USPS losing $25 million daily with ‘broken business model’

By Joe Davidson, Updated: April 17, 2013

The U.S. Postal Service could become “a significant burden to the taxpayer” if it does not get needed flexibility to change its business operations, Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe told Congress Wednesday.  ppearing before a congressional hearing for the first time since the Postal Service had to back away from a plan to reduce delivery days from six to five, Donahoe  told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that ”the Postal Service is currently operating with a broken business model.”  We are losing $25 million dollars every day and we are on an unsustainable path,” he added. onahoe said USPS needs the flexibility to implement five-day delivery and:

* “To develop and price products quickly.”

* “To control our healthcare and retirement costs.” “To switch to a defined contribution retirement system for new employees.”

* “To quickly realign our mail processing, delivery and retail networks.”

* “To develop “a more streamlined governance model.”

* “And, we need more flexibility in the way we leverage our workforce.”

Donahoe announced in February that a five-day delivery schedule would save $2 billion annually and would begin in August. He had to change course, he said, after congressional action “specifically designed to prevent the Postal Service from changing its delivery schedule.  According to this law, we are now required to deliver mail as if it were the year 1983.”....To Read More.....