US Postmaster General John Potter: Our Situation is Critical
Postmaster General John Potter spoke in front of a House subcommittee looking to reduce the number of days that the USPS deleivers mail. Instead of 6 days a week, the Postal Service wants to cut one day a week. Potter says that postal agency could run out of money by the end of the year and this years losses will top the $2.8 Billion Dollars they lost last year.
Potter told the members of Congress:
"We are facing losses of historic proportion. Our situation is critical"
"With the Postal Service facing budget shortfalls the subcommittee will consider a number of options to restore financial stability and examine ways for the Postal Service to continue to operate without cutting services."
William Young, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, added:
"We are not here today to ask for a taxpayer bailout, but we are here to ask the Congress for help,"
"At this moment, the survival of the Postal Service — a venerable institution that is literally older than our country — hangs in the balance," Young said.
Comments
The USPS's main problem is its black employees. There are way too many of them. The problem began in the late 1970s with all the draftees returning from Vietnam War. Giving black veterans jobs in the postal service became their welfare, their entitlement. White veterans used the GI bill, went to school, and got real jobs. Blacks use the USPS to get on-the-dole jobs. Pitiful. I look forward to staffing cuts and pay cuts for black postal workers.
Racist Much?
That was sweeeeet OFAY!
I guess i know which side you were fighting on during the race riots. You are a pitiful person.
Lets talk about stupid racists are. If so many blacks were hired in the 70s that means they are now 60+ years old. They have WORKED almost 30 years and will be ready to retire. They have tons of seniority and younger white non-vet workers will get pink slips. If working forty plus hours per week throwing mailbags and delivering mail is collecting welfare; then depending on where you live the 50-100 percent USPS employees that are white are also on welfare. There is dignity in all work. Ask any college graduate currently collecting unemployment.
For Postmaster General Potter,
I have no objection to cutting one day from mail delivery. It would be no inconvenience to me to stop Saturday's mail delivery. Five days of delivery is enough. Mary Kankamp
Cutting a day will be OK, do we really rely on mail as much as we used to in the past. I don't. Who really cares, this is all part of the change in our society. Post Office needs to trim employees fast. We grow more food with 2 million today then we did with 20 million in the past, productivity.
why doesnt the post office cut everone pay 6% from the top down/give bonus to manegment off profits only/no profits no bonus/
The reason the Post Office is failing is its failure to deliver service. I have had NUMEROUS PROBLEMs with my mail not being picked up by mail carriers who drive not walk, drive. They turn around about 50 yrds away from my buisness EVEN IF MY MAIL FLAG IS UP AND YES YOU CAN SEE IT. I called and complained only to get the excuse from the Supervisor that THEY DONT HAVE TO PICK MY MAIL UP ITS A COURTESY.
MY TAX DOLLARS NOT AT WORK. A COURTESY??????
NEITHER SLEET OR SNOW OR RAIN WILL KEEP THE MAIL BUT REMEMBER ITS A COURTESY. WHAT A JOKE!
The USPS doesn't operate with tax dollars. I don't see how the USPS is failing. The federal entity brings in over seventy five billion in annual revenue. The net loss of 2.8 seems dismal and dwarfed next to this figure. And besides, I believe I speak for most when I say that I have more letters and mail in any given week than e mails.
Your tax dollars don't pay for the postal service. We have been self supportied since 1972.. As with most postal customers you don't have a clue what is going on inside the Post Office. Every one can complain, but till you walk in our shoes you do not know what you are talking about. As Jesus Said let the person with out sin cast the firt stone. our city delivers between 4 to 6 million letters a day, Even if we have 1000 thousand miss-deliveries what is our %?
you speak my mind
This is a part of the problem. You state "our city delivers between 4 to 6 million letters a day" But they aren't being delivered to the correct addresses, or on time. And your next comment is indicative of the whole problem. If you miss 1000 deliveries, and the next person misses 1000, and on and on, your percentage SUCKS. One of the 1000 you missed could be $50,000 that a small 5 man company needs to stay in business. Or to put it in terms you can appreciate, It could be the payroll his employees have worked for, and are expecting to feed their families. And please don't tell me one day late is of no consequence. It is! I've found our company mail in the street! Stacks of mail have gone undelivered and 'misplaced" for months and we have a PO Box. There is no accountability from the top on down. I've had a carrier snicker when he didn't want to deliver mail to the correct address instead of leaving it at my address. It is appalling. I also know people working for the post office. Carriers that go home for half the day because the route only takes a couple of hours and they want to get paid for doing nothing. And they can! Because no one cares. The few that do, are afraid to rock the boat.
