Jan 28, 2009

The Postmaster General of the United States has warned Congress that mail service may have to cut to five days per week because of a looming $6B loss this year. USPS studies have shown that only 19% of Americans check their mailboxes daily, so they contend, "Why bother delivering the crap every day?" An AP/IPS/CNN/MSNBC/NFL/EIEIO poll taken Jan 4-7 asked 1505 Americans for their feelings on cutting mail delivery to five days, from the current six. An overwhelming 86% said that they didn't care, 10% cared deeply and 3% had no preference. The remaining one percent don't own mailboxes and don't think that they get mail anyway. The Postmaster also asked for a program tied to the proposed stimulus package that would provide a tax credit of $100 for anyone agreeing to send letters to ten friends, asking them to send one to ten of their friends and so on. "This could be big, really big", said the Postal Service chief. "Sounds like a damn chain letter to me", offered Representative Ogden Smith R-OH. The committee agreed to refer this proposal to staff for further study. Among other proposals was one to outlaw "the email", which postal officials have identified as the root of the problem. In the absence of a total ban, postal authorities have asked that emailers be required to buy e-stamps. Details on how that would work are sketchy, although strong opposition is expected from the "penis enhancement" lobby. Things in this blog represented to be fact, may or may not actually be true. The writer is frequently wrong, sometimes just full of it, but always judgmental and cranky

9 comments:

Coffee Messiah said...

It would be too easy to send to 10 people for that $100.00

but I'll do it for nothing, 'cause I'd hate to see mail disappear completely.

And there's nothing like receiving a nice letter in the mail ; )

Besides, the mail carriers do need a few days off to stay away from those wild turkeys that chase them around on their rounds.

Reya Mellicker said...

Did you make that up? About "the email"?

I hate chain letters and always break the chain, whether those letters are made of paper or electronics.

Even though no one ever writes me an actual letter, I always look forward to the delivery of mail because maybe something good will be addressed to me. Also our mailman, Reggie, is the sweetest guy in the world. And too there's netflix.

I guess I'd like to continue with six days of mail delivery per week, but I'm a dinosaur, a relic from an age that is passing away. sigh.

Merle Sneed said...

Reya, except for the Postmasters warning about cutting delivery, my facts in this post might be made up.

Jams said...

Dad will be freaked about this. As soon as our letter carrier puts the mail in the box he yells for me.

dennis said...

Dennis says they can take a long weekend as far as dennis is concerned, take Monday. (as long as Dennis gets his copies of Vogue and Gourmet every month, things are fine.)

Megan said...

I have just recently begun sending letters again. But only to three people. I could find seven more though, easily!

Anonymous said...

UPS is all I need. I can send boxes to my friends with letters inside.

Anonymous said...

what is the smallest sized box UPS will send anyway?

Kurt said...

I love mail. I will have a hard time if mail doesn't come on Saturdays.