THE PHIL STAUDT BLOG

United States Postal Service may stop Saturday delivery

by Phil Staudt March 3, 2010

Stopping US Mail Delivery on Saturday is a Good Idea - it's about time!

Written by Phil Staudt
March 3, 2010

Who needs mail on Saturday? Who needs mail more than 3 days a week? If you want less government, start scaling down the United States Postal Service. If the US Mail finds a way to be profitable on the days it is open, and can be profitable delivering mail five days, then go for it. But there is no reason for our country to borrow more money from China to have mail delivered on Saturday, or even more than three days a week.

According to news articles today, the United States Postal service is considering dropping mail service on Saturday. It needs to pass the approval of Congress, which means all the politicians who are up for election will stand up and spout off and try to get their mugs in front of the camera, and waste even more tax payer dollars debating this. I can already hear the stories from the politicians about how their grandpappy was a mail courier, or how wonderful it was to get mail as a child.

Look, we do not need to throw away any more tax dollars. Having mail delivered on Saturday is just throwing away money.

Of course, there is the issue of jobs. The prevailing sentiment on Capitol Hill seems to be that the way to lower unemployment is to borrow money from China to pay for jobs doing useless and meaningless things. So I am sure there will be an outcry from legislators who want to keep on having the mail delivered on Saturday to save jobs. I am all in favor of jobs, and if the government is going to use borrowed money to create or keep jobs, they could come up with productive ways to do that where we would actually have something to show for the money being spent. Went Hoover borrowed money to create jobs, we ended up with a dam that is still providing power today. When Eisenhower borrowed money to create jobs, we ended up with an interstate freeway system all over America. When Reagan borrowed money to create jobs, we ended up with a strong technologically advanced military that kept our predators from planning to attack us. (And the military defense build-up was money going to United States companies, not paying workers in other countries.) But Obama and Congress have spent more money in the past year than all of those spending sprees combined. And what are we getting?

Then there is email and social network messaging. Many things that used to be delivered via the US Mail are now being sent via the Internet. It does not make any sense at all to try to keep the United States Postal Service going at the same pace, with the same expenses, of the last century. Scale it down, cut back on expenses, and let free enterprise do the rest.

The United States does not need mail on Saturday, and cannot afford it.

Written by Phil Staudt
March 3, 2010

Postal Service Could Lose $7 Billion in 2010, Top Official Says
FoxNews
The U.S. Postal Service could lose a staggering $7 billion this year, Postmaster General John Potter said Tuesday, as he began to outline a proposed overhaul of the nation's mail service that could include cutting Saturday delivery....click here

Postal Service's emerging model: Never on Saturday
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service is increasing the pressure for dropping Saturday home delivery as it seeks to fend off massive financial losses. Postmaster General John Potter is also expected to raise the possibility of higher rates Tuesday in a speech to postal-related businesses and officials....click here

Postal Service Talking Again About No Saturday Delivery; Congress Must Say OK
NPR
By Mark Memmott
There's been talk for nearly a year that Saturday mail delivery might be on the way out as the U.S. Postal Service looks for ways to cut its billion-dollar-plus annual losses....click here

U.S. Postal Service Seeks to Raise Rates, End Saturday Delivery 
Wall Street Journal
By Judith Burns
WASHINGTON—U.S. Postmaster General John Potter expects to deliver more bad news Tuesday to postal customers, employees and Congress, revealing forecasts for continued losses that can be stanched only with higher prices and reduced service....click here

US Postal Service may scrap Saturday deliveries
New York Post
The U.S. Postal Service was expected to move towards reducing its delivery service from six days a week to five, according to reports Tuesday. Postmaster General John Potter said a dramatic reshaping of the agency and significant changes to mail delivery were critical to reducing its massive debt, USA Today reported....click here

by Phil Staudt March 2, 2010