Postal Service Seeks Permission to End Saturday Delivery

Author: Unknown Source: Fox News Date: March 02, 2010

In this Dec. 17, 2007 file photo, U.S. Postal Service mail handlers Alan Flores, left, and Romeo Gumpal sort packages at the USPS San Francisco center. (AP Photo)

Postmaster General John Potter said Tuesday that he intends to seek congressional approval to cut Saturday delivery as part of a wide-ranging plan to close a multi-billion dollar budget gap. Though the idea of cutting service from six to five days has gotten a cool reception on Capitol Hill, Potter said that the plan would include enough flexibility so that customers who need Saturday service can get it and that this and other changes need to be implemented for the Postal Service to survive. "We built a plan that we think is very reasonable. ... We intend to pursue that," he said. "It's a move that we simply have to make." The financially struggling Postal Service is trying to find ways to get out of the red without resorting to taxpayer aid. Potter announced Tuesday that the service could lose a staggering $7 billion this year -- losses attributed to a combination of the recession and the predominance of e-mail and other electronic forms of communication. It is estimated that cutting Saturday delivery, a move that requires congressional permission, could save $3.5 billion a year. Offices would still be open on the weekend. Potter said the Postal Service, aside from trying to cut down service days, would also use price increases in "moderation" to close the budget gap as well as pursue other changes -- like closing post offices and changing the way medical benefits are paid out to retired workers. He urged regulators to act quickly in helping the Postal Service implement those changes and expressed optimism tha [...]

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