Save our Postal Service

In the coming weeks, the U.S. Senate will debate and likely vote on a bill to “save” the United States Postal Service. The bill, S. 1789, hailed as a bipartisan attempt to help the Postal Service, is deeply flawed and would more likely destroy our postal system.

In its present form, this bill would discontinue Saturday delivery, eliminate 80,000 jobs and phase out door-to-door delivery for 35 million households and businesses. This means if you don’t have a P.O. Box or a curbside delivery point, you would retrieve your mail from a corner cluster box. All of which would have a negative impact on the long-term viability of the Postal Service.

I’m sure that many American’s already believe that email and other new technology are killing the Postal Service. That simply is not true. What is bankrupting the Postal Service is a 2006 law that requires them to “pre-fund” retiree’s health benefits for the next 75 years, and do so within a 10-year window. This unique burden, not required of any other government agency, accounts for 100 percent of Postal red ink over the last 5 years. It has even turned a $200 million first-quarter profit this fiscal year into a $3.3 billion reported loss, because of the obligation of payment this fall.

The Postal Service already has over $40 billion in this account and $50 billion to $75 billion in “overfunded” pensions. There is no need for the drastic measures that are included in S. 1789 or the proposals by the postmaster general, which include closing post offices and processing facilities. Urge Sen. Dick Durbin to vote no on this bill and help save our Postal Service.

Mack I. Julion, president, National Association of Letter

Carriers Branch 11, Chicago