Posted on 04/10/2013 9:01:26 AM PDT by Dave346
The United States Postal Service said Wednesday that it would delay its plan to cease delivery of first-class mail on Saturdays, rescuing for now a service that it says is costly but that many Americans rely on.
The USPS said in a statement that restrictive language in Congress' continuing resolution to fund government operations has forced it to postpone the move until "legislation is passed that provides the Postal Service with the authority to implement a financially appropriate and responsible delivery schedule."
The USPS said that while it is disappointed, it will follow the law but will continue to support the new schedule, which it says would save the cash-strapped service about $2 billion a year.
"It is not possible for the Postal Service to meet significant cost reduction goals without changing its delivery schedule – any rational analysis of our current financial condition and business options leads to this conclusion. Delaying responsible changes to the Postal Service business model only increases the potential that the Postal Service may become a burden to the American taxpayer, which is avoidable," said the UPS statement.
In February, the USPS announced that it would cease delivery of first-class mail on Saturday beginning August. It said it would continue to deliver packages, mail-order medicine, and express mail on Saturday, but not letters, bills, cards, and catalogs.
Wednesday's announcement throws a major roadblock in the way of the 237-year-old agency's attempt to save money as it struggles with the rising popularity of email and social media. The move was also meant to counter the rising costs of funding future retiree health benefits for its workers, as mandated by Congress, which oversees the independent agency of the government.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Mail delivery 3x a week would be fine.
There’d be more savings in the elimination of DOOR DELIVERY ~ move all of that to cluster boxes ~
There's not a postal worker or postal retiree alive who will ever see a dime of that money!
BTW, nobody else does that!
who wants to save Saturday service?? (other than their union) I don’t.
It doesn't mention delivery. Until the 1900's home delivery was only done in cities. Most people had to go to the post office to pick up their mail or hire a private carrier.
Thanks for the correct. It’s so ridiculous my brain mostly just remembers “some completely idiotic retirement thing”. Ending that will fix the USPS’s finances in 10 minutes.
When I was growing up there was no mail service on Sat and everyone got along just fine. No grocery stores were open on Sunday and nobody starved.
I could do without Saturday mail.
That was in the day when general delivery or will/call was most common.
The post office dpeartment started home delivery to reduce the traffic to post office and the enormous lines standing outside.
Saturday mail service saved for now?...Why?
Just my opinion and probably a minority one but 47¢ to send a letter anywhere in the country is a bargain and would be if the cost were doubled.
Wow, a good thing, too - where would I be without all my mail order catalogues and supermarket circulars on a Saturday afternoon?
The Saturday mail delivery system is pretty cool. USPS is finally trying to work all the time in week except on Sundays. Thank you USPS.
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