In remote areas this is already being done. Seems to work fine. 1985 Wyoming , so thats at least 25 years ago. Retired postal worker.

Brilliant solution. Makes perfect sense, which means it will never happen.

The USPS has surpassed their usefulness and should rightfully be swept aside. Nearly every item that comes through the mail can come in an electronic format much quicker (immediately compared to several days) and cheaper (essentially free compared to ever increasing postage rates). FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. handle package delivery much more efficiently and are more than capable of expanding their volume of business to cover the USPS share of packages. Snail mail is as outdated as the milkman and elevator operators, they went away and no one misses them nor was there a significantly disparaging effect on the economy. It's time to move on.

Do you think 600,000 people losing their jobs would have an effect on the economy? I'm pretty sure it would. As for your comment about the other packaging agencies handling parcels better; DHL went out of business and FedEX and UPS drop off packages to the USPS on a daily basis because we deliver to every home.

because we deliver to every home

Aurelius, well there's absolutely no bias in your post (sarcasm)! You also exaggerate 600,000 job losses as at least 25%, probably more, of those either should already be retired or are perfectly capable of taking retirement while another 25%+ would be rehired in the private sector to account for the extra package deliveries and the rest could do what milkmen and elevator operators did when their jobs became obsolete, get another job that's actually useful and doesn't hemorage taxpayer money. Last year we had several months with far more job losses than we would suffer by doing away with the USPS and none of which saved US taxpayers billions of dollars in wasted expenditures for a service that has been failing for longer than most can remember! Whatever happened to that little "neither rain, nor sleet, nor..." BS? I didn't get mail for 3 days the other week when it snowed but still had to shovel out my mailbox, for what? Not that not getting mail bothered me, it's 99% junk anyway and all my bills and correspondence are done a million times more efficiently online!

I agree Aurelius...as I mentioned before,...

Dollar for dollar and per letter/package the USPS does their work on a more massive scale and much more efficiently than any 'private carrier' and far less expensively as well...

I say even with any 'increase' in fees, the USPS is far less expensive...I know I price out delivery of items and always go to the USPS rather than 'commercial carriers'...

And lest we forget, along with the 'military' the US Constitution mandated a permanent USPS...so to close the service would require a constitutional amendment...but hey, if you want to pay higher fees for deliveries go ahead and go with the other carriers...

Diamondduq,

But what would happen to all those junk mail companies if the USPS was done away with? (sarcasm)

Maybe the USPS could extend post office hours to 8 during the week and 5 on weekends instead of noon on Saturdays giving people the opportunity to do their business after THEIR workdays or later on Saturday when working people are doing their household errands.

All that and making the post offices more accessible with parking. I don't know how many times I've gone to mine and all 4 spots are taken and other cars are blocking access around the building. And sometimes these cars are not even post office customers!

And how about self-service in the post office? Then if you didn't want extended window hours, we could do our own purchasing, weighing and stamping? At my PO there isn't even a stamp vending machine! And I wouldn't call us a rural location either.

diamondduq

You could always just remove your mail box! FEDEX & UPS would deliver to your address but it will cost you much more.

sts

They need to close all those little "neighborhood" offices and stick with the one big office in all U.S. cities that exceed a population - say +200,000.

I really don't care if they close completely. Someone will start another mail service and give them a run for their money. No wonder there are always shootings at post offices. Everyone is frustrated - the employees and the customers!

We have no idea the value we do get out of the USPS. Private mailing companies will cost us a great deal more and we would get a great deal less. Quitcher beefin' people.

And no, I do not work for the USPS but even I can see we need them.

I agree. And BTW if the ridiculous discounts to bulk mailers were adjusted to regular rates we'd get a huge decrease in junk mail, raise revenue substantially on a "piece delivered basis" and be able to eliminate another 1/3 of postal workers. (i.e. too many of us subsidize delivery of junk we don't want which, in turn, requires too many postal workers).

AuzzieGirl,

Not a bad idea except for us, the closest city with 200+ is at least 2 hours away. In the county I'm in, we're the largest town. I don't know the answer. I did hear on the radio that one possibility could be to have mail services in grocery stores. Now that one I could see working out pretty well for most people. And again, even self-serve centers in the smallest and most rural of towns would, I believe, help out the situation. It would take a large cost up front to outfit areas with computers and such to handle self-service, but I'm sure it could pay for itself in no time. Better than the money losing situation the USPS is in now.

