Demise of the Postal Service, demise of society?

Shannon Says...

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow will stop the mail, but the economy will. The Postal Service announced some big cuts today to save 3 billion dollars and avoid slipping into bankruptcy.

Here are just some of the cuts they are planning to make:
35,000 layoffs
252 of the 487 mail processing centers are bring studied for possible closure
One day delivery will be eliminated
Offer early retirement to 100,000 employees, using the surplus in the pension fund

Although postage is set to go up $.01 again and 563 million pieces of mail are sent each day, The Postal Service has lost 3.8 billion dollars in the last year alone. Electronic communication and online bill paying has put a huge dent in their revenue. It gets worse... The Postal Service relies solely on revenue generated from sales of its products and services to operate. It is illegal for them to take tax dollars from the government, but they still owe Uncle Sam 10.2 billion dollars in "loans." If all of these big numbers starting with a "B' are overwhelming, get this one.... The Postal Service must reduce it's budget 20 billion dollars by 2015 to move from the red to the black. 20 BILLION! That's a lot of Jack, Jack.

I don't know why people are surprised by this news. After bailouts of banks and car companies, the economy has attacked almost all of our American institutions. Silicone Valley is cleaning up while Main Street is dying. And it's OK, it is a function of our evolution.

I fully admit that I contribute to the problem. I email instead of send letters, I read the newspaper and look up People magazine online, I have gone completely paperless with my bills and pay them directly from my bank's website. However, I still believe that there is nothing as nice as getting a letter. Tearing open a birthday card to read the wishes inside is much better than "opening" an e-card. Getting a hand written thank you note conveys much more appreciation than an email lost in a sea of spam.

Our mode of communication keeps getting more impersonal, and it goes beyond the deterioration of written communication. Texting has now replaced talking on the phone. Dates are made, relationships are broken up, arguments are fought, and flirtations proffer. There is no need for anyone to even speak anymore...and I don't like it.

New To Blogging

Shannon Says...

Well, this is my first trip into the Boggosphere, (or Blogosphere - not sure how to spell it), and so far it hasn't been that bumpy of a ride. I have set up my account, although my URL "ShannonSays" has to have a number after it because apparently there are a few Shannons who have something to say. By the way, I chose 5 because it is my favorite number.

I need to make it perfectly clear that this is my PERSONAL blog with my PERSONAL thoughts. It is a personal  journalistic endeavor and not associated with my job as a News Anchor and Reporter. So, those of you reading this who may criticize me for my opinion, (which is ok, I want this blog to be about exchanging ideas and I respect other's opinions), please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion and not a professional journalistic representation of news of the day. Geez...did I say personal enough? But, you get the picture...

Also, I sometimes take liberties with grammar and punctuation...(such as ...). Just to let you know, I am well schooled in proper punctuation and grammar but sometimes take liberties for effect. Now, spelling is a whole different thing. I am sure you will see some spelling errors because I am a terrible typist!!! For some reason, I think I need to put this disclaimer out there.

Some days I may comment on news stories while other days I may post a new recipe or an old favorite. I may talk about my experiences as a single female professional, (hopefully lots of posts about great dates then meeting the man of my dreams!), or random observations and thoughts from my day. Could be restaurant recommendations one day and where to get a great manicure the next. So, in other words...anything goes.

I will also post weekly poll questions, then reveal my thoughts on the subject as well as what my readers think. Be sure to participate, I look forward to seeing the results.

I have good news for those of you who followed my weight loss journey, I am going to resume it here! It is incredible that I still get stopped in public several times a week and receive lots of emails asking why the series on TV ended. Quite simply, I have new bosses with new ideas and continuing the series was not in their plan for the news product. I respect them and their decision.

I hope you participate and enjoy and we'll see where this thing goes...