Beer, Internet and Licenses to save US Postal Service
The United States Postal Service has been planning to shut down its Saturday service starting in August. Some members of Congress however say that shouldn’t be happening and instead should be expanding into new markets. These new markets would include such things as providing Internet service, shipping beer and wine and even issuing hunting license and vehicle permits.
A group of 24 mostly Democratic Senators led by Tom Udall (D-NM) sent an open letter today to the Postmaster General arguing that it is not actually legal for the USPS to stop Saturday deliveries beginning in August, as the agency announced earlier this month as part of its plan to cut costs amid massive losses. Here is a part of that letter:
We believe your proposal does not comply with the existing statutory requirement to continue six-day delivery and rural mail delivery services at no less than 1983 levels. It appears as recently as last year, the Postal Service did not believe it had the authority to end six-day delivery without legislation by Congress.
Some of the concerns in the senator’s letter cites a figure of 70,000 job losses if the USPS and Saturday deliveries.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced bills to this effect on Wednesday, giving the USPS the option to get into any of the following businesses:
- check-cashing services
- technology and media service
- warehousing and logistics
- facility leasing
- public Internet access services
- driver licensing
- vehicle registration
- hunting and fishing licensing
- notary services
- voter registration
It appears as though they would like to Combine the services of the USPS and the DMV plus add a few other options allow. How do you feel about this plan? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
