Postcom: say goodbye to HR 22
From Postcom:
“The margin of victory in the Virginia U.S. senatorial election may be slender, but it now looks as if the Democratic Party will be the majority party in both the House and Senate. Don’t expect much beyond the absolute minimum from the “lame duck” Congress. H.R. 22 is all but a footnote in American postal history.”
November 9th, 2006 06:41
Gene,
Time for your group to pay up.. Pay your share of using the usps. NO more below cost discounts for mailings. NO more chiseling… Why don’t you get ups to deliver your junk.
November 9th, 2006 07:42
It’s rare that postal management and the unions see eye to eye on anything, particularly around contract negotiation time. But on the final version of this bill, both the unions and management agreed-this turkey had to go, and before Thanksgiving! The only clear winner under this legislation would have been UPS, who wants to drive the Postal Service out of the package delivery business-a business the Post Office invented, and a key part of the future success of the Postal Service, and of the financial security of it’s many fine workers.
Let’s start with a clean slate and a whole new bill in the new session, one that is not heavily influenced by outside special interests!
November 9th, 2006 10:28
slug_wisperer, ha….what an appropriate name.
Of course PostCom members come at reform from their own interest….but not a totally selfish interest of just each of their individual companies. The best look at this as an industry, and thank goodness one large part of the industry is made up of manufactures who run very efficient plants that make keep the total price of our “mail media” price competitive against newspapers, TV, radio, and more.
Are postage rates important? You bet they are. It adds to total cost of using our media and the higher the total cost is the more attractive alternatives look. It’s tough on their side…. one of the largest printers just announced closing more plants. They need to, too much capacity. Lots of folks hurt, but the bottom line must rule in public companies. It’s tough out there baby, and picking and crying to politicians and local media doesn’t salvage anything.
Does the industry tend to go too far, seeing things from their perspective? Of course, but everyone argues from their view point, heck….look at the election we just had!! How can many good people be on such polar opposite ends of such important issues? It the fallibility of humans.
November 12th, 2006 18:56
I don’t think the advocates for postal reform ever proved that passage would in fact stop volume erosion and indeed make USPS more relevant in a world of emessaging.
USPS also never was really clear about what it wanted. Whether Congress is controlled by one party or the other, I don’t think Congress would impose a new and complex pricing and management scheme on USPS without USPS cooperation. In the possible event of failure of a new structure, Congress would want a scapegoat. I compliment USPS which evaded carrying the ball for McHugh and Carper.