WASHINGTON, D.C. — Calling it a monumental victory for Maine residents, customers of the U.S. Postal Service and members of rural communities nationwide, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe hailed Wednesday afternoon’s 62-37 Senate passage of the postal reform act.
“This is a resounding win for the Maine delegation and Maine citizens, as well as other parts of the country,” said Snowe, R-Maine.
“I’m absolutely delighted we got such a strong bipartisan vote. To get 62 votes on such a complex and difficult bill is a real accomplishment these days in the Senate,” said Collins, R-Maine, who authored the bill along with Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.; Tom Carper, D-Del.; and Scott Brown, R-Mass. “This is a tremendous victory today and an important milestone on the journey toward getting this bill signed into law.”
The bill still has to pass through the House of Representatives, where a competing bill authored by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has not yet been brought up for a vote.
“I envision it’s down pretty much to those two bills,” said Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine. “As far as what’s going to happen, a lot will depend on how much support the speaker [of the House] gets from rank-and-file Republicans to bring the Senate bill up for a vote.
“If he does bring up the Senate bill, I think it’ll pass. There are a lot of different possibilities. Leadership could also decide to delay a vote and bring the Issa bill up instead.”
If the vote is delayed, the USPS plan to start consolidating 223 facilities nationwide — including the Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Facility in Hampden after May 15 — likely would go forward.
“The Sword of Damocles is hanging over the heads of Congress and the Postal Service,” Collins said. “Time is of the essence. The Postal Service is losing roughly $23 million a day on average and is in such dire straits, it’s at risk of not being able to cover its operating expenses later this fall.”
Under the Senate bill, 86 of those 223 targeted facilities will be kept open because of a requirement written in by Collins requiring the USPS to provide overnight delivery service nationwide.
“I don’t really have the tea leaves on this, but my guess is they will introduce the Issa bill because there are a lot of people who want to use a big hammer,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree. “So the people who really want to make huge cuts can have their say, and then they’ll fashion a compromise with the Senate for a bill that could pass the House.”
The Hampden plant employs 183 people, all of whom were notified two months ago that 170 of them would be reassigned or let go as a result of its processing duties being shifted to Scarborough’s Southern Maine center, leaving that as Maine’s only processing center.
“That [Hampden] center is so critical to the economy of our region,” said Collins. “The Postal Service is the linchpin of a trillion-dollar industry and helps support 8 million workers nationally.”
Under Collins’ bill, the USPS would get an $11 billion refund of overpayments made to a federal retirement and health fund to pay down debt and finance buyouts to 100,000 postal employees.
“I believe the bill will help put the Postal Service on sound financial footing as well as save the Hampden processing center,” said Collins.
Collins’ bill would stop any shutdowns before the November elections, protect rural post offices for one year and require six-day USPS delivery service for two years.
Tom Rizzo, the USPS’ Northern New England District spokesman, said unless he’s notified otherwise, the plants designated for consolidation will begin downsizing after May 15.
Hours after Rizzo’s comment, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe confirmed in to senators Tuesday that Collins’ bill would keep the Hampden facility open if passed.
Rizzo had no official statement by USPS officials reacting to Wednesday’s Senate vote as of press time Wednesday night.
Postal facilities were evaluated for potential shutdown or consolidation through a national study started last August because of USPS financial woes attributed to annual operating losses and a need to cut $20 billion in operating costs by 2015.
“We understand they’re facing enormous fiscal hardship. No doubt,” said Snowe. “But they’ve always taken more of a blunt approach to addressing it.
“It seems more like a predetermined outcome to me as far as this whole consolidation effort they [USPS] were kind of locked onto.”
Snowe added a bill amendment Tuesday which was unanimously enacted that requires the Postal Regulatory Commission to independently verify USPS figures and methodology used for determining plant consolidations.
