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USPS is taking steps

The Feb. 26 letter to the editor “Don’t gut Postal Service” provides inaccurate information and misleading statements.

The suggestion that fixing the retiree health benefits (RHB) issue would solve all of the financial woes of the Postal Service is just plain wrong. The Postal Service recorded a $15.9 billion loss in the last fiscal year. The Postal Service defaulted on its $11.1 billion RHB payment to the U.S. Treasury. However, even without the RHB payment obligation, the Postal Service still recorded a loss of an additional $4.9 billion.

Regarding the new six-day package, five-day mail delivery schedule, the Postal Service developed this new approach by working with our customers to understand their delivery needs, and by identifying creative ways to generate significant cost savings.

The letter does correctly state that survey research conducted by the Postal Service and major news outlets consistently shows 70 to 80 percent of Americans support the new delivery schedule.

The Postal Service is simply taking a responsible and reasonable step toward returning the organization to financial stability.

Karen Fairlee

Spokane

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