Why the Post Office’s Change to Saturday Delivery Is Just Common Sense

Howard - February 12, 2013

No. For many people, especially the elderly, getting the mail is the highlight of their day.

Jim - February 12, 2013

Yes, it is the correct decision. I will initially miss the mail on Saturday, even it was mostly junk mail. — Old habits–

Forest Spear - February 12, 2013

I wondering if we need them at all. I’m sure Private Enterprise could handle the job.

A Critic - February 12, 2013

They are probabaly doing the right thing. They might not be able to avoid cutting back. The USPS must be rethought to move forward in the modern miasma. Since those in power now have not been able to see a way to fix the P.O. it’ll have to be new blood down the line that makes changes needed. Leadership now in the country is at a historical low. They can’t get out of their own way. Not good for us, not good for the USPS:

S. Neilson - February 12, 2013

Yes, absolutely the right thing to do. In fact, they should review what type of “mail” should be delivered by them at all! For example, junk mail (which are cheap and handled in bulk) takes up a ton of time and space and manpower to sort, carry and deliver. Why isn’t there a private advertising circular delivery service who could do this better and more cost effectively? Why do taxpayer dollars have to subsidize this cheap form of advertising distribution – - which in the end is discarded in the trash bin anyway. To add insult to injury, then our taxpayer dollars have to subsidize removal by the ton through our city’s trash pickups. There is a place for Federal mail service – - but it has grown in size and inefficiency even when other private companies continue to thrive, even in the age of internet, emails and fax machines.

Dennis Dunn - February 12, 2013

Yes. In fact they could go to every other day delivert. We need the post office, but for immediate delivery email serves the purpose. Post Office Boxes delivery everyday, elimate the not for profit discount.

James McDaniel - February 12, 2013

Good decision to stop Saturday delivers.

Harold E Pals - February 12, 2013

This is long over due— should have been done years ago. but this is just a start. Now– what else shoudl be
done. i know the postal union is not going to lay down and let someone else take over, so that is the first problem. but there has to be another source that can do what the post office does for less — and make money at it.. throw it open for ideas from the big boys!!! Fed Ex / ups for two perhaps…

S. Neilson - February 12, 2013

To dear Howard,
If getting the mail is the “highlight” of someone’s day, then I would suggest that they get another hobby – - something of substance. Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for this kind of elder entertainment! Seriously.

Allen Ose - February 12, 2013

It’s the correct move for a failing enterprise. It should be sold to a private company.

Marie Humes - February 12, 2013

Yes, people are not writing as before. The elder one pay bills and that is the most important for them. Waiting until Monday will not put a burden on them or me. We already are burdened down with a financial bill. We know how to adjust.

Patrick Griffin - February 12, 2013

It saves money, a privately owned company would
have made the same decision a long time ago. Pat G

robert - February 12, 2013

nobody cares about Saturday.I want to know why they don’t raise rates on junk mail.six cents ? please.Are they afraid they will lose junk customers,I can only hope but I am sure not.

Terry Gillham - February 12, 2013

Re USPS non-delivery on Saturdays, let free enterprise deliver ALL of the mail. UPS &/or Fed-X would provide better service at a lower price, given the chance.

Donald Conn - February 12, 2013

Yes the post office is making the right decision. Made those suggestions on Saturday closings to Postmaster General Bill Bolger in many meetings at Post Office Headquarters when he was Postmaster General.
By the way he was in full agreement.
Donald Conn

CINDY PAUL - February 12, 2013

Yes, we don’t need Saturday mail. They should also either stop delivering junk mail that most of us want or charge a premium to deliver. I didn’t ask for the junk mail and don’t want it. I also don’t want to pay for the delivery and waste removal.

Ruth - February 12, 2013

This is something a business owner would have done long ago. We cut corners when and where they need cut. Businesses keep records on how much money comes in — how much goes out — then we set up budgets that stay within those parameters. We do this at home too. For some reason our government has never managed to do a good job of this — and so the post office suffers and the money goes down the drain. Third class mail needs to cost more. My mail box some days is crammed to overflowing — and I throw most of it away — don’t need it. Take notice you money managers and use your money to your best advantage: you haven’t done that thus far. Good luck! We’re all pulling for you — we know it can be done cause we do it in our homes every day of our lives. Show us how smart you can be — it’s possible!!