Collins is making a career out of propping up failing business through government intervention. We can thank her for the fact that french fries (junk fook) remain on the menu’s of school lunch programs all across the US. She’s responsible for the huge waste in government paranoia spending following 9/11, the ship that the military tried to cancel and now, the empty, over staffed and under-utilized postal distribution facility in Hampden. Is there a point at which Maine will actually contribute to the pot, instead of just drawing down federal money for dying projects?
This is Collin’s version of Postal Welfare. Keep the useless Hampden Facility open just to pay 183 Union People outrageous salaries for doing NO WORK. We got to keep the Bangor economy going. I really think Collins has LOST IT.
Where? Where? Where? Are the deficit cuts going to be made? Not in the taxes of the millionaires and billionaires? Not in the military budgets? Not in the Congressional office budgets? Former Senator Dirksen once said, A million here, a million there. Pretty soon you are talking a lot of money.” Where do Maine’s Senators and Representatives propose cutting? We do NOT need mail delivery 6 days a week. We do not need every post office that currently exists.
An oakfield post office very close to Smyrna. Blaine/Mars hill. I am sure that there are many many more like that in Maine. Couldn’t the more rural areas use small family stores as post offices, contracted out to the owner? why yes they can. In fact that is already done in Maine.
The Gouldsboro area in Maine has a Post Office every 2 to 3 miles apart.
Yes we do. This Nation is a great Nation. I do not want to live in a Country that can not deliver mail on time.
In Canada it takes one day to one week longer than the US to deliver mail.
Yes thats why people in canada have a post office boxs in Calais an other maine boarder towns in us mail is much faster
Again….
“the USPS would get an $11 billion refund of overpayments made to a federal retirement and health fund”
Hampden needs to be closed immediately. Way over staffed and next to nothing for mail volume. Lazy Postal Workers collecting huge salaries and standing around doing nothing all night.
This Senate Bill that just passed ties the hands of the Postal Service for 2 years. The Postal Service was just bailed out with 12.1 Billion Dollars of Taxpayer money in February 2012. Now the Postal Service can’t even close a Post Office or a Sorting Facility for 2 years without a major catastrophe. By law the US Treasury can only give the Postal Service 3 billion more in bailouts. Then it is really over. A broke, bankrupt Postal Service. Thanks Collins and Lieberman you are both FOOLS. In 2 years there will be nothing left of the Postal Service to save. The Postmaster General has said that his hands are now tied behind his back. I hope the House has more Business Sense then the Senate has just shown.
You have no idea what you are talking about
Yes, yes he does.
Yes, Knightscross does understand the issue with the exception of calling postal workes lazy.
It’s not their fault that mail volume has dropped and while they’re workload is less that does not make them lazy. But, this nothing more than Collins attempt to keep dollars flowing in to protect local jobs. She should say so, but then that would be too honest.
It needs to close and who cares if a letter travels another three hours down the road and back. The mail will still get there.
Ok say the mail travel another 3 hrs do you know the cost from northan Maine to portland an back ? Stop an think that driver has to stop along the way to pick up mail so how long to you think it will take that driver to go say from fort kent to portland ? 9 or 10 hrs ?? so that means that driver has to stay in portland over night thats a add cost so the contractor has to charge more to hall the mail. or the contractor has to hire another driver an buy another rig to hall the mail north an meet that person at a place change trailors an go back thats an added cost to the post office
“the USPS would get an $11 billion refund of overpayments made to a federal retirement and health fund”
By bailout you must mean the one the USPS has been giving congress to help balance the budget.
You and Bangorian really don’t have a clue what you are talking about.
I doubt the Postal Service will pay back the 12.1 Billion Dollars in Bailout money with the 11 billion dollars refund from over paid pensions. Then they would owe the Taxpayers only 1.1 Billion Dollars in Bailout money. They need the 11 Billion just to survive another few months. Then What?
The postal service has a $15 billion debt limit with the treasury. They have been loaned $12.1 billion so far.
Part of this bill is to use the overpayment to pay down that debt! Did you even read the article?
