Stamp of disapproval

I am a rural mail carrier in Greenacres. The route that I service is 32 miles long and has over 600 customers. The route was evaluated by the U.S. Postal Service in an annual count in 2009 and is currently rated at nine hours per day. Therefore, if Saturday delivery was eliminated, in order for this route to be delivered in five days, it would mean working almost 11 hours a day.

If we really want to be “insane,” let’s consider three-day delivery. For my route, that would require working an 18-hour day. No thanks! We are mail carriers, not mail slaves!

The solution to the USPS budget problems lies elsewhere. Exorbitant salaries and bonuses to USPS officials for a business that has not been profitable in the past few years? How many private sector companies would follow that example? Not many successful ones, I can tell you that.

Last summer the USPS closed the Spokane District Office and we now fall under the Seattle District. They closed five other district offices. Perhaps they need to consolidate more of these district offices, and eliminate more unneeded management positions.

Jeff Taylor

Greenacres