Postal Service May Close 1,000 Offices

Due to a large decrease in the volume of postal mail as people use more e-mail and online alternatives, the post office has been struggling and is financial difficulty.  The agency is facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss this fiscal year despite a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes.

Post officials sent a list of nearly 700 potential candidates to the independent Postal Regulatory Commission for review.

Postal Vice President Jordan Small told a congressional subcommittee that local managers will study activities of approximately 3,200 stations and branches across the country considering factors such as customer access, service standards, cost savings, impact on employees, environmental impact, real estate values and long-term Postal Service needs.

No changes are expected before the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30.

There are 32,741 post offices across the county. Of those, the service launched a review of 3,200 for potential candidates for closing. "We anticipate that out of these 3,200 stations and branches, under 1,000 offices could be considered as viable candidates to study further" for closing, Small said.

Just last week the General Accountability Office added the Postal Service to its list of troubled agencies, saying there are serious and significant structural financial challenges currently facing the agency. "Every major postal policy, from employee pay, to days of delivery, to the closing of postal facilities must be on the table. Without major change, the day will soon come when the Postal Service will be unable to pay its bills ..." GAO said.

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