USPS Asks Congress For Bailout

[The Master]

Postmaster General John Potter said Wednesday the financially strapped U.S. Postal Service will run out of money this year without help from Congress.

The only lingering question, Potter told a House subcommittee, is which bills will get paid and which will not. He did say ensuring the payment of workers' salaries comes first. But Potter also said other bills may have to wait.

Potter's appearance came as the agency, which has lived on a reputation of serving through wind, rain and all sorts of obstacles, seeks permission to reduce mail delivery to five days a week. It also wants to change the way retiree health benefits are amassed to save money.

"We are facing losses of historic proportion," he said. "Our situation is critical."

The Postal Service was $2.8 billion in the red last year and is facing even larger losses this year due to a sharp decline in mail volume in the weak economy. Potter broached the possibility of cutting mail delivery from six days to five in January, but the idea has not been warmly received in Congress.

(Excerpt) Read more at CNSNews ...

[The Master]

This is pathetic. Potter is asking for money for the USPS and he gave himself a raise to where he is earning just under a million a year now. They are laying off management as they must be coming to terms that they are bloated, yet they continue to screw the workers over.

The Letter Carriers earn a good amount for what they are doing...dont get me wrong. I am not a pro union person, but there are things that they get screwed on.

The Rural Carriers just had a count to determine the size of the their routes and what they are paid. What gets me is that they keep pushing large number of stops on the carrier and increased volumes and pay them less. Of course, efficiency is not one of the USPSs strong points.

It kills me that the management refuses to make the cuts and reduce their staff, but expect that their workers to work more for less. There is a fine line in business. There has to be a give and receive.

[winkyhead]

lol, I'm tellin ya, we all need to go ask for our own bailouts... after all it's supposed to be "our money" anyways..... I wouldn't give my money to these jackasses that can't run their own businesses and sacrifice some of their own salary when needed.

[Bud]

USPS sucks.. just like any other government sponsored program/business. Their service past the counter is weak and their rates (aside from media mail) are barely competitive. I say privatize it and watch it viably compete with the other SP carriers.

[cavymeister]

Since this is going so well, the nationalized healthcare will be FANTASTIC!