Lawmakers raise concerns about Postal Service overhaul

The U.S. Post Office will no longer promise a second day delivery—even if the letter is sent just five miles.  They have converted 190,000 employees to career employees while the number of mail pieces have gone down by 50%.  The Post Office lost almost $10 billion last year.  I can not wait till Muck and Vivek redo the Post Office.

““The fundamental issue is USPS has an unsustainable business model,” said David Marroni, who has studied the agency’s operations for the Government Accountability Office.

During a testy Senate Oversight Committee hearing last week, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said mail volumes have plummeted over the years, and the agency needs to cut costs to make up lost revenue.

“The survival of mail and the Postal Service itself depends on successfully navigating this irreversible volume shift,” DeJoy said.

But that has proven challenging, despite additional funding for the Postal Service passed by Congress two years ago.

“You are not meeting your financial targets. You are hemorrhaging cash when you said you would be making money. Delivery in Georgia has been abysmal this year. You have not recovered as you said you would, ” said Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia).”

Musk fire 80% of twitter employees and the new “X” is working very well, without them.  Bet the Post Office could shed 50% of its employees and get better service.  What do you think?

Lawmakers raise concerns about Postal Service overhaul

KCRA,  12/8/24   https://www.kcra.com/article/lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-postal-service-overhaul/63126558

The US Postal Service says it’s ready for the holiday season but faces scrutiny from lawmakers over its long-term plans.

The U.S. Postal Service says it’s ready for the holiday rush after recent upgrades, but the agency faces tough questions about its future on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers are concerned about how a major reform effort, including plans to consolidate facilities and collection routes as early as next year, could impact service for their constituents.

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The Postal Service says key investments in delivery centers and package sorting machines are helping them pick up the pace in its peak season.

The growing focus on the package business is part of a broader system overhaul, branded as the “Delivering for America Plan.” The 10-year roadmap is aimed at fixing a long-standing problem.

“The fundamental issue is USPS has an unsustainable business model,” said David Marroni, who has studied the agency’s operations for the Government Accountability Office.

During a testy Senate Oversight Committee hearing last week, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said mail volumes have plummeted over the years, and the agency needs to cut costs to make up lost revenue.

“The survival of mail and the Postal Service itself depends on successfully navigating this irreversible volume shift,” DeJoy said.

But that has proven challenging, despite additional funding for the Postal Service passed by Congress two years ago.

“You are not meeting your financial targets. You are hemorrhaging cash when you said you would be making money. Delivery in Georgia has been abysmal this year. You have not recovered as you said you would, ” said Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia).

Senators also raised concerns about mail delays impacting prescriptions, rent payments, and Social Security checks, among other important items.

“When can we expect mail delivery back down to the two-day standard?” asked Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada).

“We are at about 85% on time, 95% a day later. We will be in that condition for probably the next 8 to 12 months,” DeJoy responded.

But lawmakers fear wait times will get longer in some places as the Postal Service proposes consolidating facilities across the country.

“I oppose the plan because implementation of it will harm service and delay delivery,” said Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire).

Hassan is specifically raising concerns about plans to move some postal operations from Manchester, New Hampshire to Boston and from White River Junction, Vermont to Hartford, Connecticut. She asked for an independent review, which DeJoy wouldn’t commit to.

Another part of the cost-saving plan calls for reducing evening mail collection trips far away from regional hubs, a concern for rural areas.

“I hate this plan and I’m going to do everything I can to kill it,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, (R-Missouri).

DeJoy said streamlining truck trips won’t negatively impact mail delivery and could even improve it. However, he said collections could be pushed back between 12 to 24 hours in some cases.

“I need to get costs down. I don’t believe this is a punitive way,” DeJoy said.

These plans are currently under review but could take effect as early as next year.

“They are going to have to make trade-offs in some areas,” Marroni said. “If there was an easy answer this would’ve been fixed a long time ago.”

One thought on “Lawmakers raise concerns about Postal Service overhaul

  1. If one would ask my postal carrier if my mail has declined over the years, he’d tell you H##l NO! I agree with him, and I wish there were far fewer pieces of mail. My flat surfaces in my house seem to be perches for the mail to get old.
    I get few nice pieces of mail that my friends might send, rather the mail is used by incessant politicians begging for money and promising you the moon in exchange for your emergency contribution(s).
    The USPS is going on a spending spree buying EV vans. I want to see how fast they can now promise an immediate delivery when it is snowing or below 32 degrees in the area. Cold and heat are bad for an EVV, adding weight and stop & go will make it worse.
    I would like a program to return that junk mail to the politician and suspicious charitable groups and making them pay full postage for our disgusting invasion of our privacy. I didn’t solicit one piece of junk mail, and I want it returned to them. I have to bag it up for the shredding company so that I can maintain my security and privacy. I also want my wife to get rid of the mail the dasy we receive it instead of thinking these are future historical documents.

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