A while back I received a request from Credo, full name Credo Action, to sign a petition titled "The post office isn't broke -- it's being robbed." Credo's parent company is Working Assets. The home page for this petition states:
In October 2012, the USPS (United States Postal Service) hit its debt limit, as reported by at CNN Money. In an effort to handle its money woes the USPS has proposed ending Saturday mail delivery. Details on the request to alter its business model presented to a Senate committee hearing can be found in this article by Ron Nixon at the New York Times.
For some background on the U.S. Postal Service, take a look at "5 things you need to know about..." by Brianna Lee at PBS.org. Delaware Senator Tom Carper also offers some information on his web page about "Reforming the Postal Service," including the following factoid:
And where would we be without a cartoon? This one is by Chan Lowe:
-- Marge
It's true the post office faces financial challenges. But the financial problems are in large part a direct result of an onerous and ill-considered 2006 law called the "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act" (PAEA) that mandates pre-funding the postal service retiree health care and pension benefits for 75 years — something that no other government agency or private company is forced to do.
The vast majority — 85% — of the budget red ink comes from this pre-funding mandate despite the fact that, according to the post office Inspector General, the pension is over-funded and reserves for retiree health care are far higher than the federal government as a whole, the military and almost all Fortune 1000 companies.
In October 2012, the USPS (United States Postal Service) hit its debt limit, as reported by at CNN Money. In an effort to handle its money woes the USPS has proposed ending Saturday mail delivery. Details on the request to alter its business model presented to a Senate committee hearing can be found in this article by Ron Nixon at the New York Times.
For some background on the U.S. Postal Service, take a look at "5 things you need to know about..." by Brianna Lee at PBS.org. Delaware Senator Tom Carper also offers some information on his web page about "Reforming the Postal Service," including the following factoid:
[The postal service is] an industry that employs some 8.5 million people and generates more than $1 trillion in sales and revenue each year.As noted earlier grassroots efforts are afoot. Freelance journalist Diana Reese posted the question "Will social media help save the Postal Service and Saturday delivery?" this last Valentine's Day at She The People, a blog about politics and culture by Melinda Henneberger. Sorry, we missed the Saturday event at Facebook.
And where would we be without a cartoon? This one is by Chan Lowe:
-- Marge
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