I wish everyone who posted things on here knew the whole story. I do work for the USPS and I do know that we have problems all the way from upper management down to the most junior employee. We have folks that work their behinds off in any kind of weather and those that have been there way too long that don't do what they are paid to do. That is mainly a union problem because like most unions, they protect the workers who deserve to be out on their butt and not the ones who really care about the job. I have 18 years service and I make a decent living. It's funny how people think that we are so grossly overpaid, too. I make about 50K a year, which in today's economy is middle class, so to all those who think we are rich....think again. Oh and another thing to all the morons who think that we operate on TAXPAYER dollars...... WE DONT!! The USPS operates on our own services alone. Stamps, shipping, containers, etc. Nothing else. It's been that way since the 1970's. So when you get mail and never send anything or don't buy stamps, then you are getting services for free. So quit complaining about how much junk mail you get when you are not paying a dime for it. Hope this clears the air a little.

I agree with just every other day delivered on routes is enough. As for Saturday, the hours the post office are open around us is not convient so it may as well be closed.

So, how would you handle legal service by mail with the current civil rule 5 affecting service by mail as complete within 3 days of mailing?? If you take away Sat. service and you get sued, served, etc. and don't get the paperwork for 5+ days how are you going to defend yourself? Unfortunately you can't delete the law and the USPS is part of that. What about credit card bills. How are you going to convince them to give you longer to pay because you didn't get your mail by the due date?? Don't think there's a problem currently, just ask around. I think you'd be surprised.

Auzzie - the shootings take place because the UPSP gives veterans preferential treatment on their civil service exams, and vets are of course weapon-trained, and unlike street thugs, have a good chance of hitting their targets.

diamonddug - somehow I can't imagine career civil servants adjusting well to private sector performance standards and wages that are only fairly determined by market demand.

concerned - there's these nifty new things called the internet and e-statements and online bill payment, and what's really neat about the last item is that your payment is time- and date-stamped! You've also got biggers problems than the mail if you are regularly getting sued, served, etc.

David-1658966, the USPS may not technically operate on taxpayer dollars but it's taxpayer dollars that back the $3.8 billion loss the USPS took last year and the over $13 billion in debt they're expected to have at the end of 2010. Operating at billions of dollars of loss that is 99.9% likely to be paid through yet another bailout using taxpayer dollars is splitting hairs just a little bit don't you think?

Completely agree GK-298121!

ok that is just silly I am sure that all services that use the USPS would adjust the mailing of such documents.

If the 'junk mail' yahoos would be taxed at a HIGHER rate it would stop the waste and senseless, constant flow of unwanted mail!!!!! Right now the 'junk mail' yahoos are able to send that cr** for a cheap rate!!!

Maybe all of the banks will stop sending the credit card 'junk mail', too!!!

Unless you live in a bass ackwards state like california that still mails out checks for unemployment. To stop and think about it, I've never heard of a title of ownership coming in an eletronic form, nor any other type of certificate. Who's going to deliver that stuff? You guys are idiots, if there was no USPS, you would have to drive miles to pick up the title to your car. Because the DMV won't issue them in california, they come from sacramento. Just because you don't use the USPS, don't assume that no one else does either. If they want to curb their budget, they should charge junk mailers 10X the normal amount for sending their crap through the mail. America, home of the dumbest people in the world!

95% of the mail I get is complete garbage, junk mail. They won't allow you to opt out of receiving it, trying to opt out of companies is even worse idea, like most spam emails it only confirms there is a live person out there to deluge with more crap that doesn't even get read.

At least a good 200 lbs of ads get sent to me every year that end up right in the dumpster without even being looked at.

Good riddance to the postal service.

America, home of the dumbest people in the world!

cadwizardx, please don't lump the rest of us in with California, you're the idiots that keep sending Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman to Washington, put the Terminator in the governor's mansion and put the 8th largest economy in the world into 10's of billions of dollars worth of debt. I wouldn't expect you'd be able to figure out something as simple as the DMV.

