From Keith A. Steffen
Blanchardville
To the editor:
On February 6, Postmaster General Donahoe announced his intention to cut back delivery from 6 to 5 days weekly, effective August 12. This reduction violates legislation included in the budget for the last thirty years. Many individuals and businesses, particularly in rural areas, rely on six-day delivery of checks and other important documents, pharmaceuticals, live chicks and other birds, bees and other insects, live plants and periodicals. Estimates of cost savings fail to include loss of business opportunities.
The Postal Service is not in debt. Not only are retiree health benefits overfunded, but it also has surplus funds in its pension systems. These funds could be transferred to balance operating losses. This action would not be a taxpayer bailout. All funds placed in those accounts come from the sale of stamps and other products and services.
The way to strengthen the Postal Service is to improve and expand service to the American people. The USPS is a constitutionally-authorized program designed to provide a communications network for public use. We can demand that it be upgraded continuously, like any other part of our national infrastructure.
Postal customers who want stronger public postal service can contact Congress and ask them to eliminate the retiree health benefit prefunding obligation. It is an unnecessary $5 1/2 billion annual burden on the USPS not shared by any other corporation or government agency in the country. Encourage them to support House Resolution 30 ensuring 6-day delivery, introduced by Missouri Republican Sam Graves. As of Feb. 15, HR 30 had 90 co-sponsors, including Representatives Pocan and Moore of Wisconsin. Other pending legislation to strengthen the USPS includes HR 630 from Rep. DeFazio and S. 316 from Senator Sanders.
More information can be found at the National Association of Letter Carriers websites, nalc.org or deliveringforamerica.com. Another advocacy group, Community and Postal Workers United, is at cpwunited.com/home
Blanchardville
To the editor:
On February 6, Postmaster General Donahoe announced his intention to cut back delivery from 6 to 5 days weekly, effective August 12. This reduction violates legislation included in the budget for the last thirty years. Many individuals and businesses, particularly in rural areas, rely on six-day delivery of checks and other important documents, pharmaceuticals, live chicks and other birds, bees and other insects, live plants and periodicals. Estimates of cost savings fail to include loss of business opportunities.
The Postal Service is not in debt. Not only are retiree health benefits overfunded, but it also has surplus funds in its pension systems. These funds could be transferred to balance operating losses. This action would not be a taxpayer bailout. All funds placed in those accounts come from the sale of stamps and other products and services.
The way to strengthen the Postal Service is to improve and expand service to the American people. The USPS is a constitutionally-authorized program designed to provide a communications network for public use. We can demand that it be upgraded continuously, like any other part of our national infrastructure.
Postal customers who want stronger public postal service can contact Congress and ask them to eliminate the retiree health benefit prefunding obligation. It is an unnecessary $5 1/2 billion annual burden on the USPS not shared by any other corporation or government agency in the country. Encourage them to support House Resolution 30 ensuring 6-day delivery, introduced by Missouri Republican Sam Graves. As of Feb. 15, HR 30 had 90 co-sponsors, including Representatives Pocan and Moore of Wisconsin. Other pending legislation to strengthen the USPS includes HR 630 from Rep. DeFazio and S. 316 from Senator Sanders.
More information can be found at the National Association of Letter Carriers websites, nalc.org or deliveringforamerica.com. Another advocacy group, Community and Postal Workers United, is at cpwunited.com/home
