WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, released the following statement reacting to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on overcapacity at the U.S. Postal Service and efforts to consolidate its mail processing network. The report was jointly requested by Sen. Carper, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).
“Today’s report confirmed much of what we already knew – that the U.S. Postal Service has gone to great lengths to reduce the number of mail processing centers it maintains in order to adjust its operations to reflect the changing demand for the products and services it offers. To date, the Postal Service has consolidated dozens of facilities, particularly Airport Mail Centers, saving billions of dollars annually. Yet despite these efforts, the Postal Service still maintains far more processing capacity than it needs to meet current demand in a cost effective manner. Many in Congress strongly believe that the Postal Service’s most recent proposal to close more than 200 additional mail processing facilities is the wrong approach. At the same time, the Postal Service is losing billions of dollars annually and mail volume is continuing to decline. I’ve long maintained that if something is worth having, it is worth paying for. If Congress wants to require the Postal Service to maintain additional mail processing facilities, we have to figure out a way to reduce costs elsewhere or raise revenues.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues to address the financial challenges facing the Postal Service – including the question of how many mail processing facilities should be maintained – when the Senate considers the comprehensive, bipartisan postal reform legislation that I have co-authored along with Sens. Lieberman, Collins and Scott Brown. As I’ve said time and again, the Postal Service’s financial crisis is dire, but it’s not hopeless. We can solve this problem if we work together to provide the Postal Service with the flexibility and resources it needs to survive in the 21st Century.”
To read the GAO report, please visit: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-470.
If this country can save AIG, Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GM AutoIndustry and others companes that’s not even an Federal Agency, why can’t save the Postal Service! Use taxpayers money on somethng that will benefit the whole country for once! We atr depending on congress to pass legislation that will keep the postal service universal mail delivery in tact and keep hundreds of workers employed and from beong uprooted from their present homes! We are depending on you congress!
Carper is only saying this and agreeing with the USPS because he managed to keep the Wilmington Processing center open when he stepped in during it’s approved AMP closure. It would seem unethical for someone on the subcommittee to use his power to keep HIS plant open when it was approved for closure. Wilmingtons numbers are bad, one of the worst in the district, and is closer to Philly Processing center than others that are PROFITABLE, EFFICIENT and PRODUCTIVE yet slated for consolidation or closure. Somehow, South Jersey, which was amp’d to close somehow came off that list also…another underperforming facility.
I understood his(pmg) comments on early outs where if we went to 5 days.
It did not sound like we would get one without the other. Our union will not allow the usps to go to five days. Congress will never pass a bill that reduces the service in hopes to grow business. Pmg needs to first reduce work force through early outs and that needs to be done across the board, until he reaches his magic number that will sustain our business. truth is even that will not help.
Look to England’s mail service.
WHEN!!!! If EVER!!!
like on Seinfeld YADA YADA YADA.
bin laden would have made a better president.
110,000 po mismanagers…90,0000 limited/lite/IOD….379,0000 workers…….who puts the S in Service, who is ripping off the payroll?
American Airlines announced 15,000 employees had to go, next day announced 1,500 AA managers would go.
at PO over 100,000 clerks gone last 4 years and NO po mismanagers gone?
every picture tells a story Rod Stewart
harley.. if what you posted is true that donahue in fact did make these statements then things need to happen fast. esp since it was announced yesterday that 3 consolidations will take place beginning may 19.. due to obligations of 60 day notice to employees and the bidding processes involved decisions on early outs and incentives need to be made very soon…
PMG Pat Donahoe during this week’s House hearing on the Postal Service.
PMG Pat Donahoe went to Capitol Hill Tuesday to support the Postal Service’s plan to return the agency to fiscal solvency, and to tell them of the VERA plans ( Early Retirement offers for April 2012).
Donahoe told legislators during a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy the comprehensive plan USPS has developed will produce a reduction in annual costs of $22.5 billion by 2016. He said the plan provides a “clear path toward financial stability” for USPS, but these have to include the Early Retirement Incentives in April 2012.
The PMG urged Congress to consider the comprehensive plan favorably. He said its adoption would allow USPS to meet its universal service obligations and its employees would continue providing reliable and affordable service to the public. “We believe it’s a responsible approach that’s fair to our customers and our employees especially being able to offer more of a retirement incentive in April 2012,” he said.
Lying to the workers and now to Congress, almost as bad as the Stimulus we never received from Obama and Congress, oh , that’s right the Greedy Wall street banks and the wealthy got it, and you think that Congress will do anything for Federal/Postal workers ?, what a joke!
Wheres the early out?This countrys in such bad shape because of the fools we have running it..The usps has to be one of the most stupid organizations out with incompentance starting with the postmastergeneral.It does not take a rocket scientist to get the usps back in financial stability.Early out,consolidate,dump management,and get a private organization to run the usps,and go down to a 5 day work week.These are just some examples of what can be done,also cut the salaries from those overpaid bums mgt….
No more talk……get to work………and AND DO YOUR JOB!!!!!