US Postal Service to cut Saturday service August 1

[Guest EXPAT]

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion annually, the financially struggling agency says.

In an announcement scheduled for later Wednesday, the service is expected to say the Saturday mail cutback would begin in August.

The move accentuates one of the agency's strong points – package delivery has increased by 14 percent since 2010, officials say, while the delivery of letters and other mail has declined with the increasing use of email and other Internet services.

Under the new plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday, but would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays.

Over the past several years, the Postal Service has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages – and it repeatedly but unsuccessfully appealed to Congress to approve the move. Though an independent agency, the service gets no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control.

It was not immediately clear how the service could eliminate Saturday mail without congressional approval.

But the agency clearly thinks it has a majority of the American public on its side regarding the change.

Material prepared for the Wednesday press conference by Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general and CEO, says Postal Service market research and other research has indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs.

"The Postal Service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America's changing mailing habits," Donahoe said in a statement prepared for the announcement. "We developed this approach by working with our customers to understand their delivery needs and by identifying creative ways to generate significant cost savings."

[RA1]

Most likely Congress will have to approve this change and who knows what those gutless wonders will or won't do? The USPS wouldn't be in this mess if they hadn't given away the farm with bennies.

Best regards,

RA1

[Guest NCBored]

I won't miss it at all, and I find it hard to believe that it will have much impact on customers - although we do tend to forget that a substantial portion of the US population does not have internet access.

[Guest EXPAT]

Actually it was the Republicans fault they are in this mess. They forced an unnecessary advanced full payment on the pension fund which raided their cash flow unnecessarily. Go to Ed Shultz webpage and he talks all about it.

[Guest zipperzone]

I have thought for years that postal delivery three days a week would be sufficient - say, Mon, Wed & Fri. What could be so important that it couldn't wait a couple of days? Your telephone bill?

[Guest Allessio77]

I have thought for years that postal delivery three days a week would be sufficient - say, Mon, Wed & Fri. What could be so important that it couldn't wait a couple of days? Your telephone bill?

My Netflix shipment....lol

[citylaw1]

I think Saturday delivery is pointless these days.

[Guest hitoallusa]

My shoes are delivered via UPS so I guess it won't affect me at all...

I have thought for years that postal delivery three days a week would be sufficient - say, Mon, Wed & Fri. What could be so important that it couldn't wait a couple of days? Your telephone bill?

[Guest NCBored]

My shoes are delivered via UPS so I guess it won't affect me at all...

The USPS will continue to deliver packages on Saturday

[Guest EXPAT]

I've been working on eliminating all mail for years. I have gone digital on as many things as humanly possible. I even get all of my utility bills by email now except one because they don't offer it yet. I'm down to only one magazine that comes in the mail and when that subscription ends in 2014, I won't be getting the hard copy anymore after that time. So far it's worked. I only check my mail box once a week and that is enough.

[AdamSmith]

Paying bills online has been one of the great blessings. Few things used to irritate me more than the monthly grind of handwriting checks, stuffing the envelopes, blah blah.

Although for some reason I still don't like automatic debit. Stuck in the Victorian era yet! (lookin will hopefully supply some appropriate graphic. )

[Guest EXPAT]

I agree about automatic debit. I don't allow that either. I keep access to my current accounts very close to the vest. I won't even use s debit card except at an ATM because I know how easy it is to skim the card and then scammers have access to your money.

[lookin]

Stuck in the Victorian era yet! (lookin will hopefully supply some appropriate graphic. )

Stuck in the Victorian era yet,

AdamSmith wishes to be amused

[RA1]

Which one is Adam?

Best regards,

RA1

[lookin]

Stuck in the Victorian era yet! (lookin will hopefully supply some appropriate graphic. )

Stuck in the Victorian era yet,

AdamSmith wishes to be amused

Which one is Adam?

stuck: past participle, past tense of stick (Verb)

Verb

1. Push a sharp or pointed object into or through (something): "he stuck his fork into the sausage".

Although, when he said he was stuck in the Victorian era, I may have misinterpreted his use of the word.

[Guest hitoallusa]

That chair needs to be steam cleaned..

[AdamSmith]

That chair needs to be steam cleaned..

AFTER I AM FINISHED WITH IT!

Jesus. Can the dying have no peace?

[Guest hitoallusa]

Sorry, AS...

[lookin]

That chair needs to be steam cleaned..

I expect that Victorian chair predated steam cleaning. One would probably have rung for a footman to give it the once over.

Were AdamSmith still stuck, the lad might have given them both the once over.

[RA1]

lookin-

With Adam being stuck while being stuck in the Victorian era and Adam now likely having been identified, how can we tell it is indeed the Victorian era? Is it the chair or the sock garters or both?

That footman rang my bell but how do you know he has a foot fetish?

Best regards,

RA1

[BiBottomBoy]

People still use mail?

[AdamSmith]

...And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,

And in short, I was afraid...

T.S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Poofter"

(His first inspirations were usually a lot better than his revisions. His working title for what became "The Waste Land" was:

"He Do the Police in Different Voices"

...so much better!)

[AdamSmith]

Although, when he said he was stuck in the Victorian era, I may have misinterpreted his use of the word.

One can but quote Whitman:

...I am large, I contain multitudes...

[RA1]

I thought the question is, was T.S. Eliot gay, not J. Alfred Prufrock? But we are not sophomores in college any longer, so who cares?

Best regards,

RA1

[AdamSmith]

Eliot was über-straight. Notwithstanding his rooming with a couple of flamers some time after leaving his first wife: he was hardly the prude some depict. His second marriage, to his longtime secretary in his 60s, she half his age, led him to all manner of cracks about "late risings" and "last stands" and etc. etc.

The Old Possum still had it in him!