William - February 12, 2013

Monday , Wednesday , & Friday would serve our needs. Unfortunately we are creatures of habit so we don’t want to accept a reasonable solution. Our inept legislators will continue to fund the USPS and rationalize their politically based waste.

Tom - February 12, 2013

Did they not go to Saturday delivery years ago in order to justify a rate increase? Just goes to show how devious government is: give a false impression you are giving a benefit to justify a tax or other fee increase then later on retract the benefit and keep the increased cost to the taxpayer. There should be open competition and then the consumer can choose which one they prefer. It would all work out for the best with competition involved.

Sheila Ford - February 12, 2013

If congress were not busily dragging our economy down into the Black Hole of $16++++TRILLION debt, nice conveniences like Saturday delivery would keep humming along as they were in prosperous times. The Post Office is supposed to have been self-sustaining for about 40 years, now.
It’s the lousy economy produced by government consumption that eats away at it like a cancer. Until we cut out the cancerous government “services” and replace them with Free Market enterprise and voluntary charitable organizations, government will metastisize, and we will continue to lose the luxuries Liberty affords us all.

Jan Williamson - February 12, 2013

I’m sure, just watching them work, there are many other places they could fix to get the money/time to do Saturday delivery. Thia act will not fix the problem of gross mis-management; it will continue to dwindle, then they will have to cut something else. Complete overhaul!

Lynn Shallis - February 12, 2013

If it can save billions, I’m all for it!

Don - February 12, 2013

Sometime back there was a rate increase for a first class stamp. I later found out that 1.5-cent increase per stamp was used to “fix up” the hole in the war budget in Iraq.
If the post office could run as its own entity showing a profit or loss, that would be fine. BUT, when others within our federal government can “steal” profits from the post office and move the money to other pet projects, we the customers of the mail system get to suffer.
Hang on, no Saturday mail delivery and I think we will see them still “losing” money.

Juri Koolmar - February 12, 2013

RE; Saturday mail srvice. I would keep Saturday service, but change residential service for one grooup to MON WED FRI, and another group to TUE THU SAT. Business service can in most cases be eliminated on Saturdays. Juri

Margaret - February 12, 2013

Yes, but think they should not have any deliveries. We have PO box so will still get mail. I think they should not do anything on Sat. & would save a lot of money. Also not give money to Lance Armstrong for events. Better concentrate on postal advertising.

Leena - February 12, 2013

Yes, not delivering on Saturday is a smart idea. It should have been implemented earlier, so that the huge debt was not incurred. Interestingly, we rarely get anything but junk mail on Saturdays.

Ralph Hayes Gunn - February 12, 2013

Some are saying a post office reform was passed in Dec. 2006 (after the Republicans had lost) & it was basically anti-union by requiring money be set aside in a way that was different from other programs for . I am a Republican, but how would you answer that charge?
I’m fine with no Saturday delivery. If Republicans want credibility and I am a Republican, then we need to do things that aren’t just stick it to the unions. (Let me add most unions are not always for the good of the country or even sometimes some of the people they serve).

Ben Jones - February 12, 2013

From all I have read over the years about the U.S. PO it appears to be a normal well greased inefficient government agency. Cutting Saturday delivery will probably not affect the efficiency. However, it MAY save some money. But don’t be surprised if it turns out that the proposed savings find a way to be spent in some other way. Still it isn’t going to be a big hardship on anyone to give it a try and hold the agency’s feet to the fire and see that they do in fact save money.
Ben 2-12-13

Bob Scarborough - February 12, 2013

Clearly doing things to reduce expenses is needed. However the place to start delays or reductions to delivery of 1st class mail is not the best way, Catalogues, ads, and other “junk mail” is not very time sensitive and once a week delivery by a different team would seem to have promise!

Lee - February 12, 2013

Yes, it is a good first step. Step two is to sell existing infrastructure to Fed Ex, UPS, etc. with federal subsidization of the transition for five years which would include re-training and other job assistance for present staff

BRIAN WILKINS - February 12, 2013

Let’s let it be taken over by the private sector like FedEX, UPS, LoneStar or a new upstart!

