The U.S. Postal Service announced Monday it would again move to close Saturday delivery, a move that could affect rural Americans across the country. Postmaster General John Potter said the end of Saturday delivery is critical to reducing the service's massive debt, Donna Leinwand of USA Today reports. "We know we're going to have less mail in 2020 than we have today," Potter, who promised to submit the formal proposal by the end of the month, said. "We can't freeze wages. We can't freeze fuel costs." (Read more)
The end to Saturday delivery faces major hurdles at the Postal Regulatory Commission and in Congress, Brian Montopoli of CBS News writes. The first legislators in line to block the move will likely come from rural districts where the Internet is not as prevalent and access to broadband connections among those with Internet is far from universal. USPS has cited the increased use of the Internet as one factor in a decrease in mail volume. The decision could also have serious implications for rural newspapers using mail delivery. Mail subscribers would not receive their Saturday paper until Monday, the Erie Times-News in Pennsylvania notes.
1 comment:
Compounding the problem of eliminating Saturday delivery is the abundance of Monday postal holidays. That will mean consumers routinely will go from Friday until Tuesday for mail service.
Post a Comment