Ain't progress grand? Isn't it wonderful to live where the people are cared for before profits are counted? Where political appointees aren't paid more than the lowest scale workers in their bureau? Where we can see advantages in true change and not just those changes that mean more money for some, less for others?

Here's a story to cogitate about:

When I was a lad, the postman walked his route and delivered mail twice a day, except Saturdays. And he always had time to chat with the neighborhood kids while doing his job. He watched out for the kids.

And he was happy in his job and was known by everyone he delivered mail to. People cared about him and tips at Christmas time were more the rule than the exception.

Oh, yes, mail then cost 3 cents a letter, 1 1/2 cents for a post card. And the post office made a profit.

Just sayin'.

I lived in that day in time... I started to think that I was dreaming. Another thing about home delivery, it helped with an un-know to most, safety factor that crime was down because of persons who delivered the mail were out there risking there chances of getting caught!

I beleive that they need congressional approval to change to a 5 day delivery week. Which means it will prolly continue to flounder, as all Congress is useless.

So lets get this straight:

We fund massive socialist programs that are going bankrupt (Social Security, Medicare, etc).

We fund bailouts of major insurance companies that issued bad securities based on faulty debt.

We bail out the banks that bought that debt.

But we can't get mail but only 5 days a week?

Socialism is killing America. We are running out of 'other peoples' (taxpayer) money.

End the social entitlements and use a portion of those funds to keep our mail running 6 days a week.

best idea yet..out off all these post. most of which are ill informed.

But thats part of the 2 million jobs saved or created, we cant go closing post offices like that, your talking logically. The Govt doesnt follow logic.

the elected "representives" whom we elect are not logical. they are GREEDY opportunists. we need to reform congress so that they work for the VOTING USA citizenship.

I like the new trend where the larger grocery stores handle mail (in lieu of a post office). In some stores they have bank branches, in others postal service. Why have so many separate USPS facilities when existing businesses and communities benefit from their integration?

This isn't a government agency and it DOES NOT COST ANY TAXPAYER MONEY!!!!!!! USPS has NOT received ANY TAXPAYER Funds in almost 3 decades.

The private sector Companies will do a better JOB!

Oh like UPS who stuck a "tried to deliver" note on my front door, when the driver *never* knocked on the door to determine if someone was home? Then threw the package on the floor as I was signing for it the next day? Or the guys that have regularly delivered packages to an empty house on the WRONG STREET, when my folks have ordered stuff? (Luckily my dad figured it out when he checked package tracking)...

UPS and Fed Ex are terrible as far as home deliveries go. I prefer USPS when I can ship with them, but I can understand if they need to cut Saturday deliveries. They avoid big layoffs, and cut their costs..

Spoken like someone who hates their job and is envious of what postal workers make for doing their job.

Oh like UPS who stuck a "tried to deliver" note on my front door, when the driver *never* knocked on the door to determine if someone was home?

That has happened to me as well. I am always puzzled as to why they would take the time to walk to my door to deliver the note but not bother to knock so that they could deliver the package? That bugs the hell out of me!

I had the same situation many times too. UPS is just horrible at handling packages. I would hate to think they would be our solution to the USPS.

Oh and to everyone screaming that the Postal Service unions are to blame - UPS is unionized too. So don't expect a great change there.

Zach...Just to answer your question about UPS (and Fed-Ex for that matter)...the reason they don't take time to knock, but, leave a note instead is for two reasons 1)The driver hopes you will pick the package up at the delivery center instead of having the package brought back to you and 2) The drivers are given many many packages to deliver on a daily basis and however many hours it takes them to deliver that's what it takes them. And that means that's how much later that they go home. If they don't deliver the packages fast enough, they might not have a job tomorrow. Hence why some of the driver's don't knock at every door. I don't want to cause an uproar with UPS or Fed-Ex delivery drivers. I am sure your situation is not the norm. I am sure that most do a great job, but, there are slackers in every type of job. I am privy to this info because my best friends son works for one of these companies and has told me the little known facts about the industry.

Fortunately for me this has only happened once. I do notice that when the drivers do come to the door and ring the doorbell or knock, that they don't wait for me to answer. They are usually half the way back to the truck or already in the truck. So, I am out of luck if I had a question, or, needed to inspect the package before they left.