They know how to make a profit and do not deliver Junk Mail………………..

Richard - February 12, 2013

I know this is the right thing to do. I am a recent postal carrier retiree. It is true that it will put many people out of work, but I know where I worked there are many full time jobs that are filled with temps. There are many other things that the USPS can do such as eliminate walking routes in housing areas and put box units up, close rural offices, stamps can be ordered on line or through the mail, but the political police in Washington keep the postal management hands tied.

Lisa G Spear - February 12, 2013

Yes, this is definitely a move in the right direction. But, the larger problem is the cost of employee salaries and benefits, and that is something it seems no one has the spine to take on. This is particularly irritating, in that postal service is one thing actually enumerated in the Constitution that the federal government is supposed to provide. But, we waste so many resources on “non-discretionary” (a misnomer of the highest degree) spending that we cannot fund the Constitutionally mandated functions.

Richard Worden - February 12, 2013

I think that Monday would be a better day to suspend
mail delivery. All the businesses that mail their mail for
the week could be delivered on Saturday. Many Mondays are “POSTAL” holidays and mail is not delivered anyway.

Larry Zunino - February 12, 2013

The USPS, in order to really save money….should do the reverse! Discontinue all weekly deliveries and deliver mail only on Saturday! Most of it’s “junk,” anyway!
I’m not joking…..then encourage all commerce to be conducted on the internet. The government could either, establish “computer and printing service stations, perhaps even throughout “participating business,” who would welcome the foot traffic, or like the “clunker
deal,”….distribute “inexpensive” computers and printers to the public, or sell them at rock bottom prices, or both…and we’d still be saving Billions and Billions of dollars in the process. Far fetched? I’m 78 years old and had to carry garbage on my back at 16 years old before school in order to survive and get an education at the same time. Today, even ladies can work an “automated” garbage collection route and hardly ever leave the driver’s seat!
That’s what you call progress, We must think, “out of the box,” when trying to solve “labor intensive,” costly government programs like the USPS. …Yours, LAZ

Walter Brown - February 12, 2013

The Feds should close down the USPS or better yet offer contracts through bids to UPS and FedX with reasonable restrictions. Or maybe let FedX take the west side of the US and UPS take the east side for a certain period of time and see which one does the better job. Most likely either one could do a better job than the USPS has done and evern cheaper.

Edd - February 12, 2013

Why would Heritage waste their time and ours advocating for or against this move? This won’t fix their problem. They’re an inefficient government enforced monopoly that should be opened up to the competitive market. Their employees are overcompensated (especially with their overly generous pension plan) and continue to be run inefficiently with little regard to the customer. Example: I was at one of the branches yesterday, long line and only one of 3 windows was open. Apparently the upcoming Valentine’s Day took them by surprise? My prediction, this Saturday mail suspension will not fix things.

Roger Roe - February 12, 2013

I do not think that it is a good idea. The big lobbies of
Fedx and Ups this puts the Post Office at a disadvantage
to provide the service we want. I think that congress
in 2006 put the PO in bad shape by provide it to put
more money in fututre retire benefits . The PO is the only
agency that has to do this. I think the PO is trying to get into the modern thech world by what they are trying to
do .

Gene - February 12, 2013

No. Leave Saturday delivery alone. Just increase first-class rate to 50 cents – it will save way in excess of the savings from removing Saturday delivery and will still be less than any other developed country in the world!!!

Dingbat36 - February 12, 2013

To Howard, whose comment leads this list………you could probably call me elderly as I am 76 so please do not worry about me or attempt to assess what is important to me or most other seniors concerning missing the Saturday mail. I am more than content communicating by computer (email) and telephone when I want a more personal touch.

If I had my way, the USPS could cut Tuesday mail as well and stamps don’t cost what they should. Make the bulk mailers pay their REAL fair share and we would not be forced to throw nearly everything from our mailboxes directly into the trash and our postage would be cheaper. We subsidize the junk mailers with our stamp purchases!!

John Huang - February 12, 2013

Yes, after all, other goverments are closed on Saturday!
More people are using the e-mail now. This is a wise cost cutting effort for USPS.

