USPS kills Saturday Service

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Is it true?!" 

Well, it is. Only for letters though, starting in August. Packages will be delivered 6 days a week, as usual. Many people, as reported all over the news, freaked out over this announcement, made by the postmaster general, Patrick Donahoe, on Wednesday last week. Check out this New York Times article...

Me? I don't really see the big deal. The United States Postal Service has been running into the ground for a long time. Now, unfortunately, the USPS has a HUGE overhead due to a commitment to pay the health benefits of future retirees (according to Donahoe). Despite the fact that they have raised the postal rates almost every year, they are still billions over budget. They have to figure out how to stay solvent...or even running at all, really.

On the other hand!! I think the question we should ask is: Is this the right cut in their services? There are probably several areas that could be cut, restructured or otherwise changed. Since packages will still be delivered, is Saturday letter delivery really the way to go?

Unfortunately for the USPS, we may not find out. According to our nations's government, they need Congress to take any of those steps. As a matter of fact, it's possible that Congress, because of past Congressional mandates on the USPS, will rule in upcoming hearings that the USPS cannot just say they're stopping Saturday letter service & be forced to continue it. Not to get political here, but I don't think any one of us can say that Congress is the entity that any of us would want telling us how to save some money. Just saying...

Oh the drama of the United States Postal Service! {said as I throw my hand across my forehead}  

So, how does this apply to you & me? Nothing will change immediately...if at all. Perhaps in August, any notes, birthday cards or invitations that you send via USPS First Class mail will not be delivered on Saturday. As we see how this unfolds, I'll have a contingency plan ready for small orders from my Etsy shop to insure that you get your purchase when you need it while trying to keep shipping costs reasonable. Stationery sets...1 or more...should not be affected. But I'll be sure to double & triple check!

What do you think? Is this a huge mistake? Long over due? Sound off in the comments or share your thoughts on twitter (@kmbatty) or Facebook.