And as far as then what, if USPS management did things right they could easily be in the red again. But destroying service will do nothing but kill the post office.
This is why the debt and deficit keep going up. No-one, right or left in DC is willing to cut anything.
It’s going to be a real laugh to watch DC if Mitt wins. All the right-wing promises to cut spending will be shown for what they are – hot air. Fortunately, President Obama will win and then we’ll restore justice to the tax rolls.
Regardless of who wins, this behavior of keeping the spending going in my state or district without the money to pay for it is the real problem.
“The Sword of Damocles is hanging over the heads of Congress and the Postal Service,” Collins said……..what does that even MEAN. Senator Collins is just another RINO that has spent too much time in Washington. That’s just wonderful she’s so concerned over union jobs. Privatize the postal service and every other government union run disaster if you want to save this country. Pay the postal employees to retire early but it’s is wrong that we have people cow towing to the almighty postal service when our veterans and military are being stripped of their benefits.
The majority of workers at the Hampden plant are vets. Or do you mean the disabled vets that get 4000 a month tax free to live on, free health care, lower property taxes, free vehicle registration and lower grocery bills by shopping at the base?
how far do you think some of them have to travel to get their grocery’s at the base?
I agree that we should not close the mail facility, but this is an attempt by the Union to get more money for it’s employees. The post office could be saved by modest cuts in benefits. Postal workers have the best benefits of all Government workers. Bottom line; the Union is going to bring down the USA, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why they are doing this?
How is this an attempt by the union to get more money? The workers ratified a contract two years ago and have had no raises and are paying more into health insurance. If you think our benefits are great, check out what the managers benefits that have run the USPS into the ground get. Or try looking at what Collins and the rest get. We have far from the best.
I don’t really know, but how do the benefits and your cost compare to the average Maine worker? I would guess that they are significantly better.
And how do my benefits and costs compare to say people in Boston? Not very well i would say.
Whats your point? Everybody get paid $10 an hour with no benefits?
You are the one who posted “If you think our benefits are great” ..
But then again, your last comment is twice illogical or non-nonsensical. Too bad. Sorry to bother you.
Do managers have a union? If so, then it’s really just another union mess. When I was involved in public sector negotiations (many years ago) benefits were equal across the board, which I would guess is still the norm.
There is a difference in benefits between each union, supervisors and managers. The managers I refer to are down in Washington getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and get %100 medical coverage.
Sounds like GM etal with a myriad of unions and folks not working together.
Maybe we should allow the USPS an employee BUY OUT ! Not a govt BAIL OUT !
Think they’d get rid of the dead wood then?
If they do a buyout they should get a lot of the highest paid employees gone and quickly.
Personally Ive always been for one postal union. Never happen though.
So, another billion dollar bailout. What did we do before the Hampden facility opened? Don’t think the mail was delayed by much previous to that. Perhaps this trade off is why Senator Collins was the only Republican to vote for the ludicrous “Buffett Rule” bill.
Bipartisan vote very difficult to achieve? Snowe, Collins, Lieberman and Brown? They have been in Obama’s court right along, so no difficulty here!
The mail was sorted at the federal building downtown before the Hampden plant was built.
And what bailout? Some of you need to learn to read…….
“the USPS would get an $11 billion refund of overpayments made to a federal retirement and health fund”
The Postal Bailout of 12.1 Billion Dollars it received from the U.S. Treasury in February 2012 just to survive another few months. Yes TAX PAYER DOLLARS were used. You have been listening to Union Propaganda too long about how the Postal Service pays its bills by selling stamps. That is a LIE.
Now, This is funny!!
Let’s combine two losing propositions.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/04/25/senate_dem_save_the_us_postal_service_with_wind_farms.html
Wow. That would be “funny” if there was no chance it could become reality. But, in DC anything’s possible…especially something as wasteful as this.
Unbelievable, well, almost.