JW - February 12, 2013

Yes, it’s time to make spending cuts in areas where there is government waste. The USPS is a prime example of government waste. I hate to see people get laid off but if this were a private sector enterprise, the lay offs would have happened long ago. If the unions want to be of some assistance in this area, they should lobby for part of the unemployment tax fund and Union Dues to be a fund for education and retraining of laid off workers/union members. I know two people right now that are laid off and their unions forgot all about them. Personally, I’m in favor of mail delivery every other day (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday).

Edmond Farah - February 12, 2013

Good Idea. No private enterprise could survive a loss of billions of dollars a year. Any way, If I don’t get the mail
Saturday, I’ll get it Monday.
Please stop the junk mail,

Mike - February 12, 2013

Not A Good Idea, Only the Postal Customers will Suffer from this And any Savings will be Wasted elsewhere.

Marian Shimer - February 12, 2013

I’m not terribly upset with the decision. The Postal Service is losing money right and left and the whole service should be turned over to private enterprise. The higher percentage of their expenses is for their pension payments. Much higher than FedEx or UPS. It’s too bad they won’t rein in their costs of doing business.

Michael J Davis - February 12, 2013

It only makes good business sense. It should of been
stopped years ago.

Mike Davis
Mobile Alabama

Rex Talmage - February 12, 2013

Yes

Ellen Elmore - February 12, 2013

Yes, the Post Office is doing the right thing by ending Saturday delivery. It is a refreshing change to see a government agency doing what it needs to do to save money. I wish more government agencies would follow the Post Office’s lead.

Doug - February 12, 2013

There is no choice to stop Saturday delivery if the money is not there. The rest of the government needs to take note. With that being said I will miss Saturday delivery.

Alfred Boyer - February 12, 2013

Yes! The Postal Department is displaying some fiscal common sense which is void with the current administration and congress.

Michael Green - February 12, 2013

Remarkable that after years of asking, the Postal Service is going to save $2 billion by ignoring Congress.

Mark K. - February 12, 2013

Yes – Eliminating Saturday mail delivery is absolutely the right thing to do. It should have been done a long time ago. The USPS should also not be in the business of delivering all of the junk advertising unless they are making a profit from it. Given the trend in online everything — bill paying, greeting cards, email and social network communications — I would think going to deliveries only 3 times a week ( M, W, F ) maybe the way to go in the future.

Donna Tryon - February 12, 2013

Yes, should have done it years ago. I remember getting mail three times a week years ago. It’s called planning……
Thank you!

James Miles - February 12, 2013

The USPS has not gone far enough.
They should go to 3 day a week delivery on alternate routes.
MWF for half the addresses and TThS for the other half.
This would add no more than one day to any delivery and allow the overall number of deliveries to be cut in half with some significant reduction in labor and capital equipment.
There are numerous alternatives available for communication which take far less time than the present postal system.
No one would even notice except the postal unions!

Clyde French - February 12, 2013

Over pay is their worst fault. not Saturday delivery. Just look at a map and see all our rural areas. As that population decreased no adjustment was ever made regarding the small POs. Many “postmasters” working half days with only one or two rural carriers still draw 40 to 50 k. An employee after your introductory period you just cant get fired. Starting in th1950s unqualified minorities were hired and promoted ahead of more qualified and experienced people. Even writting off all the buildings and equipment paid for by taxpayers money the PO Dept has never broken even let alone made a profit. Without Saturday delivery we will have as many employees and expenses as we do now. We just might sav a little in heating and ac. .

Hugh Urban - February 13, 2013

Good move.

Robert McWain - February 13, 2013

Great idea,taxpayers are the hook for large pensions.The bpostage will be going up soon too I think so if you’ve a computer use E-Mail.

Doris Araujo - February 13, 2013

Raising the postage that companies have to pay for sending junk mail would probably put the USPS back in the black. If the senders of junk mail found they could not afford to continue, the recipients would certainly breath a sigh of relief. Actually, junk mail is such a problem that state legislatures should look into it, in terms of invasion of privacy and disemination of misinformation and misleading unporven claims that taxpayers should not be paying for. We get enough of that on the internet.

Russell - February 13, 2013

Absolutely!! Must keep up with the times – and almost no one writes letters anymore.

