Post Office Boxes Face Competition
TweetWASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today is filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to change the designation of some Post Office Boxes from monopoly to competitive designation – a move to allow greater flexibility to meet the needs of customers.
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 split Postal Service products and services into two categories, market dominant (monopoly) and competitive. Those products and services for which other providers compete with the Postal Service were categorized as competitive. P.O. Boxes currently are listed as market dominant and are subject to a price cap based on the rate of inflation.
“Success in the marketplace demands speed and flexibility. Moving some P.O. Boxes into the competitive product category will give the Postal Service greater flexibility to meet the emerging needs of customers and to respond more quickly to changing market dynamics,” said Robert F. Bernstock, president, Mailing and Shipping Services.
Earlier this month, Postmaster General John E. Potter outlined an aggressive plan of action that included cost cutting, increased productivity, and an array of legislative and regulatory changes necessary to maintain a viable Postal Service for decades to come. Potter also indicated the Postal Service will avail itself of the opportunities under current law to increase revenue and enhance customer service. Today’s filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission is a part of that strategy.
The filing seeks to move about 32,000 existing P.O. Boxes in 49 Post Offices from the current market dominant classification into the competitive class of products. This will allow the Postal Service to test consumer interest in enhancements to the current P.O. Box offering and will help shape future Postal Service P.O. Box service and access strategies. Each of the affected sites is within a half mile of a competing box service provider and all provide door delivery to all addresses within their ZIP Code area.
Less than one half of 1 percent of all Post Office Box service would be affected. There are more than 13 million P.O. Boxes in more than 30,000 Post Offices across the country.
There is no time limit for the PRC to review the filing. The PRC can approve or deny the request to change the classification or request that additional research be conducted by the Postal Service.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
March 12th, 2010 23:20
OK, now you can see exactly why Potter rec’d that $800,000.00. His job is to dismantle the USPS. He is off to a very good start. The public should understand that once the USPS is gone it is gone for good. No more universal service.
March 13th, 2010 21:00
The Postal Rgulatory Commisssion does not monitor the Postal Service for delivery.I still get mail that is addressed to my mother who died in 1994.This is prepaid mail.The Postal Service generates it’s revenue from processing the mail.Delivery is not an issue.In her report to Homeland Security in March of 2004, consumer advocate Shelly Dreifuss testified that the Postal Service did not keep track of 23% of the mail that was processed by independent mail processors.These processors were created by the post office and are given discounts for processing the mail.The Postal Service does not pay taxes.It does not purchase the equipment that is used to process the mail.The equipment is aquired on a lease agreement with the manufacturer.This same arrangement exists between the independent mail peocessors and the post office.These arrangements must exist because of the tax exemption.The post office generates revenue from leases on this equipment even if these processors don’t process the mail…,tax free!Before automation it cost the post office $55 to process 1000 pieces of mail.Now it cost $5. Automation is complete and indepent mail processors have been supplied with the equipment.Mail processing is being hijacked by John Potter and his inner circle.Management ranks have increased by 38% since 2000.In 2002 a postal employee at the Oakland Processing and Distribution Center was nearly electrocuted while working on equipment that was retained illegaly by the post office and used to commit fraud with regard to the mail volume numbers.The equipment was suppose to be removed after the earthquake in 1989.Mail was storred and hidden useing this equipment to justify the implimintation of new mail processing equipment.Each new machine processes 15,000 pieces of mail per hour.That translates into between $6,000 and $7,000 per hour profit per machine.In the 80′s a test was run in Miami.Managers were told to stay home for a month and let the clerks and the carriers run the Distribution Center along with the machines.The facility did not miss a beat.Management knew then that they had to do something to eliminate the full time employees or be replaced themselves by the machines.One and a half million new addresses are added each year.Full time clerks and carriers have an eye on the comunity that can not be had any other way.They should be full time workers with benifits so that they can be the front line for “Homeland Security”.When Mr.Potter and his crew have closed the distribution centers that are opertated by the government and have made all of the clerks and carriers full time, any profit that will be made will go to their pension fund and they will be in line for tremendous kickbacks because they will still control mail ditribution.Any profit should go to the eldery and the disabled in the form of free postage.Potter and his crew should be put on contract along with the equipment manufacturers and independent mail processors who deal with junk mail.Give them three years.If they can’t make a profit from the junk mail that they have conspired to impose on the American public(in spite of public protest)terminate the contract and get some new managers.