Saturday Mail Delivery

["John Danahy" <JDANAHY@turbonet.com>]

I have been hesitant to jump into this thread, but I may be able to express
some opinions backed by twenty years of employment here at the Moscow Post
Office.  These opinions are strictly my own, and are not representative of
any official possibility being considered by the US Postal Service.

The US congress holds regulatory authority over the USPS and the senior
management has, for some time, been trying to get Congress to change some of
the rules which the USPS must abide by.  For example, the increase in the
cost of electricity has been widely publicized.  A private company can,
after reviewing the impact on its costs, raise the price of its services to
offset the rising cost of electricity. Thus it could respond quickly to
avoid extended losses.  The USPS must, by law, engage in a process that
lasts anywhere from 6 months to two years to implement a rise in prices.
The USPS would like to change this law to be more competitive.  Anyone who
has followed  the American political system knows that Congress changes
nothing until there is a major reason to change.  Perhaps the idea of ending
Saturday delivery is a wake up call to Congress.  Judging from the reaction,
it certainly seems successful.

What is being bandied about as ending Saturday delivery is really a very
limited response that can save significant amounts of money.  In all
likelihood, only the actual delivery of mail to individual mail boxes within
the city would be halted.  Delivery of parcels, PO boxes, rural deliveries,
window services, and collection and shipment of mail would continue.  The
flow of mail is, and has been for many many years, a 24/7 operation that
does not stop.  To halt all operations on Saturday is unthinkable.

John


John and Laurie Danahy
jdanahy@turbonet.com