Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) issued the following press release:
Washington, DC—Today Congressman Chaffetz introduced HR 5919. This bill would grant USPS Postmaster General the authority to implement up to twelve “postal holidays” per year in order to reduce USPS operating costs. The Postmaster General would select days in which delivered mail volume is historically lower than normal. By reducing the number of delivery days, USPS will be able to achieve savings by reducing work hours.
“USPS is experiencing severe financial pressures due to competition from the Internet, reduced demand due to the recession, and large unfunded liabilities for retiree healthcare,” said Chaffetz. “While my bill will help to reform its dire financial situation, there is no silver bullet that will solve the Postal Service’s financial problems. Postal holidays are one of many steps needed to reform the Postal System. I am also supporting efforts to consolidate postal facilities by replicating the successful BRAC process that was used to close surplus military facilities.”
• In past three years, USPS has lost $12 billion and is expected to lose about $7 billion this year.
• At the end of FY 2009, USPS was $10 billion in debt and is expected to reach its maximum debt limit of $15 billion in 2011.
• USPS Postmaster General John Potter has stated that USPS could lose $238 billion over the next ten years unless significant reforms are implemented.
• The USPS retiree health benefit plan was $52 billion underfunded at the end of fiscal year 2009.
hey i want my damn magazines on saturdays not delayed to monday , and furthermore when i go on vacation monday to friday i rather go through my mail on saturday when im home than recieve it on monday when i go back to work with no time to catch up on a weeks worth of mail . KEEP SATURDAY DELIEVERY
I love these folks that say get rid of days like Tuesday. What a bunch of selfish,envious POS’es. Like postal workers do not have families. We do not have ballgames to go to on Saturday for our kids , or just want to enjoy a day with the family at a beach or a movie or whatever. Do not kid yourself folks. Many of the people that still want us to deliver on Saturday, are just miserable folks that wish they worked for the USPS. They feel a little bit better about themselves because we get to work on Saturday and they do not.
ANYMAN you make too much sense. It really is stupid that in they year 2010, USA is only nation that has m-f, and that includes Canada as well having m-f. How can we preach about monetary waste and most importantly environmental waste, to the rest of the world , when we blatantly, abuse the environment on so many levels , in order to appease a few people still living in the age of the dinosaurs??? It is beyond stupid! I think the reason these congressman are fighting it so much is because the old farts are the ones that vote in the highest numbers. Gutless public servants, should anyone be surprised.
They just don’t get it,the PO want to reduce staffing but dont want to spend any money. Offer a real early out and one year pay and get out the way because lots of senior employees will take these assholes up on the offer, write your congress person and anyone else who listen. Spend a little money now and the payroll would be down next year.
This is just a precurser to five day delivery. Start with one Saturday a month and we will prove that we are not needed “every” Saturday…
Does’nt everyone understand rhar craft employees are not paid by the hour. Our pay is set by the collective bargaining agreement and if congress/Potter wants to pay me to sit at home fine with me. I could use the extra time off especially in July/August time frame.
You’re an IDIOT!! You must be in Management! or just stupid like PMG POTTER, who should be FIRED!! (A long time ago) pull your head out of your/ (managements) rear end and take a look at the big picture, Potter is a liar, and he continues to LIE. The USPS is so TOP HEAVY! and needs to be reduced by at least 75% Why do we need so many Executive Managers??? They are the reason for the failure of the USPS, starting with PMG POTTER, if they (HIS FLUNKIES) weren’t sucking up to him so much, hell if he made a fast turn they would all break their necks that’s how far their heads are up his butt, I say “FIRE” ALL OF THEM!! and put someone in charge who has the “BEST” interest of the USPS as their “PRIORTY” and who wants to “SERVICE” our CUSTOMERS, (NOT CUT SERVICE) like Potter is doing! How do we generate REVENUE? if PMG POTTER CONTINUES CUTTING SERVICE??? WE NEED TO GROW THE USPS, NOT SHRINK IT!!
What is wrong with taking the lightest day-Usually Tuesday. And while we are at it, get the $75 billion bac and start cutting at the top instead of at the bottom where all the workers are that move the mail everyday!
I thought that everyone was saying that eliminating delivery days wouldn’t create a savings? What is going on. Just eliminate saturday and be done with it….cmon.
