ARE YOU GETTING YOUR MAIL??????

[nctarheel]

I have noticed, through posts to social media, like Nextdoor, and other outlets that complaints about the receipt of mail in a timely manner has mushroomed. Saturday deliveries in particular have been missed. Even though people have the tools to track their mail, the USPS has been remiss in its delivery of on time mail.

When asked, my neighbors are in unanimous in the blame, assigning it to the present POSTMASTER GENERAL.

This POSTMASTER GENERAL is making a personal fortune mismanaging the USPS.

I have had bills not make it to the end point on time and cost me fees, I have had family mail reach me weeks after the event the mail was sent for, and I have had mail get lost altogether.

ARE YOU HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE USPS TOO?????

[williamb39198]

If dejoy wanted to make the Postal Service more efficient, why did he destroy sorting machines, let mail and parcels pile up in facilities, and not allot time for deliveries…sounds like another move to destroy faith in our systems. 

I like and have used the Post Office for decades. 

[postman29]

It's another effort by PM General Dejoy to privatize the USPS. I hope the public is paying attention and they stop this intentional slowing down of the mail. If we lose the Post Office to private investors and companies their interests and profits will come first. Once the Post Office is gone then people will realize how good it is what they had, and by then it will be too late. 

[GailL1]

There is no plan to privatize it.

NPR 03/23/2021 - HERE'S THE PROPOSED PLAN: 10-Year Reorganization Of U.S. Postal Service 

4-Days ago it was announced that 1st class mail is going to 58 cents this summer (date to be announced).  Better get those Forever Stamps now.

[postman29]

Sorry but as a former long-time Union official I know for a fact that privatization has been and still is the final goal for the people on the right. It is just a fact!

[GailL1]

@postman29 

I am only speaking about what has been presented recently.  From the NPR link I posted above:

DeJoy told a congressional panel last month that the Postal Service lost more than $9 billion last year and owes some $80 billion in unfunded liabilities because of a congressionally imposed mandate that it prepay the health care costs of its future retirees.

DeJoy is working with lawmakers on legislation that would end that requirement and place retirees within the Medicare program.

He told lawmakers the postal system is "in a death spiral" and needs legislation to help restore it to financial stability.

I though many of the Democrats wanted to end that pre-payment requirement of retiree's health benefit.  He agrees .  By placing them within the Medicare program - maybe it is a win-win - helping out the Medicare program financially.

[postman29]

Some of those things are true, but the health care mandate has been a huge albatross on the Postal Service and the Unions and the Democrats have been fighting to stop the 5.5 billion dollar prepayment for many years, something no other agency has had to do. It's been used by the Republicans for years to claim that the Postal Service has been losing money when in fact most of those years have been profitable. The 2021 Postal Reform Act is bipartisan and needs to be passed. Yes, even Dejoy supports it but he's weakened the Postal Service on his own by delaying first class mail, removing collection boxes, dismantling very expensive and efficient sorting machines, and curbing OT which delays mail even longer. He started this all before the election under the guise of saving money when there was no rush to do all of that before releasing his 10 year plan. There has to be a bipartisan solution to save the Postal Service as we know it. It's still the most popular agency in the U.S. Government. 

[Underbat]

Hello everyone, let's remember to post on the topic, and not veer off into dispute about which part of the political spectrum is at fault.

The original question was:

 ARE YOU HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE USPS TOO?????

How is this affecting seniors?

Please remember to post according to the community guidelines, and refrain from insults and inflammatory comments.


Thank you for your cooperation in making the AARP Community a safe and welcoming place for all.
http://community.aarp.org/t5/custom/page/page-id/Guidelines

[GailL1]

Haven't had any major problems recently - there was a delay of a few days in December / very early January when we were going through our special election of both our U.S. Senators; I counted that as being purely overwhelmed with the volume of all of that.  They still arrived within a relatively few days of when they should have arrived.

Personally, I find that when my bills are cut off and then arrive, depends a lot on the vendor - some are just slower to arrive than others.  One especially (cellular) really, really want folks to pay online so this may be their way of encouraging that - because it gives a shorter window to turn it around. 

I also find that certain Post Offices and their drop boxes are better at moving mail to it's destination than others, timewise.  Although that too seems to be better currently also.

I have had no problems with prescriptions coming via mail - but again back in December, I had one delivery that came UPS rather than USPS.  

I won't comment on the current US Postmaster - too political for this board.  Some of his ideas seem good; others not so much - as with most things in government, a lot has to do with money.  The USPS does need new equipment and vehicles - especially in those areas where vehicles are used to the extreme or they have to deal with a lot of adverse weather that take a tole on the vehicles. More mechanized and less labor intensive.  Perhaps make more money by contracting in and out or more money for junk mail.  

Perhaps some better ways of delivering in remote, rural areas.  Already, there are some tiny, remote, rural areas where people haven't had a real post office in years - rather there are some in the area that have established a (I assume) contracted mail center with the USPS - the USPS or some large contracted company drops the mail there and then this group sorts it and gets it out ASAP - many times, weather permitting - 

I doubt you are in one of those areas.

With many of the big buck payers doing more things online or using other delivery services than using the USPS for special services, the USPS is a system that has to keep up and change with the times and technology.

[nctarheel]

---

@GailL1 wrote:

I won't comment on the current US Postmaster - too political for this board. 

---

It is certainly not political to note that the present POSTMASTER GENERAL has a HUGE conflict of interest in that he has immense investments in organizations that do business with the USPS and those businesses have had HUGE increases in business with the USPS since his appointment.

[GailL1]

@nctarheel 

The Board has the say in who they appoint as Post Master General and who they let go.  (3) new ones have just been appointed and approved by the Senate.  Now 5/4

As it stands now, it seems that they are following the plan of the Post Master General.

