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.
I have to totally agree Shannon! I'm guilty of using electronic methods frequently....but also admit I love getting birthday cards in the mail...I've seen many a relationship end via text message (impersonal/rude/uncalled for)....I guess maybe that's what we get for living in such a high tech society.....my son is 12 and as he gets older I'm afraid these things will be all but gone...very sad!
ReplyDeleteI along with so many have used th post office less and less . I still do as you have commented shannon like to get the Christmas card ect , letter from a friend , in the mail ..Its the personal touch that goes a long way , and we as a society have lost a lot of that from texting, facebook posts , ect .. I am guilty as the rest by using these modes but it is nice to still receive the old fashioned mail and hopefully it wont become a thing of the past anytime soon !!
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