The Clock Nears Twelve: The Approach of Postal Doomsday
BY MARK JAMISON "These men combine to bring about as much financial stress as possible, in order to discredit the policy of government and thereby secure a reversal of that policy, so they may enjoy unmolested the fruits of their own evil doings. I regard this contest as one that will determine who shall rule this free country — the … Read More
Vermonters tell it like it is: The public meeting on the White River processing center
The USPS is looking at closing the White River Junction, VT Processing and and Distribution Center, which would result in the loss of hundreds of jobs for the area. In addition, the changes would deteriorate the delivery service for people all across the area. At the public hearing in White River Junction, members of the community spoke about the importance … Read More
It hits the fan: The Postal Service can’t wait to close the plants
The Postal Service has announced its decisions on the mail processing plants it's been studying for consolidation. The APWU has the list of which plants are closing and which will remain open here. The list shows 264 plants that were being studied. The Postal Service determined that 223 could be consolidated, entirely or in part (a few workers might remain). … Read More
A Civil Action: The People of the United States vs. The U.S. Postal Service
The Postal Service juggernaut keeps rolling on with its downsizing plans, and it seems prepared to crush whatever stands in its way — postal workers, post offices, communities, history. There doesn’t seem to be anyone or anything that can stop it — not Congress, not the unions, not the Postal Regulatory Commission. Perhaps it’s time for the People of the … Read More
A Mess in Maryland: Mail delayed and workers call for an investigation
Last year, when the Postal Service was studying the Processing and Distribution Center in Frederick, Maryland, for consolidation, postal officials said customers could expect the same level of service as before. It doesn't look like things have worked out that way. Numerous problems have come to the attention of the local press, and several former employees at the plan have … Read More
The Postal Service Unrolls Its Five-Year Plan
The former Soviet Union was famous for five-year plans. Between 1928 and 1991, it announced thirteen of them. The plans were designed to increase economic production, achieve efficiencies through centralized planning, and redistribute the wealth along Marxist principles. Each was announced with great fanfare and fantastic posters designed by progressive artists employing the latest propaganda techniques. (The one at the … Read More
The plant consolidation plan: 35,000 jobs lost, and “no significant impact”?
In order to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Postal Service has prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the Mail Processing Network Rationalization Initiative. Although 250 communities and 35,000 postal workers will be directly affected, the PEA states that the consolidation plan will have “No Significant Impact." The “environment” includes not just air quality, noise, land use, … Read More
The Selling of the Venice Post Office: More than a touch of evil
BY GRETA COBAR Venice Beach, California, is an idyllic, bohemian, beach-side community that was once home to The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix, Janice Joplin, and Beat generation poets Stuart Perkoff and John Haag. Today it still embraces alternative lifestyles and artists and performers who don’t seem to fit in anywhere else. The town's romantic archiecture, beaches, and piers have also … Read More
Reuters gets it right: “Special Report: Towns go dark with post office closings”
There’s an excellent article on post office closings in Reuters today, by Cezary Podkul and Emily Stephenson. One of its main themes is that while the Postal Service is claiming that the Internet is driving people away from traditional mail, many of the post offices slated for closure are in rural areas where there’s limited or no wired broadband Internet … Read More
The spin doctors examine Post Office financials for Q1: “The patient is a goner”
This week the Postal Service released its financial report on the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 (Form 10-Q). As you might have expected, it’s all bad news — that is, according to the Postal Service, the mainstream media, and Congressional postal experts. The spin doctors tell us the patient is in critical condition and radical surgery is necessary. Let them … Read More
And the winner is . . . Trump selected to redevelop DC’s Old Post Office
The General Services Administration has selected Donald Trump to redevelop the Old Post Office building in downtown D.C. The grand old icon is going to be converted into a luxury hotel, complete with “world renowned restaurants, a spa and conference facilities.” The GSA says turning the building over to private hands will save the federal government millions of dollars in … Read More
Postal politics gets ugly: The Post attacks the PRC Chair
There’s a lot at stake in the battle over postal reform — billions of dollars of corporate profits, the power of unions, the very existence of post offices — so one can’t be surprised that the politics got a little rough this week. The Washington Post has just run a piece attacking Ruth Goldway, Chairman of the Postal Regulator Commission, … Read More
What’s to hide? The Postal Service turns over some closing lists
Getting closing lists out of the Postal Service is like, well, pulling teeth. Over the past several months, hundreds of post offices have closed, gone into emergency suspension, or received a Final Determination notice indicating they’ll close in 60 days. But try to find a list of all of these post offices on the USPS website. One gets the impression … Read More
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