Postal Service highlights ballot delivery as oversight hearing nears

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

WHEN YOU GET THE MAIL – YOU’RE USUALLY MET WITH SOME GOOD LIKE A PAYCHECK MIXED WITH SOME BAD LIKE A BILL. THIS WEEK THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE HAS FOUND ITSELF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION.

ON MONDAY USPS DELIVERED SOME POSITIVE NEWS CONCERNING ITS EFFORTS DURING ELECTION SEASON AND THEN THE NEXT DAY CAME A NOTICE FROM CONGRESS OF AN OVERSIGHT HEARING TO GET ANSWERS ON ITS PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY.

FIRST — THE POSTAL SERVICE TOUTED IT PROCESSED MORE THAN 99 MILLION BALLOTS DURING THE 20-24 GENERAL ELECTION PERIOD THAT STARTED SEPTEMBER 1ST.

99 POINT 88 PERCENT (99.88%) OF BALLOTS WERE DELIVERED TO ELECTION OFFICIALS WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. BREAKING IT DOWN EVEN FURTHER – 97 POINT 73 PERCENT (97.73%) OF BALLOTS WERE DELIVERED WITHIN THREE DAYS.

ON AVERAGE, THE POSTAL SERVICE SAID IT DELIVERED BALLOTS FROM VOTERS TO ELECTION OFFICIALS WITHIN ONE DAY.

ALL IN ALL – MAIL CARRIERS DELIVERED 3 POINT 37 BILLION PIECES OF POLITICAL AND ELECTION MAIL THIS YEAR.

USPS SAID “EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES” WERE PUT IN PLACE TO SWIFTLY MOVE BALLOT MAIL ENTERED CLOSE TO OR ON ELECTION DAY. THESE MEASURES INCLUDED —  EXTRA DELIVERIES AND COLLECTIONS, SPECIAL PICK-UPS AND SPECIALIZED SORT PLANS AT PROCESSING FACILITIES.

THE POSTAL SERVICE’S POST-ELECTION ANALYSIS REPORT COMES AS THE AGENCY IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A 10-YEAR TRANSFORMATION PLAN – CALLED “DELIVERING FOR AMERICA.”

USPS IS LOOKING TO MODERNIZE THE POSTAL NETWORK, RESTORE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE SERVICE ACROSS ALL MAIL AND SHIPPING CATEGORIES – AS IT AIMS TO ELIMINATE TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PREDICTED LOSSES OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

IT’S THE PROGRESS ON THESE INITIATIVES THAT WILL BE THE FOCUS OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HEARING ON DECEMBER 10TH.

REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN JAMES COMER ANNOUNCED THE COMMITTEE WILL RECEIVE AN UPDATE FROM POSTMASTER GENERAL LOUIS DEJOY.

IN A STATEMENT COMER SAID, IN PART, “While the Postal Service’s finances and performance have seen some improvement under Postmaster General DeJoy’s ten-year plan, there is still work to be done.

Many families and small businesses around the country are still experiencing poor USPS service, resulting in unacceptable delays, and this Committee has a responsibility to examine its operations to ensure hardworking American taxpayers are receiving a service they can rely on.”

IT WAS LAST MONTH WHEN THE POSTAL SERVICE REPORTED A NET LOSS OF 9 POINT 5 BILLION DOLLARS FOR ITS FISCAL YEAR WHICH ENDED SEPTEMBER 30TH.

SINCE 20-07, THE AGENCY HAS LOST MORE THAN 100 BILLION DOLLARS.

THE POSTAL SERVICE WARNS IT MUST CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO CUT COSTS AND INCREASE REVENUE –

OR AS IS STATED IN ITS UPDATED “DELIVER TO AMERICA” PLAN QUOTE

“If we do nothing more, we remain on the path to either a government bailout or the end of this great organization as we know it.”

HERE’S ONE MORE CASE OF GOOD AND BAD — THIS PAST SUMMER – THE POSTAL SERVICE RAISED THE PRICE OF FIRST-CLASS MAIL STAMPS FROM 68 CENTS TO 73 CENTS AND THERE’S A PLANNED PRICE HIKE IN PLACE TWICE A YEAR THROUGH 20-27. HOWEVER, IN SEPTEMBER, THE AGENCY VOWED THERE WOULD BE NO INCREASE IN STAMP PRICES THIS JANUARY. THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS WE WON’T SEE AN INCREASE IN STAMP PRICES TO BEGIN A NEW YEAR.

NOW THERE’S SOMETHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.

FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.