Another moron with no clue of the postal business model. Ok genius. What company delivers things overnight, internationally etc. but is not allowed to have their own airplanes? What company is not allowed to set their own pricing plan? What company cannot arbitrarily lay off workers because of a binding contract? What company needs Congressional approval to reduce service days, close buildings that lose money etc? Find the common denomonator there and you will see things aren't as easy as it seems when it comes to fixing the USPS.

Jesus-33, there's nothing to fix! Their use is outdated like that of the milkman and elevator operators. It's just another of hundreds of government run/funded/affiliated entities that is a sponge for taxpayer dollars and operates incredibly inefficiently not to mention being incredibly out performed by the private sector. They need to have a little self awareness, cut the losses and pack up shop. That is the only appropriate "fix" to be applied.

I still have a milk man, matter of fact when I recently moved to another town I found I still had the same milkman. Hmmmmmmmmmm ! Maybe I should have a talk with my wife.

diamondduq

You should really get your facts right before posting, federal money/taxpayer dollars do not fund any operations of the postal service.

Amen Postalguy, apparrently diamondduq didn't actually read the article. No one even mentions that eliminating Saturday while good for some carriers, would cost 40,000 their jobs thus increasing the already high unemployment and taking 2 billion dollars of wages out of the economy. Can we really afford that? I know Obama's administration can't. Raise stamps to .50 cents and you're still getting deal.

Postalguy, they may not have yet received Federal funds but their debt is expected to go over $13 billion, debt that's back by the Federal government, and for an organization that lost $3.8 billion last year that repayment isn't looking promising. Add to that their likely to hit their congressionally imposed $15 billion debt ceiling next year and can someone say "bailout"? That sounds like at least $15 billion in taxpayer funding so why don't you get your facts straight and stop operating under the cloak of smoke and mirrors!

Gee, don't confuse these jerks with facts!

I agree to a point. The whole thing with the post office is that it gets to everyone. If you went with a P.O. Box or something similar - how would you handle the elderly or people who are disabled.

Not sure about the logistics of it, but mayhaps take that idea, and have a delivery only to the infirmed or elderly vs everyone. Of course, then you will hear cries of discrimination or some other non-sense, but the idea is good in theory.

As for the demise of milk deliverers, are things better now? Being a "milkman" used to be an honored profession (jokes notwithstanding). Now, instead of one person driving one truck bringing everyone milk, we all drive our individual cars to the "convenience store" to buy milk. Way more gas wasted, carbon put into the air, etc. Plus, no more "milkman jobs" for the upcoming generation. In my city, mail carriers walk much of their routes. One truck gets driven by the carrier to perhaps three different locations on the route and all then the mail gets delivered from there by the drivers walking. Isn't this better than thousands of people getting in their cars and driving to a central delivery point? Assuming everyone has a car (not true) and can drive (ditto).

the same thinking got us robots to do the work of mankind! Its the lack of jobs, the willingness to pay a little (comparitively) more and keep jobs in america. We can't give everyone a job.... or why not??? cause homes and happy lives are created by alowing people to work and enjoy the rewards. I don't like unions either, but when you buy a cow... ya know... look it over! Then pay for it! You will wind up with more money in your pocket if your not paying for wellfare and un-employed peoples lives that have been replace cause in all it saved five bucks here and there!

now isn't that an idea that should be followed in the financial industry and other Greedy corporations that continue to pay out bonuses when they also seek bailouts and special tax exemptions.

Cutting Saturdays is not logical for those that work. I work for a utility and start work before the PO opens and do not make it home to get to one before they close at 5:00. If I have anything to mail that requires special handling, Saturday is the only day I have to do that. If they eliminate Saturday, how does I working person get that done? Take a vacation day for PO matters? That is just absurd. This is not Canada that does not deliver on Saturdays.

So what happens to all the people out of work because of no Saturday delivery. Only regular carriers work 5 days a week. A substitute works on Saturdays. If Saturdays are cut out, there will be a lot and I mean a lot of people out of work. What will that do to unemployment? Bonuses and managers should be gotten rid of, not Saturday delivery.

Flash, there are Automated Postal Centers in local postoffice where you can mail letters or packages using all services that are offered from a clerk at a window. The USPS will also pick up packages for free from your doorstep if you call it in the day before, and in some cases that day. Just saying, there are options out there.