FINE, MR CHAFFETZ, GO AHEAD AND CUT THE USPS HOLIDAYS, AND WHILE YOUR AT IT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS FOR ALL CONGRESSIONL POSITIONS AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF RECESS’ FOR WHICH CONGRESS TAKES IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR, AN INSTEAD OF ALL CONGRESSIONAL RETIREES RECEIVING THEIR $15000 A MONTH RETIREMENT ANNUITY LET THEM RETIRE ON SOCIAL SECURITY LIKE THE REST OF US.
why do these republican morons continue to use potter’s 238b as a measure, when it is clear to all intelligent people that those numbers can not be substantiated. Congress questioned these numbers and potter could not give them an accurate response. He couldn’t give them any basis for those numbers
Be consistant. Make the twelve lightest days be one after the other. It’s called a route count. The volume goes away, like magic.
why not have the Postal Service work 10 hours a day, 4 days a week. It should save on the overtime they are paying out now. Two days could run consecutively and the other when mail volume is the lowest day. Everyone would be working 7 days a week, but with differnent days off, and should save the Post Office some money.
oh my god this could be the dumbest congressman yet.
he has all his fact wrong and has no clue what so ever what we do at the post office like what the mail for that holiday will just disapear so we dont have to work it the day after ?? what a moron
Stop the insanity, this is the same guy that was the only dissenting vote on the subcommittee’s vote to straighten out the postal services finances, the bill would take the money that was overfunded into the csrs retirement fund and transfer it to the funding of future retirees health benefits. This would satisfy the ridiculous mandate that we fund “future retirees health benefits” . Going forward we would be breaking even or making a profit every year.
Where is the study that shows the feasibility or cost savings of this new bill? 12 weeks a year you have these postal holidays and the other 40 weeks you don’t??
Utter nonsense, how does this bill even get to the floor and once there how is it not challenged. The basis for this is as follows.
Future deficits by the year 2020 of 238 billion. This is laughable right after being challenged on this bs figure Potter said it was an estimate and worst case scenario, since then it has been proven to be a completely erroneous figure yet for their own benefit they continue to use this figure as fact.
Enron has nothing on USPS. The way a USPS is losing money and spending money like a drunken Sailor. Giving Bonus, hiring more Staff, more casual employees, bigger and better machines. Its all about the Union contracts this year. Make it look worse than it is and save in the next four contract years. Here the answer STOP hiring anybody, get rid of all casuals, put a freeze on new building, stop remodels, put a freeze on all new machine, put a frreeze on union contracts……I would say that would save 15 Billions dollars
This cingressman hasn’t a clue of what is going on in the Postal service. Janedoe said it best, PMG Potters numbers are made up, and when you take away the 5.4 billion paid every year for the last three years the PO would have made a profit of two billion. Would someone please wake this clown up, he’s dangerous.
Why would anyone want to see a five day delivery system that would unemploye 30-50,000 blue collar carriers?
Rep. Chaffetz is mis-informed. The $238 billion figure was admitted by the Postmaster General to be ‘ theoretical”, which in political talk is a lie. Chaffetz’s bill is just another Republican attack on the middle class.
The Postal Service employees do not need 12 days without pay during a recession. Do you ?
It is not up to Shuffitz to clear up anything. He can’t introduce a bill contrary to what has been agreed to under Collective Bargaining. He probably is talking about furloughs (unpaid). He probably does not understand Collective Bargaining.
No where in this article does it say the “holidays” are paid holidays. All over the country public employees like cops and firefighters are being furloughed without pay. I’d reserve judgement until Chaffetz clears up this point.
retirement is OVER funded by 75 billion! And Potters number of 238 billion loss is just a made up number as he himself has admitted. Sheesh, how many idiots do we have in office?
I think the so called days closed would be non-paid. I still think it is stupid. I do not understand the hangup of just getting rid of Saturday. This is so dumb. The rest of the world only has m-f and they are managing just fine. Just freaking do it already. The mail volume does not justify a 6 day week. What about the environment? Saving energy ,fuel and reducing pollution is a good thing.
oh and the retire health benefit is OVER FUNDED NOT UNDERFUNDED LIKE HE SAYS IN HIS LAST LINE.
Not without changing the contract can he do this and if he does then it will not save the PO any money because you will be paying people to sit at home on administrative leave….and forget about the overtime paid out to catch up after one of these days off..people he wants a day off without pay each month…don’t you get it?
Republican from Utah. Nuff said.
Brilliant Idea! Rep Chaffetz should get a BOZO button! Keep the brilliant ideas coming IDIOT’S!