- Provocative, no?
Well get this – The US Postal Regulatory Commission, PRC, has established a proceeding to “…provide a forum to gather information, provide transparency, and learn more about the Postal Service’s Delivering for America strategic initiatives that may have a significant impact on the postal community.” Moreover, it is somewhat lowkey, 5 pages. Order No. 6488.pdf (prc.gov)
When you read this, it sounds fairly ‘governmentese’, we quote from its Press Release :
“In the PI2023-4 docket, the Commission will issue information requests to the Postal Service regarding proposed changes to the postal network and the impact of those changes, and the Postal Service will provide responsive information. As part of this public inquiry, the Commission will seek information on the Postal Service’s recently announced plans to create sorting and delivery centers to “reduce transportation and mail handling costs” by aggregating delivery units into “larger Sort and Delivery Centers with adequate space, docks, and material handling equipment to operate more efficiently.”
At first it sounds like a non-descript look into the U S Postal Service’s plans for its future, i.e., yet another government study of one of its massive agencies. But look beyond this.
The study states that its focus is the ‘impact on the postal community’. So, step back for a moment and get the big picture, what is the actual scope of that community.
In the United States that means in 2022 delivering 127.3 billion pieces of mail domestically in the US, its possessions and territories, to 12.7 million businesses, and 152.2 million residential delivery points, serving the US Population of an official figure of 333.3 million, reported by The U.S. Census Bureau reported. The USPS handles 44% of the total worldwide postal mail volume, connecting it services to a global population of 8 billion people through an integrated postal network of 190+ national postal operators, NPOs worldwide.
The scope of the US Postal Service’s direct, and indirect macroeconomic impact and the range of its stakeholders are not insignificant. Consequently, we posit that the impact of any major change in USPS operations, organization, business structure, and strategic change goes beyond the somewhat generic 5 pp docket and opens up a discourse on the true socioeconomic and geopolitical value of the US Postal Service. We believe the USPS Plan “Delivering for America” should be rethought as “Delivering for the Global Postal Community”, and that this docket should not only be promulgated to the US but also be circulated worldwide for comment.
“PRC Initiates Public Inquiry Proceeding to Gather Information on Changes to the Postal Network”