D. H. Springer - February 13, 2013

Yes, anything to help reduce further USPS deficit. I get mail at the post office box, which I understand will be delivered. That’s fine with me.

Barron Schlameus - February 13, 2013

Yes, it’s unnecessary. Sat. mail can wait until Mon.

Bernice Julian - February 13, 2013

Yes, as a temporary measure. Further changes will have to be made to reduce operating cost and nobody is going to like it.

Joyce Hamrick - February 13, 2013

Absolutely? They should eventually plan to reduce delivery to 3 or 4 days per week. It is senseless to continue business as usual when the country has moved so much to e-mail, fax and other electronic methods. I wrote to my senators over a year ago, but, as usual, they paid no attention.

Leland - February 13, 2013

Yes,however,since many holidays are observed on Mondays,then mail will not be delivered until the fifth day.
Why not skip Wednesdays instead?

Barbara Gilbert - February 13, 2013

The USPS is being attacked from all sides, most often by people who really have no clue about all the reasons for the problems. One major fact is the government’s demand that the USPS fund employee retirements 5 years in advance. Another is the government’s insistence that, although the USPS is a separate entity with a board of governors, the government retained the right to regulate postal rates and use an absolutely assinine method of allowing rate increases. That is why we are faced with a penny or two every year. If the USPS had been allowed to set rates by need as any private business does, we would have had fewer increases(which are very expensis) and in the long run, ended up a the same place. They are subject to the whims of a rate setting board that uses rate projections expected to last 3 years by their calculations which have never proven to be correct. In the calculation, they project 1 year of profit, 1 year break even and 1 year of loss for every increase. It would be a sad day if this country was to privatize the postal system for so many reasons. Along that line, how do you like the new telephone directories. None of them complete, way too many and way too expensive for business to advertise in all of them so you can’t pick up the yellow pages and find business any longer. Side effects of privatization.

Chris - February 13, 2013

With electronic media changing the way we receive communicate I always thought we should go one step further and move to every other day mail delivery. Anything with any urgency now gets one or two day delivery so why pay a big price for non urgent items?

June - February 13, 2013

Advertising rates should be raised and all aspects of the Postal Service should be carefully analyzed to cut unneeded services and equipment. We still need the Postal Service. My Post Office is busy all the time! Saturday delivery will probably not be missed as it is usually just advertising anyway. Good luck USPS. We still love you!

Ann - February 13, 2013

Yes. With the advent of email and paying bills online, there is much less mail to be delivered. Most of my mail consists of requests for donations and advertisements. Delaying delivery of such mail for 2 days shouldn’t matter – just takes a little advance planning for advertisers. I would not miss Saturday mail. Even our only “daily” newspaper has cut their home deliveries to 3 days a week to stay afloat because of the loss of subscribers to internet editions.

Tom - February 13, 2013

This is a good step for the USPS. They need to become a more cost effective organization. This will certainly eliminate unnecessary overtime costs. Next steps should be the consolidation/elimination of post offices. There is not a need to have a full service post office in every small town. Consider having a small area in a grocery store/hardware store. Also consider broader use of PO Boxes (outside – not in heated buildings). USPS may want to look at Australia. Their USPS equivalent looks more like UPS and Fedex with stores in strip malls and more convenient hours.

Shirley Lynn - February 13, 2013

I think it would be fine for me five days a week should work fine. I get so much junk mail also

Rosemarie Castello - February 13, 2013

As sad as it is, I do think it is the correct thing to do. They are in the red, and they have to do something if they want to survive.

Paddy O - February 13, 2013

In my youth there were TWO mail deliveries every day!
When this was cut to one a day in 1950, there were the
same type of complaints as we are hearing today.Some things never change!

marcia musselman - February 13, 2013

At least this government agency is doing something fiscally resposnible. Now our congress and senate must also do the same thing and veto handouts the President wants that are not in keeping with in a budget.

Pamela Beeth - February 13, 2013

I’m sure they need to close business for one day, at least. But why cannot it be Monday instead of Saturday? Aren’t they already on federal holidays for many Mondays already.