How about this... Don't deliver on Saturdays, but keep the Post Offices open so that people can pickup/send letters and packages. While you're at it, take a few of the head count that is saved, and put them behind the counter. Increase customer service and make lines go quicker.

postal service wants to stop sat. DELIVERY!!!!! local post office will still be open

Yes...we would.

Sorry, but while we like having days off, we don't like losing pay anymore than you. Also, Tuesdays after Monday holidays are awful. I can't imagine that every week. Rural carriers are paid by evaluation. Every route has a different evaluation. We get paid the same if we work 10 hours or 7. (with the weather lately, there have been alot more 10 hour days) This is the way it has been set up for years. The theory is that it balances out. City carriers get overtime, but it is rarely allowed. Management is on their tail if they run over. I would hope that our unions would make management pay overtime or get us assistance. Eliminating Saturday delivery is not that easy. There is much to be worked out!

What has happened in recent decades is that everyone is harried. A business model has developed that suggests we will cut, cut, cut service and make everyone scramble to get what they need. So, in addition to my regular duties, I now pump my own gas, drive my car to the store for milk or eggs and search department stores in vain for someone, anyone to tell me if this item is in stock in my size. The problem is not just my inconvenience, but the fact we now have fewer or none of "gas station attendants", "milk deliverers" and "store clerks". In other words, fewer JOBS, which are what keeps the economy going. Wake up and smell the coffee folks, at least if you can get it at a breakfast cafe and not the coffee vending machine!

You sound like a disgruntled, bitter old man

I am a rural letter carrier and I just got home from my route. Please don't say we are under worked. It snowed and rained on me all day long. The temperature is 37 degrees. Those of us who are out there delivering the mail work our tails off. Weather, dogs, bad roads, ungrateful customers, most of us enjoy doing a good job. There are bad apples in the bunch, but most of us enjoy our jobs. 5 day delivery is going to put lots of mail carriers out of work. Would you really wish someone out of a job, I hope not.

Good for you galettercarrier and bless you, I have known a few letter carriers in my years and everyone of them were 'exhausted' after the work day...

It is not easy work...

Thank you galettercarrier for pointing out what us rural carriers go thru on a regular basis. Bob, I don't know who your neighbor is, but I don't think my postal retirement will be 80% of my income. I've always been told to save for my retirement, because the Postal retirement is nothing. I don't get bonuses either. That is reserved for the management positions. I've always thought that this would be a good place to cut costs.

Even if we get rid of free mail delivery for elected officials, we still will pay for it. Instead of being free and paid for by us, it will be expensed by the official, and paid by us.

WE haven't paid for the post office in almost 40 years. The post office has been profitable up until 2006 when Congress required them to pay health benefits in advance to the tune of abou 5billion per year. Thats well over what other large companies would pay. For years, because of the quasi-governmental status, congress has sloughed money from postal profits to pay for pet projects.

And that 'health' issue would just about be cleared up when the health care bills go through...

But, I agree, we shouldn't be paying the USPS to print up and post any 'fancy letters' from the Congress person's office's...

I don't mind paying for a simple page or two mailer (that just discusses the 'work' being done in Congress) every few months to stay in touch with constituents.

But none of the 'fancy, glossy' stuff that is only mailed to a 'select' few in each district...especially if it includes requests for donations to their 'election campaigns'...those we the taxpayers shouldn't be paying for...

The health insurance reform legislation does nothing to 'clear' up the unionized negotiation. If you remember, when they were going to not pay out that amount, most letter carriers were threatening strike.

Now, we are going to overwork them to get all mail out within a 5 day period.

Saturday mail does not go away, it just gets piled into Friday or Monday's stack.

I have an idea. How about we cut off Federal welfare, remove all our socialistic programs - maybe then we can mail a letter and have it arrive on a Saturday.

Socialism and the programs that promote socialism are a cancer eating away at trillions of dollars each year - and we can't find a few billion to cover our mail.

I agree that it's important to have something available for daily mail pick up (especially for not only bills but other important paperwork as well without having to pay astronomical overnight fees), but something also needs to be in place to accommodate individuals who don't drive, the elderly, or those that don't have convenient access to get to the Post Office.