This is not rocket science!!! I say get rid of the unions, then start at the top and replace the whole lot. I'll happily pay more to post my mail if the organization can do the job expected of them.
Let me try to make this a littler clearer for you. 1000 out of 4 to 6 million. any one of my carriers walk out the door daily with 1500 to 5000 pieces of mail. Only a few will have a miss delivery. No one goes through the entire day at work and does not make a mistake. You just don't have millions of people watching every thing you do. If you did, i wonder how many call your boss would get on you. most people could not do the job we do in the weather we work in.
THE POST OFFICE IS THE SORRIEST EXCUSE FOR MAIL HANDLING THAT i HAVE EVER SEEN AND YES I HAVE BEEN THERE AND CAN DO A BETTER JOB SO CHEW ON THAT.
THE UPS DOES A BETTER JOB AND FEDEX HAS GOTTEN BAD BUT YET 100% better than the post office.
MOST ALL OF THE POST OFFICE WORKS JUST DO NOT GIVE A CARE ABOUT THERE JOB AS THY WILL HAVE HERE JOB THEY WORK OR ARE AT THE OFFICE MAYBE 4-5HRS A DAY AND THEN ONLY OPEN FOR 2HRS ON SATURDAY THEY SHOULD JUST RUN THEM OUT OF THERE ON SUNDAYS.
THEN MOST OF THEM ONLY DO THERE JOB IF U PISS THEM OFF AND ONLY THEN TRY TO FIND WAYS NOT TO SHIP YOUR BOX AND THEN TRY TO PUT THE BLAME ON ANYTHING ELSE.
POST OFFICE JUST PLAIN SUCKS AND IF PAUL REVER AND THE OTHERS THAT PAVED THE WAY FOR THESE LAZY MORONS THEY WOULD HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE RIDE HE SHOULD HAVE JUST FELL OFF HIS HORSE AND SAID MAYBE TOMORROW GOT TO CLOSE IT IS 10AM.
If you mail is not picked up on a regular basis is the another problem that might be causing this? Is there enough room for the carrier to cet in to the box and pick the mail up with out having to back up to get away from the mail box. this could be a problem. Carriers are not suppose to back up. I would realy like a diolog on this please. I f a carrier is on a rout e where he drives it is for the purpose of getting more customess covered in the same amount of time as the carrier that is walking. All routes are timed , and any thing tat causes a carrier to go beyond his established time on the route requires an explanation to the boss. I would entertain any question on this subject. I migh not answer all you questions the way you want but I will get the truth to you. If I get enough repliy to this I will list my Email.
I don't understand the "no backing up" policy. My local postmaster interprets it literally so that my carrier will not deliver anything to my door because I don't have a circular drive. That said, I have two large parking areas in my drive, well away from the road, where a car can make a 3-point turn so as not to back out of the driveway. Postmaster says no can do--no backing up, period! No wonder the USPS is losing money! In my neck of the woods (and it IS very rural), there is no attempt to accommodate customers when possible.
What boss? I've spoken to the so called bosses. They don't care! They don't return calls! They don't do their jobs! They blame another office for their incompetence! They blame the consumer! And anyone else they can! Even the area managers are gone before noon on Fridays! And they don't even attempt to resolve any problems. They have plenty of excuses but no resolutions!
The drivers aren't driving so they can cover a larger area. I see a driver every day, Monday through Friday, sitting at a post office, keeping another employee company, while his truck is left running. I don't know when he arrives, but I show up every day after 4 and he is there. He stays there until the close of business at 5pm. He is there for atleast an hour each day. Every 10 minutes or so he takes A (1 or 2 at the most) piece of mail out to his truck. He will not take a first class envelope from you to deliver to the main post office, which is where he goes prior to going home. He says to drop it in the mail box outside. I've watched him do this for several months now. And no chit chatting with the other worker is not part of his job. He has told me he is "just killing time."
But hey, lets throw some money at the USPS and cut delivery days down to three instead of 6! This is a difficult job! Let's give these poor people a break! They can't handle it!
It may not be federally funded but it is run just like every other government office!
You are correct. I work for the post office, and I feel that any one that is on duty that will not take out going mail from you should not be working fo the post office. At my shop the last pick up time for mail is 5 pm. I have told every one that I come in contact with that although my boxes say 5 pm I will still take all of the mail inthe box til my last truck leaves in the evening. this is about 6 pm.
