Tag: USA

President Bush recently named a nine-member commission to study reform of our Postal Service-the first time a U.S. President has done so since the Johnson Administration. Businesses and consumers relying heavily on the mail-concerned about recent rate increases-are hoping for some dramatic changes, but fear they will get only tinkering. Gene Del Polito, president of the Association for Postal Commerce, recently told Catalog Age he expects the commission “is not going to make revolutionary recommendations.” He said the committee seems likely to take a cautious path “that preserves the Postal Service as a federal institution but trims its sails.”

Bolder and braver changes would make far more sense, however. At some point in the not-too-distant future the Postal Service’s structure will have to change dramatically. It can be altered deliberately now, by design, or chaotically down the road, by default. The President’s commission enjoys a rare opportunity; let’s hope its leaders grab their chance.