SNAIL MAIL WANTS A BREAK

SNAIL MAIL WANTS A BREAK
From SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, April 6th, 2001

EDITORIALS
IT DOESN’T take a cynic to be suspicious of the U.S. Postal Service’s
proposal to cancel a 137-year tradition of Saturday mail delivery as an
economy move. Hints of likely service reductions and an end to Saturday mail come but a
few months before postal officials plan to ask for another rate increase. Coincidence? Perhaps. While most participants in the global economy are upshifting to a 24/7
schedule, the U.S. Postal Service is pondering a leisurely five-day week and
closing some of its 38,000 post offices, among other cuts. That may save money, but it would be a disastrous way to compete with the
Internet, Fed Ex, UPS and a host of other electronic, mail and courier
services. Maybe the postal service should take a few tips from its successful rivals
and provide additional, faster and more courteous service at a lower cost. What a concept. Postmaster General William Henderson told a congressional committee this
week that his agency lost $199 million in the last fiscal year and is facing a
$2 billion to $3 billion deficit next year. That comes on top of news last month that the postal service is freezing 800
new construction projects, including 47 California post offices. That looks a
lot like poor management of the quasi-private Postal Service, which been
self-supporting since 1982 and is now in dire financial straits. Before Congress grants another rate increase, the postal service should come
up with some creative new ideas and a fresh plan for improved mail service,
instead of cutbacks and higher prices. Eliminating Saturday mail deliveries would be a costly insult to an American
tradition and a sure formula for failure. Copyright 2001 The San Francisco ChronicleSAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, 06th April 2001