Roger Willis - February 13, 2013

Of course dropping Sat delivery makes sense

Kim Peacy - February 13, 2013

This is one of the first common sense thing I’ve seen a Government entity do. They simply cannot afford to continue Saturday service and with competition by UPS, Fedex, and the internet in reality the Postal system has become a dinosaur. One thing the Post Office is doing that I find is actually efficient is their new boxes they provide and the cost is actually less than UPS and FedEX in most cases and they get the box to it’s destination usually within two days.

Jack - February 13, 2013

I won’t miss Sat delivery. I usually get the most important mail on Sat. I am retired businessman, and would love to have Sat. off.

John Giebelhouse - February 13, 2013

HI James

Yes it is a great Idea. Too bad we can’t lay offf the employees too.

John

Darla - February 13, 2013

It is just amazing that they have done this cut back years ago.

John Phillips - February 13, 2013

Eliminating Saturday delivery should save USPS some money without major harm to the customers, but will cost jobs of postal workers.

Jerry Kingsbury - February 14, 2013

Why Saturday? Why not a Sunday and Monday off for Postal workers. Having Monday off would allow workers to to their personal business such as banking, shopping, other appointments, etc.

Gerald Garriott - February 14, 2013

We can live without Saturday delivery.

Lore - February 14, 2013

It seems that this is sensible, however while they are at it they should quit advertising on prime time TV, sending postcards to clients, and selling useless plastic and cutesy items. Basically stick to the job that my father did when he was a mailcarrier for many years while the USPO managed to stay in the black for years. People know what it does and how it works, if only the administrators would quit trying to fix that which is not broken, and remove that w. Thank you for listening to my opinion.

Judith L Milhoan - February 17, 2013

Yes, I believe that this is a good decision made by the USPS.

Jim Johnston - February 17, 2013

Now that the USPS is a quasi “private business” and still supported by tax dollars it can do what Fannie Mae & Freddie Mack have done: waste tax payer dollars by supporting things like the Olympics and Lance Armstrong’s pet project to the tune of millions of dollars in donations. Any agency that is even partly funded by the government should be prohibited from spending money on anything that is not within their mandate. Then we wouldn’t need to debate about stopping Saturday mail delivery.

James Cheshire - February 19, 2013

Yes, besides saving 2 billion dollars it will give many postal employees the same work week that the majority of workers enjoy today. That is the so-called 40 hour week.

michael - February 20, 2013

More mismanagement. To help stop the loss caused by the pathetic excuse for mail delivery that is the USPS, the USPS is reducing delivery. I already wait weeks for mail that used to be delivered next day. I’ve taken to using couriers, faxes, scans, email, and quality delivery services like UPS. True, most of what comes is junk mail and misdeliveries. Most of the mail addressed to be is delivered by my neighbors, the same as I deliver their mail. After 4 years, the USPS is still delivering mail to all the wrong houses–even though the addresses are correct. Apparently, the postal workers are illiterate. In general, delivery is unreliable. No matter how many times something is sent, it never arrives at certain addresses. By my work, anything sent by USPS must use the wrong city info, or is is returned. USPS, fed-ex, and other carriers male money without my tax dollars, while the USPS does a horrible job, and requires my tax dollars, does minimal unreliable delivery, and can’t even break even. Either deliver mail 6 days per week and increase the cost of junkmail delivery, or shut the USPS down. It is beyond me how they can expect to give up one more day of deliveries to other methods and expect to save money. why is it OK for these government operations to deliver less and less for more and more of my money, while I struggle to make ends meet? Postal employees don’t work 6 days a week–we do!

Ed Thore - March 6, 2013

NO! Most Americans spend more time at home (awake) on Saturday and Sunday than the other five days combined. I would agree to ending delivery in business districts but not residential.
I do not trust email for making many transactions which I do trust to the USPS.
This change will only double the amount of mail we receive on Mondays, which is already the heaviest day of the week and put us that much further behind in dealing with that mail for the remainder of the week. It is also likely to make more mail deliveries later, unless more supervisors direct the carriers to “get out on your routes. You can deliver the rest of this stuff tomorrow.”

Eric - March 19, 2013

Yes they are doing the right thing, we don’t need saturday delievery.

Mary Lou - April 23, 2013

I think it is okay to stop mail delivery on Saturday especially if it is an efficiency measure. If the problem is really to cover pension payments then that should be addressed separately. I like the postal service and have never had less that excellent service.