I"m trying to prepare for a meeting about changes to local Postal service

[tech3149]

I have a pretty good rundown of the changes to the postal service that brought it to this manufactured crisis. I also have some suggestions above and beyond the 2006 law that put them $5.5 B in the hole every year that could make up the revenue.
I even threw in a very local reference that exposes the change in service with private services over he last our decades.
I live in a pretty rural and old are of the state. I've known most of my neighbors on sight and by name for most of my 60 some odd years. Most of them don't want to see any reduction of service and I want to give them all the ammunition they need to fight this fight. Any input will be welcome and I hope others around the country are doing the same.

[gateley]

1. Good luck!

It's a good fight to wage.

Is there a chance the local support would actually prevent the changes being considered?

I don't have more info for you, it seems you've got it covered.

This issue just is so WRONG. The pre-funding the retirement fund is just UNFAIR, and part of the plan to take this private, IMO.

[tech3149]

3. I'm not hoping for rainbows and unicorns

I expect that whatever is discussed will just be water under the bridge. The decision will already be made. My goal is to inform the public that they are being fucked for the benefit of some private industry. I live less than 100 yards from the post office. I pay much more than I need to for a mailbox because I want to support that lowest common denominator, available to everyone. One thing that frosts me is I have neighbors that are within eyesight that get RFD. I can understand the young ones with limited resources but most of them seem to be doing pretty well as opposed to this old tired drunk trying to get by on a $0 in come budget.

[elleng]

2. I'd provide them with specific reference to the 2006 law,

including who sponsored it, and let them be able to refer to it when complaining about the changes, and be clear how it works.

Good luck.

[lpbk2713]

4. GOP has been trying to privatize/deunionize the USPS for decades.

So far they have been unsuccessful so what they do instead is to enact measures that cost the USPS time and money in the effort to comply with the GOP backed rules. The postal workers have done a good job in trying to deal with the bureaucratic stupidity. But the whole point is to make them look inefficient and inept. I for one have no problem at all with my mail service.

[KT2000]

5. I would certainly bring up

the issues of the 2006 law and ask if a private company would be under those same requirements. If not, then why would a private company be able to operate differently. Would the citizens be happy with the fact that a private company would not have much in the way of benefits and especially not pensions.
I would be curious about how people would respond to that.

Also - have an exercise where the people participate is setting up charges for things like holding mail, stopping mail, filing change of address, and any other service the post office provides now for free.

[tech3149]

6. Thanks All! the 2006 legislatiobn is front and center and I have that pretty well covered.

I think the better story to tell is the results of selling off of government mail services to private industry. The only two examples I'm at all familiar with are the Royal Mail an Canada Post but they are both fairly recent examples and other than price and frequency of service, and I only have a few good stories on either, I'd like some drop jaw story that really shows what your going to get if they can sell off the Postal service.