You are correct. I work for the post office, and I feel that any one that is on duty that will not take out going mail from you should not be working fo the post office. At my shop the last pick up time for mail is 5 pm. I have told every one that I come in contact with that although my boxes say 5 pm I will still take all of the mail inthe box til my last truck leaves in the evening. this is about 6 pm.
the postal carriers are criticized and treated as if it is a crime to be a carrier we are blamed for every mistake yet we make no decisions if the post office really wanted to cut cost down size make the carriers and offer like they made the clerks and mailhandlers and all civil service personnel will gladly leave who wants to work under the conditions we are currently working under we work in unsanitary conditions we dont have the supplies needed to perform our job we are never given time to provide route maintenance to our routes and postal service should be changed to post office management is not cocerned with service not when mail is left out all night long in buildings where customer can see only thing important are scan points
I have been with the POst Office For 12. The only thing that I saw that5 was unsanitary was when a drunk carrier took a dump in the restroom and took his waist and wipeped it all over the walls. The job is dirty,as is most industrial jobs but it is not unsanitary. The Real problems is the few workers in all crafts that 6think that they are owed something. The post office does not owe the employee any thing other than a safe place to work. and we do that pretty well. go some where else and get paid what you are making now. (( % of you cant. SAo just do you r Job and earn you pay. If you were doing that we would not, w e to track the scans so close. That is why they are putting GPS tracking systems in the LLV's.
I feel upset when I carry a heavy load of mail to a resident. ( I have walking route). I gave them everything addressed to them, sales papers, advo. They threw right into the trash can. (I understand it's their mails they can do what they want with it). but they cursing about dame junk mail etc. etc.
Do they ever stop to consider that the junk mail that they just cursed. Someone had to produce the paper from the mill, the ink manufacture, the printing press, the delivery truck, truck broke down, machinery broke down, mechanic need to repair those, We live in a domino effect society when one piece down everyone else will fall. Some where along the line, the money I make do pay for the person who complain of my service.
Only who walked in the 30s degree temperature and raining know what the real postal work is like. and not to mention being chase by a pit bull.
After all we just trying to earn a living. and not on unemployment check.
Man up or let one of the masses that have been unemployed for a year or more do the job better and appreciate the fact that they have a job.
As a USPS supervisor I agree. I have had an employ that worked for me for many years. He did ot standing work, and every day whey the union people would get on him for working so hard , he would say " I work this hard because there area houndered people out there that want my job. His thought process was correct. the only problem is that there are a lot more that that , that want our job. USPS personnel make good money. They should Man up and get out there and do the job correctly
I am 60 years old live in an apartment and my carrier refuses to deliver packages to my door. I am in a wheelchair and cannot walk long distances. I never know when he will deliver my packages. USPS tracking numbers never work. Currently, I have three packages missing. I have injured my back because I have to fight to get through doors while trying operate my chair and open a door at the same time. I have complained and they retaliated and thought it was funny. He thinks I am not disabled and gives me a dirty look when he eventually has to deliver a package. I can't help how I look. I survived a brain tumor and brain hemorrhage. A Lupus-like autoimmune disorder has destroyed the nerves in my arms, hands, legs and feet. Arthritis has destroyed the spinal nerves in my back and neck. I have no feeling in my feet. I fall unexpectedly fall down because of the nerve disorder. I know his behavior violates the ADA. I will continue document this and then file a legal complaint.
I have read some of the comments already entered and I have to say some are legitimate. In my flat sort group we have 5 people, friends of the supervisor, who do very, very little. Management in the PO is poor to begin with. Not just the 204b's but all the echelons to the top. Most of the management personnel were the worst workers on the floor. Safety is terrible, mgmt doesn't know what is going on, 10 to 15% of the people at this facility, over 1200 employees, could be dumped tomorrow and no one would miss them. On top of all this the union stinks.
Now to my main problem. Where is the $75 Billion that has been erronously placed into one of the retirement funds???? Is this money going to be returned to the operational side of the post office?? Why is no one in DC asking how such a screw up could have happened in the first place?? Were Potter's forecasts for postal losses of $232 billion over the next 10 years developed by the same financial department that handles retirement funds???
Potter now talks about discontinuing Saturday service. There is a major savings available if we look at shutting down the P&DC's from Saturday morning until Sunday morning. Okay I work at the Fort Worth P&DC. We could shut the place down from the end of tour one on Saturday until the start of tour 2 on Sunday morning and have everything ready to go for delivery Monday morning. Maybe I am crazy but does anyone look at such options?? It seems it is always the position to strike terror into people that will end up getting federal assistance!!!
We can use stamps for advertising, the sides of postal vehicles for advertising, the back of envelopes for advertising and make a lot of money!!! I had recommended using the devilery vehicles as billboards about 5 years ago and never heard back. I now understand that this has been implemented in Puerto Rico. Well why not here?????
