From the National League Of Postmasters:
Facts
• The Postal Service has embarked on a massive drive to close rural post offices, mostly small rural post offices. More than 3600 are on the chopping block this year and 12,000 additional small post offices stand ready to be closed in the next several years.
• The Postal Service operates without any tax dollars. All income is from postage. Thus the closing of small post offices has no effect on federal tax revenues/government spending, or the federal deficit.
• If the Postal Service were to close the smallest 10,000 post offices, it would only save 7/10s of one percent of its revenue. Thus closing small post offices has no appreciable effect on postal revenues and thus no effect on the Postal Service’s current financial challenges.
• All of these statements are based on recent data from the Postal Regulatory Commission. See www.prc.gov as well as www.postmasters.org.
Challenges
• Only Congress can stop this. It is up to local government officials and leaders to explain the devastating effect that closing their post office will have on their community. Some Congressmen and Senators do not understand this, and think that closing a rural post office will have no seriously negative effect on a community so long as the community continues to receive mail service.
• While postmasters have explained this, some in Congress have discounted their views, suggesting that the fear of losing their jobs have motivated postmasters to distort the truth. Thus community leaders and local community officials need to show Congress otherwise, and explain why closing their post offices will harm their community.
• Efforts should focus on the nonpostal effect on these communities—i.e., effect on business development, existing businesses, law enforcement, jobs, and citizens without bank accounts, computers, and cars—depending upon the circumstances of their local community.
• The “village” post office that postal officials are talking about putting, in some cases, in communities would only sell stamps, flat rate boxes and perhaps post office boxes. Nothing more. One could not send a soldier in Iraq a care package from one of these facilities. Nor could one buy a money order to pay a bill.
source: National League Of Postmasters
I am a senior citizen in the town of Grubbs. I need a full service post office because I am unable to do my bill paying and other tasks without a post office. I am uable to drive to an out of town Post office to collect my mail,buy stamps, or a money order, or mail a package,or even pick up any packages that are sent to me. I would be even more handicapped with out a full service Post Office. Our local rural post office is less that 7/10s of one percent of the Postal Service budget.
It’s all about change and that is what the USPS is faced with now. People must understand the adjustment(s) the Postal Service are faced with today in order to survive. Pardon the inconvenience but it is what is. The USPS needs flexibility from the unions they must step up to the plate or face extinction. Times are changing and people will travel the extra mile if need be. Congress must step up to the plate and look at the USPS big picture, if the unions don’t help the $$$$$$$ will end. How much is spent toward grievances and postal management using all means available to move the mail without getting hit with a grievance that cost $$$$$$$$.