SANDER'S BILL COULD SAVE USPS

Congress Would Have to Act Fast
by Victor M Adamus

Bernie Sanders

When we wonder about the future of the U.S. Postal Service we have to consider that it’s still controlled by the U.S. Congress and a new Regulatory Commission that was created to replace the postal commission in 2006.  At the same time George W Bush signed the new law the legislation called for the Postal Service to set aside billions of dollars over a 10-year period to fund health care benefits for an unbelievable 75 years.  Tying up that much money would drive any corporation to the brink.  Many people saw it as Republicans using the set aside money as a union busting tool.

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wants that required $5.5 billion prepayments per year freed up so the postal service can draw down on the money to balance their books and not have to close postal facilities nationwide or cancel Saturday delivery.  The postal service lost revenue to digital online banking and bill paying and is struggling to compete with overnight delivery against competitors who have been in the overnight delivery business for more than 30 years.  The postal service delivers daily to more than 150 million households and businesses. 

The Bill Sanders introduced would establish a new business model for the postal service that would expand services and boost revenue.  The post offices throughout the nation are unique in their location to customers they serve in local communities.  This bill would allow the local post office to charge for notarizing documents for customers; provide check cashing services; make copies for customers; even sell hunting and fishing licenses, all these services are currently against the law.  It could be a “one stop shop” in thousands of communities especially in rural areas.

“The postal service must change,” Sanders told a group of Postmasters recently.  With gas prices increasing and the cost of competing against the digital world we can’t chance “making mail delivery slower and less efficient”.

The postal service runs out of money in August so Sanders bill, introduced in November, 2011, is hoping to gain traction in the Senate before June.