enacted into law before Congress adjourns in August.
15 thoughts on “Sen. Carper Introduces Bill To Ease Financial Strain On The Postal Service”
Comments are closed.
Negative. We make the PO go. You all are just peons to be walked over.
We need to cut the large paper trail. Where do we cut first? A City carrier was getting 56 hours + a week 2 years ago. Now a city carrier will be lucky if they get 42 hours a week.
This is a major cut of a City Carriers take home pay check.
Why do supervisors, postmasters, and management still get the same pay. It is not viably sound. They should take a cut in pay too.
Anonymous talks a lot of BS against craft employees. He must be a 204-BS or a dumb mgr. He’s too dumb to be a mail carrier.
SAYS is correct … Anonymous will not last (at all) as a mail carrier!! He’s too lazy and butt-sucking type! Fire his butt!!
Anonymous talks a lot of BS against craft employees. He must be a 204-BS or a dumb mgr. He’s too dumb to be a mail carrier.
SAYS is correct … Anonymous will not last (at all) as a mail carrier!! He’s too lazy and butt-sucking type! Fire his butt!!
Anonymous talks a lot of BS against craft employees. He must be a 204-BS or a dumb mgr. He’s too dumb to be a mail carrier.
SAYS is correct … Anonymous will not last (at all) as a mail carrier!! He’s too lazy and butt-sucking type! Fire his butt!!
Unbelievable, that is what anonymous knows about how hard most postal carriers work. Management is another story. To say the post office is top heavy is an understatement. Walk a mile in my shoes sir and you would quit in a day if you lasted that long.
There are way too many layers of management!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I need more Vice Presidents!
ten supervisors..ya think thats enough for one station?? Our short hours people are raking in the dough everyday. Yet, we need those ten supervisors.
Fire Potter and Company. They are raping the USPS of millions. The crafts need more people.
it is not lazy workers but more mgnt that refuses to change workers will position the laborers to do anything that keep 6 day delivery and save the thousand of jobs that are at stake nationwide. Mgnt refuses to make any consessions on their end of the crisis , the usps needs to move forward and focus on product that make money. Junk mail is worthless to everyone, we need to make money on the products that are worth selling!
The postal service, in order to survive, must find a way to reduce 50-60% of management. In the real world no large organization survives with a 6:1 ratio of management to craft workers.
You can attract new business, but you’ve got to start cutting management. They’ve already drastically cut craft, now it’s time to cut management.
the postal service is a classic example of an institutionalized entitlement. incompetent managers and lazy workers, a real circus!