Okay, enough for now. I have a lot more to offer but my two typing fingers are tiring.
I hope I have offered something to think about.
Bob - Arlington, Texas
Bob
I am a supervisor and I I have to disagree with some of the thiings that you are saying. We are not talking about shutting down P&dc on Saturday. it willonly be the carrier side of the house. This affects me becauyse I was wanting to be off on Saturday. p&dc will still operate as-will all window operations and the boxes will be put up on saturday. Where I am from ( San Antonio) we look for the best carriers to be the leaders. The un fortunate thing is that the carriers that bust there but to do a goode job are looked down upon by the union as being runners. for what we get paid we should all be runers. We do how evre have some people in our system tht got promoted because of who they new or how well they could make the computer work for them, they do not have a clue what the real job is all about.
As a consumer I have many complaints about US Postal Service. Their service is deplorable. I much prefer the private companies like FEDEX. At least when you pay for overnight mail, you actually receive on time. The USPS Express never delivers on time. Too much money for poor service.It's a total rip-off. USPS complains about how USPS is going bankrupt, maybe if you offered better, reliable service you would not be in this position! Good riddance. Do away with it. Let a private company take over.
moron.
The front door to my curbside mailbox is missing(probably through being vandalized), I am wondering if the mail carrier will still deliver mail in my box without the door being on it? The incident took place over the weekend, and I'm hoping mail won't be delivered, I have tried to stop delivery on line(it did not work), I don't know if I'll be able to inform the post office in time. I cannot find an answer to this simple question on line ANYWHERE!
The next thing I want to comment on, is the comment made by the person who said the USPS has negative issues because there are too many black people working in it? It seems to me this person is in the same situation all of these "black people" are in or how would he/she know this? It seems that this person is very bitter, disgruntled from perhaps watching others advance and have opportunities on the job that perhaps they worked hard for and other things that had a part like seniority and sometimes race and gender because of affirmative action or whatever the case. This person is a racist to have made a very ignorant, hateful, unbiased and baseless comment, this person is in one place, USPS is worldwide so how could he/she say the postal system hiring so many blacks is the problem, it sounds like this person has caused so many problems with their racist attitude and that alone has caused them to not be promoted, probably disliked and they are miserable and want to blame others for what they should be looking in the mirror to check for issues with themselves before they mouth off about something they obviously know nothing about, you want to be pissed off at someone and blame someone for your shortcomings and issues? Look in the mirror first......people who live in glass houses should not throw stones! We all have issues and fall short sometimes on being the change we want to see in others....I'm first in line with that, I'm no better than anyone else, I am just as good as everyone else..I'm not perfect, no one is, I will say a prayer for this person, that they get a grip and pray also to God to forgive them for being so judgmental and bed courageous enough to look inside themselves and face their demons and work on being the change they want to see in others, there is something really wrong for him/her to blame an entire group of people for something that is obviously their private problem, I bet if the government fired people easily(which it may as well be written in stone they don't), this person would have been fired, but then again if you are so miserable with all of the blacks that are causing you grief on your job you could always quit.....................
You know it's exhausting to read through posts that seem to have no particular point or meaning (like a chat line). Do we really need to know about personal circumstances, or one particular mailbox, or what one letter carrier did or didn't do, or how one person feels about the thoughts expressed by others? It is a small world after all, especially if that's the extent of the analysis.
The reality is our Postal Service is light years better and more efficient than postal administrations in almost every other nation. Postage is one the last remaining bargains any where, and virtually all the mail arrives within a few days at the correct address. You cannot buy a candy bar for what it costs to send a letter three thousand miles that arrives within three days. Meanwhile, as an example of gratitude, 44 million drifters submit change of address requests each year without paying the first red cent for a very costly service, and then many of them whine about it. Thousands of small Post Offices cannot cover their costs and lose money, yet these same Post Offices help create identity for small towns and support local business with additional customer traffic. A large mailing industry depends on the Postal Service for survival, and hard copy advertising is among the best bargains around and most effective ways to market products and services. All things considered, the Postal Service is flawed yet terrific overall. The general public is well aware of this and gives the Postal Service high marks compared to every other governmental or quasi-governmental agency and customer surveys are also very positive overall.
It's fascinating that the same crowd that complains about mail services are the first ones to scream when a proposal is made to close a rural Post Office or consolidate city branches or stations. They can't decide if they love or hate the Postal Service. Most love the Postal Service but just don't know it until they discover there is no alternative that wouldn't cost a fortune. Government (or in this case quasi-government) is the enemy, until you need a friend.