It’s always “gore someone else’s ox” when it comes to Washington. This situation might play well in Hampden, but another version of the same thing will repeatedly play out some 535 times around this country as each congressman and senator cuts a deal to keep the “free money” flowing home to their district.
Cut wasteful spending? Balance the budget? Become financially responsible? Yeah, right. There’s a much better chance that all the junk mail that arrives in my mailbox will suddenly stop. But, we keep on electing them, so we are getting exactly what we ask for. Greece ain’t got nothing on us. So much for the canary in the coal mine. Spend on, sisters and brothers!
Ya right an the post office will half to shut down or only be open 1 day a week an deliver the mail one day a week an that so call junk mail brings in 17.2 billion dollars a year so as you can see you have no idea what you are talking about . You should do searchs first before you talk
cut spending!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, where is the money to support this really coming from? Once again useless spending goes on and on. This is politics as usual when we really need to cut spending. We don’t need over night delivery. It’s time to close Hampden. It’s time to stop Sat. delivery. Show some courage! Cut spending!
Read the article…..
the USPS would get an $11 billion refund of overpayments made to a federal retirement and health fund
Yeah too bad the Postal Service owes the Taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury 12.1 Billion Dollars for the bailout they received in February 2012. Guess the Taxpayers better kiss that 12 Billion Dollars goodbye. The Postal Service will use the 11 Billion Dollars they received just to survive another few months. Then What?
How much do banks an car companys an student loand own the government ??
That is another issue, we are talking about the USPS and it’s problems, who else owes what is irrelevant to this issue. If the postal service would have gotten up off it’s butt back in the 80’s and stopped considering themselves as the leader and as the standard of mail delivery, I think it would have been much different.
They figured that they had no competition, which is obviously not the case. They dug the hole that they are in, and now we are in it with them.
No its the same no matter who owns the government money money own to the government is money owned to the government
“owned to the government is money owned to the government”? And if that’s the case, then each and every taxpayer every year “owns” money to the government, and therefore, each and every tax payers has a right to feel that this particular postal facility is costing too much to maintain what little it does and when the USPS is in dire need to do some recalculations.
Governmental budgeting isn’t that simple. It’s not just a great big pot of gold that can be spent on which system is bleeding the worst when what is OWED , is collected. The USPS is just as accountable for it’s expenditures as any other federal service entity, up to and including the military.
OK ile tell you what close all the post offices an let up or fedex handle every thing an they will decide were they will deliver mail to
Well, They are better at it, cheaper and faster right now. UPS, Fed Ex, and there are others just seem to doing a better job then the USPS, neither of those two are going bankrupt.
The USPS just figures that Ben Franklin’s little idea will never become antiquated, but it has.
Try sending a letter by up an see what it will cost you ? I took a letter to ups in waterville i ask how much to send it to Portland ..first she said it needs to be put i a large envlope 8 by 11 because there shipping lable will not fit it. than i had to put it on the scales an it would cost 10 bucks to send it to portland . To send that same letter to the west coast would cost 12 bucks. So i guess it would be cheaper to send it by ups ? You can send a Harry potter book an were in the USA by the the post office for $2.89 but it would take up to 7 days to get to the west coast the same book going to the west coast would cost 14 bucks. now if up picks up at you house thats an extra charge . so i say bring on up an fedex an replace the post office
That, my friend is untrue on all levels. FedEx & UPS can deliver large packages to a few addresses pretty well. They would not do well having to stop at each house and deliver stacks of junkmail.
You say we don’t need over night . What about businesses that do relay on it ?