Allura, they are talking about cutting snail-mail delivery - not special delivery or overnight etc. So the important documents or packages wouldnt be effected. You cant dictate to have snail-mail be delivered on Saturdays, it gets there when it gets there.

Agreed ... but how many people NEED to have mail delivered on Saturday?

Beth, many of the retireed, disabled people need their mail on Saturday since that is when they get their checks and that's setup by the SS offices. It would mean those people having to totally readjustment of their lives to have that service stoped on Sat.

One aspect of their debt not being addressed is how they purchase the homes of employees they transfer to other locations. How much of their debt is holding properties they cannot sell or which have now lost value in the economic times? How has this practice been allowed?

T bird69 direct deposit might work for you

Join the 21st century, T_bird69 - or better yet, just think about it. You sit around waiting for the mailman, then take a piece of paper out of the mailbox, then drive to the bank (wasting gas), then standing in line to get cash (which, if you lose it, you lose it). Sounds dumb, doesn't it? Maybe you have the luxury of a leisurely lifestyle for such nonsense, but I don't.

SS could save millions of taxpayer dollars by having all SS recipients on Direct Deposit. SS was close to mandating SS Direct Deposit, but the AARP lobby screwed that up - heaven forbid we do what's right for the country as a whole, as opposed to meeting the whims of one group of citizens.

Er, T-Bird. They don't get their check in the mail anymore -- sorry, it's direct deposit now for almost everyone.

But if you insist, drop the mail on another day aside from Saturday. No one NEEDS 6 day a week mail service. Or GASP, maybe a few people (and it is a few) people could "rearrange" their lives and get a check on FRIDAY, when, btw, they could actually get it to a bank.

Why are you so concerned aout the Union. The union is there to ensure the members get all their benefits and ensure equal treatment for all. If you are not working at a union job or you are one of those that despite the unions becuase you see them of defending the poor and middle class then you have a problem.

Gus-268206 said "If you are not working at a union job or you are one of those that despite the unions becuase you see them of defending the poor and middle class then you have a problem.
"

Really? So anyone that isn't in the union has a problem? Wow Gus, thats an intelligent statement. Any other words of wisdom, because that was a real gem there. And because your such a smart guy, i'm sure you realized that you meant to say "one of those that DESPISE the unions" but being such an intellectual - i'm sure you already knew that. Typical Union hack.

oh no you don't, a lot of craft jobs have been cut already! what you haven't heard is that the postal service is still giving out bonuses to management under the guise of "pay for performance" . In addition no management job has been cut yet...walk into any post office and out in the back you can find plenty of supervisors with no one to supervise. The post office has always been top heavy with management jobs, still is, cutting some of those jobs would save plenty of money; not to mention some of the mismanagement that still continues. Everyone is always ready to blame the union for everything; but the union is not running the Post Office and is not responsible for the way that it is run.

thanks achoo-1658577, finally someone with some knowledge. Everyone says they are fine with no Saturday delivery, but wait till it happens.... oh boy will the crying begin. People are going to lose jobs!!!! I don't mean managers and supervisors, mail carriers are going to lose jobs.

Our post office, main and a branch, are filled with dedicated people. They have been there since the Post Office was founded. They also move with the same speed that all 150 year old people do. If I want Saturday Post Office business, I do without. I would rather use the Mail Shops or the machines that are in some of the buildings. Saturday I can do without. Important papers (checks from SS ) are direct deposited. Why wait for a check then go to the bank? Direct deposit, you just go to the bank. I truly think that the Post Office has outlived its usefulness. Privitize the whole thing. Business can do a much better job. Business is efficient, or they would be out of Businesss.

Go wikipedia Labor Unions... scroll down and read how they were the start of Marxism in Europe. We are modeled after them, and they were even more restricted than the US versions. Maybe they worked for some workers, but they are a cancer to capitalism. Their ideas are sound - but its the practical application of Unions that one must consider. Sure, they work well for an employee (after all how else would Detroit pay high school graduates 100 grand a year to fit doors on cars?). But take a look at industries that had the largest Unionized workforce - they are sinking, or have sunk. Can anyone spell 'Detroit' ?

Remember... the most dangerous of entities describe themselves 'For the common good.'

They never are.