The Postal Regulatory Commission is studying the proposal, which would eliminate Saturday mail service and save the debt-ridden Postal Service more than $3 billion per year.
The commission will hold hearings on the proposal in seven major cities in the Lower 48, but Sens. Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii said those hearing will not address the concerns of the two noncontiguous states.
“As you are likely aware, mail delivery in Alaska and Hawaii is very different from the other 48 states, as is our constituents’ reliance on that mail delivery for basic and necessary items,” reads a letter to the chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission signed by all four senators.
According to the letter, the senators said they have received few comments from Alaska and Hawaii residents about a reduction in mail service, but they are concerned about “the likely degradation of efficient and timely delivery of medication, food, water and other necessities,” to remote parts of the states.
Begich spokeswoman Julie Hasquet said that given Alaska’s uniqueness and location, the senator believes the commission should at least hold hearings in the state before making such a big decision.
Mike Brumas, spokesman for Murkowski, said she has concerns about the effects the change in mail service could have on seniors and Alaskan companies.
“... Because many people get their medications through the mail, these customers may have to pay a higher price to have another carrier deliver a prescription or, in some cases, drive up to 40 miles round trip to pick it up at the post office,” he said. “Companies which have built their business models around six-day delivery may be forced to use higher cost shipping alternatives.”
Clinton: Fort Greely missiles safe from cuts
Ground-based missile defense systems, such as the one at Fort Greely, will not be affected by an arms reduction agreement signed by Russia and the U.S., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week.
“The treaty does not constrain our missile defense efforts,” Clinton told the Senate Armed Services Committee, which counts Alaska Sen. Mark Begich as a member. “Those of you who worked with me on this committee know my strong support of missile defense, so I want to make this point very clearly.”
While the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty mostly limits nuclear arms between the two countries, a provision in the treaty also prohibits converting offensive missile launchers into defensive interceptors. It does not ban either country from building new missile defense launchers like 14 being built in Alaska, Clinton said.
Following Thursday’s hearing, Begich said he was pleased with the secretary’s comments.
“Especially at a time of high tension with North Korea, Alaska’s missile defense system is important to Alaska and America’s defense,” Begich said. “I welcome Secretary Clinton’s assurances that the system is outside the provisions of the arms treaty and important to the Obama administration.”
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
The question is
Was Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka at the 7 mainland hearings?
Was Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye at the 7 mainland hearings?
Was Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski at the 7 mainland hearings?
Was Alaska Sens. Mark Begich at the 7 mainland hearings?
Was Alaska Don Young at the 7 mainland hearings?
Or did they stick to their prior statement " those hearings will not address the concerns of the two noncontiguous states." and did not attend those 7 hearings...
Was Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski attending the Seaalaska hearings instead?
I'll wager they did not attend those meetings...
How about 300 miles one way walking, because there isn't any connecting roads in all of western Alaska .. and the bush planes only keep flying on the mail contracts. Besides, the high priced tickets would only get exponentially higher and gobble up the medication money.
"40 miles"? Must be one of those Washington DC tenderfoots that has never been to rural Alaska.
Solution to the problem: Get those mailmen living up to their motto by toting a mailbag to every house in rural Alaska, like they do in those BIG Cities down south. Bet they would be packing mosquito dope and a bear whistle on their appointed rounds.
Essentially the PO is bankrupt but saddled with extravagant union contracts and fuel prices three times what it used to be.
Running up the price of fuel is because of deliberate government policy to cut consumption and/or reduce domestic production.
The Democrats have promoted higher oil prices for years.. remember when Bush was elected 10 years ago.. it was an issue then.
Cutting off shore drilling cuts US competition, increases foreign oil dependency, runs up the price, costs jobs, and triggered the current depression.
Am saddened for the 1/6 portion of the postal employees who will loose their jobs, car, homes etc.
However, it is because their union considers them expendable they are being sacrificed. To pay the 5/6 th who remain their wages increases.
Everyone at the PO could take a 1,2,3,4 5 % cut across the board to save their union brothers.
And we could keep Saturday delivery.
ocvgc
ougut
When the Postal Service says 5 day delivery they are talking about the people that deliver to your home. If Saturday delivery was stopped, that mail would be delivered on Monday. It would save enormous amounts of fuel, in theory 1/6 of the fuel now used to power the postal fleet. This is hundreds of thousands of gallons nationwide each day.
It would also enable the Postal Service to cut 1/6 of it's work force, and therein lies the problem. The postal unions naturally oppose 5 day delivery because they don't want to see those jobs disappear, either through layoffs or attrition. However, if this is ever to be done, now is the time with our lousy economy and all the baby boomers approaching retirement age.
Mail processing in the big plants like Anchorage would still continue on Saturdays and Sundays, just as they do now on Sundays. The delays should be minimal. Besides, if delayed mail were of such a priority then Fairbanks mail would be processed in Fairbanks, as it used to be, and not sent to Anchorage. It now takes at least 2 days to send a letter across the street.
3:10 PM, downtown post office, two people in line, two clerks at the counter. Both customers need to submit passport paperwork. One lady says "I don't do that, just her.". The other lady says "we stopped accepting passport applications at 3.". both ladies proceeded to gossip with each other while two customers stood there, all alone, frikken baffled at the response.
Run it like a business, start by firing those two and the rest of the clowns that staff the front desks around town.