When the Newark Post Office imposed waivers, restrictions and ID requirements on volunteers in the “Operation Santa” program, it seemed like a classic case of ham-handed over-lawyering. This week, however, Canada Post was forced to halt a similar program in Ottawa when one of the volunteers was found to have sent “filthy messages” to some of the children who’d written to Santa. Maybe the lawyers were right this time?

Canada Post ‘heartbroken’ over rude Santa letters Ottawa Citizen

The founder of a British charity that aids children in India brought along her Christmas cards when she visited India in October, intending to fill them out while there, and mail them on her return to England:

However, I discovered that, if I left the envelopes unsealed, the cost of sending each card from India to Britain would be eight rupees, approximately 10p, thus saving £21 on 150 cards. I naturally posted them at the local post office and they arrived a week later, having travelled approximately 5,000 miles.

Letters - Telegraph

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 — The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., issued the following news release:

The U.S. Senate has approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to extend the sale of the highly successful Breast Cancer Research Stamp for four additional years beyond the current expiration date of December 31, 2007. The legislation is cosponsored by a bipartisan coalition of 62 additional Senators.

The Senate last night approved the House-passed bill, which included a provision requiring the National Institutes for Health and the Department of Defense to submit an annual report to Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on significant advances achieved due to funding from the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. Read the rest of this entry »

WESTMINSTER, Md. –General Dynamics Robotic Systems has been awarded $40 million as a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman Corporation on the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Flats Sequencing System (FSS) program. The program will further automate the USPS’ flats mail technologies.

The sophisticated sorting system is designed to sort large envelopes, magazines, newspapers, catalogues and circulars into delivery point order. The FSS sorts mail at a minimum rate of 37,000 pieces an hour.

General Dynamics will provide the Automatic Bundle Separation Unit, the Bundle Distribution Conveyor and the In-Feed Modules, delivering 102 of each. The Flats Sequencing Systems will be deployed in 2008.

Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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The Wall Street Journal says that as UPS approaches its busiest day of the year next Wednesday, the outlook for the company is anything but rosy:

UPS is grappling with stubbornly high overall costs, diminishing growth prospects in its U.S. package-delivery business, and acquisitions that have been slow to accelerate profit growth. At the same time, sky-high fuel prices and a freight-industry slump are pinching profits at major transportation providers, with few signs of a rebound before mid-2008.

The delivery giant has tightened its belt in anticipation that the current peak season will be the slowest since 2003. UPS trimmed its 2007 capital-spending plans by $200 million, or about 6%, put off vehicle purchases, and shifted some package volume to cheaper railroads. UPS’s 3.7% increase in third-quarter profit was its slimmest rise in nearly three years.

And investors are wary:

UPS shares have been lackluster since the 100-year-old company went public at $67.25 a share. Shares of rival FedEx Corp. have more than doubled in that span.

Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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From a reader:

Just thought I’d mention that I was surprised not to find info on the rural carrier pay snafu that will leave up to 14,000 rural carriers without a paycheck. Oh, they are offering to pay 65% of your gross salary in the form of a postal money order, but not including ema for those of us that drive our own vehicles. Just in time to be the grinch that stole Christmas. What a mess and a nightmare!

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 — The Merit Systems Protection Board issued the following decision:

Lawson A. Rose,

Appellant,

v.

United States Postal Service,

Agency.

Lawson A. Rose, Westmont, Illinois, pro se.

Maryl R. Rosen, Esquire, Chicago, Illinois, for the agency.

BEFORE

Neil A. G. McPhie, Chairman

Mary M. Rose, Vice Chairman

Barbara J. Sapin, Member

OPINION AND ORDER

Para 1 The appellant has filed a petition for review (PFR) of the initial decision (ID) that affirmed his removal. We DENY the petition because it does not meet the criteria for review set forth at 5 C.F.R. Sect. 1201.115. We REOPEN this case on our own motion under 5 C.F.R. Sect. 1201.118, however, and AFFIRM the ID as MODIFIED by this Opinion and Order with respect to the merits of the charge, still SUSTAINING the appellant’s removal.

BACKGROUND

Para 2 Effective January 31, 2007, the agency removed the appellant from his position as a preference-eligible PS-4 Regular Mail Handler with the agency’s Cardiss Collins Postal Facility (Cardiss Collins) in Chicago, Illinois, based on a charge of Unacceptable Conduct/Violent and Threatening Behavior Towards Co- Workers. Initial Appeal File (IAF), Tab 7, Subtab 4 at 2, Subtab 4B at 1, 3. The agency based its charge on a November 5, 2006 incident in which the appellant went to Cardiss Collins’s attendance control office and allegedly shouted at Mail Processor Clerks Janice Dean and Roslyn Oliver, “Give me my [time] card before I blow your brains out.” Id., Subtab 4D at 1. After Ms. Dean and Ms. Oliver informed him that his card was not in the office, the appellant left the office, then returned about ten minutes later and allegedly acted as though he was “holding a machine gun/firearm and making machine gun sounds while pointing at Ms. Dean and Ms. Oliver.” Id. He then allegedly laughed and walked away. Id.

Para 3 The appellant appealed his removal to the Board and requested a hearing. IAF, Tab 1. He denied threatening anyone and argued that the agency’s action was taken in retaliation for his prior equal employment opportunity (EEO) activity. Id. at 3, Tab 12 at 3. The administrative judge (AJ) apprised the appellant of the burden and elements of proof as to his affirmative defense. IAF, Tab 12 at 3.

Para 4 After a hearing, the AJ issued an ID affirming the agency’s action. IAF, Tab 15 (ID). The AJ found that the agency proved its charge by preponderant evidence, ID at 3-14, that the action promotes the efficiency of the service, ID at 15, and that the penalty of removal is reasonable, ID at 15-18. The AJ further found that the appellant failed to prove his affirmative defense. ID at 14-15.

Para 5 The appellant has filed a PFR in which he asks the Board to consider documents that he filed in another Board appeal. Petition for Review File (PFRF), Tab 1 at 6. On review, the appellant disputes the merits of the charge and the penalty and appears to reassert his affirmative defense. PFRF, Tab 1. The agency has filed a response in opposition to the petition. PFRF, Tab 7. The appellant has filed a reply to the agency’s response. PFRF, Tab 8. We have not considered the reply because the appellant submitted it after the record closed on review and he has not shown that it contains evidence not readily available before the record closed. See 5 C.F.R. Sect. 1201.114(i); Greenough v. Department of the Army, 73 M.S.P.R. 648, 651, review dismissed, 119 F.3d 14 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (Table).

The rest of the document can be viewed at: http://www.mspb.gov/netsearch/viewdocs.aspx?docnumber=303163&version=303526&application=ACROBAT .

This document has footnotes and they may be found at the following URL: http://www.mspb.gov/netsearch/viewdocs.aspx?docnumber=303163&version=303526&application=ACROBAT .

Postage Due- an original comic strip by Mike Morgan

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