Postal Service: Study focuses on volume levels of first-class single-piece mail
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- I'm pleased that the Postal Service, however inadvertent, has helped Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Steve King find common ground, as suggested in your Feb. 12 editorial, "Political foes join forces."
The editorial dealt with the study the Postal Service is conducting on mail processing in Sioux City, a study whose outcome, the editorial notes, "remains unclear." But then inexplicably, the editorial predicts how the study will turn out and that we'll see "a degradation of mail service to Northwest Iowa and Northeast Nebraska." I have no idea how you could reach that conclusion, and frankly I think you need to tell your readers what research you used to form that opinion.
That aside, it should be noted that the study will have as a focus the volume levels of first-class single-piece mail. This is a premier product for the Postal Service, but regrettably it's been on a downslide for several years. In fact, we've seen a drop off of 11 billion pieces since 1998. Everyone interested in this issue will have a better understanding of what we're facing if they ask themselves: Are you paying your bills online? Have you replaced written correspondence with e-mails and faxes?
There are a lot of "yes" answers to those questions in various parts of the country, causing us to re-examine how we process the diminishing amount of first-class single-piece mail and the space and people we use to do it.
It may come to be that in some parts of the country it will be more efficient to move that function to another plant, consolidating the volume into one central location. I have no way of predicting if that will happen in the Sioux City area, but this study will help us make that determination.
One goal we will not lose sight of is the commitment we have to provide our customers in the Sioux City area the best service. As for Sen. Harkin's proposal that we seek community input on whatever plant emerges, I think it's fair to say that the Postal Service has always been, and will continue to be, happy to hear from its customers.
But all should understand that the previously mentioned mail volume numbers will dictate much of what we ultimately do. -- Azeezaly S. Jaffer, vice president, Public Affairs and Communications, United States Postal Service
The editorial dealt with the study the Postal Service is conducting on mail processing in Sioux City, a study whose outcome, the editorial notes, "remains unclear." But then inexplicably, the editorial predicts how the study will turn out and that we'll see "a degradation of mail service to Northwest Iowa and Northeast Nebraska." I have no idea how you could reach that conclusion, and frankly I think you need to tell your readers what research you used to form that opinion.
That aside, it should be noted that the study will have as a focus the volume levels of first-class single-piece mail. This is a premier product for the Postal Service, but regrettably it's been on a downslide for several years. In fact, we've seen a drop off of 11 billion pieces since 1998. Everyone interested in this issue will have a better understanding of what we're facing if they ask themselves: Are you paying your bills online? Have you replaced written correspondence with e-mails and faxes?
There are a lot of "yes" answers to those questions in various parts of the country, causing us to re-examine how we process the diminishing amount of first-class single-piece mail and the space and people we use to do it.
It may come to be that in some parts of the country it will be more efficient to move that function to another plant, consolidating the volume into one central location. I have no way of predicting if that will happen in the Sioux City area, but this study will help us make that determination.
One goal we will not lose sight of is the commitment we have to provide our customers in the Sioux City area the best service. As for Sen. Harkin's proposal that we seek community input on whatever plant emerges, I think it's fair to say that the Postal Service has always been, and will continue to be, happy to hear from its customers.
But all should understand that the previously mentioned mail volume numbers will dictate much of what we ultimately do. -- Azeezaly S. Jaffer, vice president, Public Affairs and Communications, United States Postal Service
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