USNews 05/28/2021 - Senate OKs Biden Nominees to Postal Board Amid Mail Changes 

[williamb39198]

And from from a business perspective, isn’t the Post Office a government “service”, and not a for profit corporation. All of the factors being discussed are having an effect on “Are you getting your Mail”. And politics and politicians have had, and are having an effect on the Post Office, along with financial policies which have been placed on the Post Office, which in turn effects Mail delivery. 

[GailL1]

@williamb39198 

It is pseudo - or quasi - government because it receives no direct taxpayer money for the operation, it is suppose to earn it's own money.  By laws that were passed (Covid Relief) they did get Covid money help because of just everything that was going on -  it was a grant - $10 BILLION (2020 Covid Stim.)

Been under that structure since 1971, when Congress replaced the Department with the United States Postal Service, an independent entity within the executive branch. USPS is operated by a 11-person Board of Governors (which resembles the board of directors of a public corporation).  (9) Board member, the Post Master General and the Deputy Post Master General. 

The (9) Board of Governors hire and fire the US Post Master General.  Then the Postal Regulation Committee - (5) members - oversees the USPS, including the rates it charges.

Brooking Institute 08/26/2020 - How is the U.S. Postal Service governed and funded?    This also goes into what their problems are -

The Board of Director positions are now full; (all 9) - Biden picked the last (3) and they were confirmed by the Senate last week.   

So we will just have to wait and see what this new Board composition brings to the suggestion/planning box & what they want to do with the Post Master job - as of right now, from what I have read, many of them are kind of positive from the new 10-year plan.

Something has to be done to keep the USPS going - they are facing an ever increasing amount of losing business to technologies - they have outdated equipment and vehicles.

Read about the 10-year plan:

NPR 03/23/2021 - HERE'S THE PROPOSED PLAN: 10-Year Reorganization Of U.S. Postal Service 

[williamb39198]

So, should we change the name from the USPostalService, to the 
USQuasiGovernmentalThingy!

And it is a political football. 

[GailL1]

It sure is but not just one or the other - probably the reason why nothing has gotten done and the financial situation of the USPS just keeps getting worse and worse.   

The Board of the USPS now has a majority of Democrats - they seem supportive of the 10-year plan.

Cost cutting recommendations for the USPS have ran the gamut thru the years -   Read this one:

AARP Politics & Society - Government & Elections: Dead Letter Offices? Budget Woes May Bring Post Of... 

Few changes have made it through - but now the situation is getting critical - we have waited so long that Band-Aids won't work; it has to be a tourniquet.

Make sure you notice the date the above link.  *August 5, 2009"

[williamb39198]

And dejoys idea of cost cutting is to destroy machinery, cut services, and increase delivery times…hardly a good plan. 
Then again, he’s being investigated for criminal activity

[GailL1]

It does not matter WHO is making the cuts - CUTS along with a hefty increase in postage have to be made plus some upgrades.  I don't care if DeJoy stays or goes wherever - who will be the fall guy then?  

Did you even read the link that showed the changes proposed in 08/2009 - 111th Congress - that was when Dems controlled BOTH HOUSES and the Presidency.  Did anything get done way back then - NO - same ole problems.

From the link ~

Is your neighborhood post office in danger of disappearing? It could happen as the U.S. Postal Service considers deep service cuts to attack its huge budget deficit.

• closing post offices and branches around the country
• early retirement and reduction in work force
• reduction in delivery service 

The Dems now in office should keep DeJoy around so that he can remain the fall guy, take all the criticism and backlash and they can save the Day by SAVING the USPS

[williamb39198]

Did Dems destroy sorting machinery? Did Obama install a donor with no postal experience to head up the Postal “Service”. 

I care, I want dejoy out of there!

[GailL1]

The USPS Board of Governors now has a Full 9-members -  the people who can hire and fire the Post Master General

(4) from each party and (1) Biden appointed independent

BUT . . . . 

Rachael Maddow MSNBC 06/01/2021

With Biden's three USPS nominees, [ now confirmed ] suggesting the White House expected the new members of the Board of Governors to change the Postal Service's direction.  

In theory, that's now possible: it's a nine-member board, and now that Hajjar has been confirmed, there are four Democrats and a Biden-appointed independent. These five members should be in a position to make significant changes, including ousting DeJoy.

In practice, however, one of the Democratic board members is Ron Bloom, a Trump appointee who's expressed support for DeJoy. As recently as April, Bloom, who currently chairs the USPS board, told The Atlantic, in reference to the controversial postmaster general, "Right now, I think [DeJoy is] the proper man for the job. He's earned my support, and he will have it until he doesn't. And I have no particular reason to believe he will lose it."

IMO, I think he is gonna be the fall guy - make the 10-year plan work as designed; he gets all the bad publicity - all the scorn - but yet the USPS gets put on a  firmer foundation financially - and all the politicians are happy.   

[nctarheel]

The appointment of DeJoy was one of the most obvious usage of patronage other than DeVos. Corruption through and through.

It is why my checks and other financial documents are taking, not 7 to 10 days for receipt, but twice or three times as long.

[GailL1]

Sounds like a Company mail problem - could you get them online?

I am having no such timing with my mail - the few things that I still get in the mail.

Many companies are wanting people to do more online especially getting their documents like statements, prospectuses - we are all gonna have to move in that direction or pay more for statement / document fees.  Heck, Medicare even wants you to do it all online so that they don't have to mail out those quarterly EOB's.  

Remember when SSA stopped sending out [most] benefit checks and started auto-deposit - OH, the screams they heard.  But now years later, it is just how it is done in most cases.

Have you seen the new USPS package delivery commercial?  Pretty impressive - new and bigger [eco-friendly] trucks to carry more packages.