Washington, DC – December 23, 2011- U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and one of the authors of bipartisan postal reform legislation, today issued the following statement regarding the Postal Regulatory Commission’s advisory opinion on the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to close almost 3700 post offices and other retail facilities. The Postal Service is required to ask the PRC for a non binding opinion on nationwide service changes.
The PRC said “the Commission’s primary finding is that the (closure plan) was not designed to optimize the network. The Commission recommends the use of modern optimization tools and techniques to better maximize net retail revenues while fulfilling statutory service obligations.”
“The Commission’s unanimous findings support my and many of my colleagues’ skepticism about the wisdom of mass postal closures without a more thoughtful, transparent, and data-driven process,” said Senator Collins. “Fortunately, such a process is included in the 21st Century Postal Reform Act, which I authored along with Senators Lieberman, Carper and Brown. Our bill would require the Postal Service to find savings and internal efficiencies first – before raising prices and cutting service that could drive away the very customers keeping the mail in business. Today’s PRC opinion only highlights the increasing urgency for Congress to pass comprehensive postal reform if we are to preserve the Postal Service for the next generation of Americans.
Operate cost effective. Stop delivering sales-advertising circulars on Sat.. as 99%
of mail delivered on Sat. is JUNK MAIL. SAT. STREET DELIVERY IS A TOTAL WASTED COST. PRC and Senator Collins should recognize Sat. mail delivery is a tradition of past times as the USPS is not the means of communication in the 21st century. Electronic mail diversion has decreased the demand for USPS services as is reflected in the massive decline of first class mail volume. The USPS starts the new year 2012 with a $139 million dollar loss.Eliminating 52 delivery days would result in substantial savings in petroleumn and workhour cost.
The original problem was the prefunding, but the problem now is the pmg in charge of the worlds largest distribution nework.clueless,incompetent or nefarios motives in need of investigation by the justice dept
ANOTHER IDIOT WITH ANOTHER PROPOSAL TO SAVE THE POST OFFICE….STOP ALL THE PROPOSING …AND FREAKING DO SOMETHING ALL YOU JERK OFFS IN CONGRESS…
WHERE OH WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE US….HAS ANYONE SEEN HIM..I MEAN BESIDES THE LAST VACATION THAT THE FAMILY TOOK PICTURES OF….THIS GUY THINKS THAT THE JOB GIVES THE FAMILY CARTE BLANC TO TAKE VACATION AFTER VACATION…THE MOST VACATIONS EVER FOR A PRESIDENT…THE MOST ..LOOK IT UP…WHILE THE COUNTRY IS BURNING TO THE GROUND AROUND HIM….WHEN WILL THIS BUFOON FLEX HIS PUNY MUSCLES TO PUT THE HEAT ON THESE ASSES IN THE HOUSE…WE NEED HELP…HE GAVE..NOT LENT…GAVE THE BANKS ZILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET OUT OF THEIR MESS….THEN ALL THE BANKS GIVE THEMSELVES MILLIONS IN BONUSES.,…BONUSES…I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT YOU GET A BONUS FOR A JOB WELL DONE…I GUESS THAT ASS THINKS THAT THEY DID A GREAT JOB….EMPTY YOUR POCKETS OBAMA…IS THAT MONEY I SEE….
Republican Senator Susan Collins is all wet on this issue, and proves it with this legislation. It was HER bill in 2006 that has DIRECTLY CAUSED the pending bankruptcy of an institution older than the nation itself. Now, just 5 years later, again comes the misguided Senator with yet ANOTHER quick fix. Really, Sue? If you really want to save the USPS, repeal your initial PAEA of 2006, and go away.
And while I’m at it, fellow postal workers unite in telling Barak Obama to reconsider his decision to appoint a Republican as chair of the PRC. The President has been on the wrong side of postal affairs, and needs to stop using the USPS as a bargaining chip with Republicans. Democrats have been too slow in responding to this crisis, and have been offering up our benefits when negotiating this issue.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, just look at the numbers. We will have processed over 170 BILLION pieces of mail this year, not far off record numbers. Paying $5 BILLION annually for future retirement benefits is 80% overcharged, we are top heavy, understaffed in the labor aspect, and now designed to anger the public with long lines and shorter window hours. In other words, Sue Collins, the “MAINE” reason for our demise is your bill. Can you hear me now?
Want post office earn big bucks? sell it to private, run it by private.
Finally the words are making sense. I just hope the actions begin to make sense as well. Losing the standards means losing the service. Losing the service will bring about serious repercussions to the entire fiber of our nation.
I just hope those with any influence will have the broad mindedness to see how fundamental and necessary the Postal Service is to our society.
The Post Office is legally required to deliver mail to every house and business. any change to that needs to be addressed thru Constitutional amendment. Anything short of that is Unconstitutional. and that will be challenged in courts of law.
The Post Office is legally required to deliver mail universally. any change to that needs to be addressed thru Constitutional amendment. Anything short of that is Unconstitutional. and that will be challenged in courts of law.
Senator Collins did such a great job for the Postal Service with her PAEA of 2006. I am sure her new bill will be equally good.
Start the cuts at the top with management. Over 700 hired since 2006.
Ups and Fedex are paying Donahue big bucks to destroy us!
haven’t we seen the “increased urgency for reform” talk out of the mouth of
clueless donahoe and do-nothing congress for about four years now?
it seems to me that these two bureaucratic bodies (donahoe and congress)
are the knuckleheads mainly responsible for the revenue decline to begin with
because of their pastpresent assinine decision making. now, these same clowns are going to save us…..lol i think not, we’re doomed.
please release me…
let me go…
for i don’t love you anyhmore..
I agree with the senator. The processing center I work in ‘springfield iI’ is also slated to close. The results of their AMP study are to read tonight. We have already looked at some of the numbers they have disclosed and predictably, they don’t add to any savings for the service. In fact, there is almost a 40 million dollar lost if they continue with the closing of our plant. Of course, they will deny this figure, but our sources are accurate!
When will all the talking end and some action take place? How many months is it going to be before we know what Washington is going to do to help the Post Office? I can’t believe this is taking so long, closing 3700 facilities? How is the P.O. suppose to deliver service with that many units gone? Is this the PMG’s plan? Seems to me he’s destroying the service not saving it. Where’s the President on this matter?