They are going to have buy out that would effect 100,000 people that are near retirement age. there are top people at the post office that make 1 million dollars a year in the bill they would be cut down to 199,000 a year plus they would half to pay for there health insurance an life insurance. The post office will get back 11billion dollars that they over paid to retirement. The post office WILL be able to make a profit with out having to turn over the profit to the government. They will be looking to get more post offices in to grocery an mom an pop stores an chain stores too . They want to shut down 5 of the post offices on the capital grounds they will only have 2 not 5 .There looking to cut down on hrs. at post offices open in places. Before they can close a small post office they need to see what effect it would have on businesses in the area it severs .If a sorting center is to large for there needs they will rent part of it out . Than if that dose not bring down cost enough than they will cut out saturday delivery but inporten mail will still be delivered an sorting centers will be closed to. I got all of this from c-span2 they showed the hearing an the voting live. Now this will has to the house an voted on yes they could make changes an send it back so as you can see this is not a done deal yet .
I truly hope that Rep. Issa in the House of Representatives has more Business Sense and cuts the Postal Service. Lets the Postmaster General do his job. Manage the Postal Service without Air Heads like Collins running the Postal Service into the ground and giving out Welfare to Union Postal Workers. There is no mail volume in Hampden so why pay Union People large salaries to stand around and do nothing all night.
Ya an don’t fot get his pay will be cut too. Can you prove that they are standing around all night long as you say ?? Why arn’t you crying about the government taking all the profit all the profit that the post office makes or did that slip your mind ?? Like i said before you have no idea what you re talking about
Yeah my husband works there and stands around most of the night. NO MAIL. He wants to work not receive welfare.
Than have you lazy husband quit an go find a real job than
I expected something real ignorant coming from a Union Schill like you.
Well people here have said that lazy people should get off there butts an lok for a job an im not a union member
There is always work to do so if your husband is sitting around then he isnt doing his job. And I know because I have worked there since it opened. Or I should say he is only doing his “bid” job and nothing more?
Hear read this from yesterdays voting on the bill
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/postal-bill-senate-post-offices-saturday-delivery_n_1453698.html
Everyone is screaming “CUT” but the moment something THEY want is cut, then they start screaming “DON’T CUT”…just like the supposed mandated across the board cuts coming to the federal budget…now the chickenhawks don’t want to cut the military budget…just other things instead. Sorry folks, you can’t have it three ways……If you are screaming “CUT” then you should first suggest cutting something NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU before suggesting something NEAR AND DEAR TO OTHERS.
Thank you Senator Collins for actually taking the time to, “Do something!” The Postal Service has been spinning its wheels for too long and now is the time to “reinvent” the USPS. The USPS is one of the most trusted organizations in the USA and it also provides a great service!!! We do not need to dismantle or privatize this organization we just need to ask the frontline employees i.e. letter carriers and clerks how we can improve on what they currently do and make sure they are listened to and treated with respect!!!
From a smart woman, dumb legislation, even if it means votes. This is where political courage would be so important. And I voted for her.
Collins is the reason for the money problems the P.O. faces now. She was behind the 2006 bill to pre-fund for 75 years of payouts. This cost the P.O. billions. She is a complete sham.
I dont want anyone to face the hardship os losing their jobs but the Postmaster General himself has stated yesterday that these facilities need to close and 5 day mail needs to become a reality. We also have the employees of the hampden facility admitting that there is no mail to sort and they stand around most of the shift.
There is a stand by code In the Hampden Facility that Postal Workers have to swipe with their time cards when they run out of mail to process. You swipe the stand by code then go to the break rooms or go outside to smoke at $25.00 per hour plus benefits. Then you wait and wait and hope some mail comes in the rest of the night. Regulars are not allowed to be sent home per Union Contract, so they sit on break or smoke or go to their cars and do other things and collect huge salaries for doing nothing. This is Collins idea of Postal Welfare. This is why the Postal Service will be bankrupt very very soon.
ok an close the one by porland too an have the mail go all the way to Ma to be sorted an close all small post offices an reduce the hours on the rest like 8 am to 10 pm an close till an than open up from 5 pm to 8 pm no delivering of mail every one would half to come to the post office to pick up there mail . Look at all the saving there would be. No if people don’t like those hrs let them use ups or fedex
Oh, by the way, I did read the article. The $11 billion refund mentioned is a drop in the bucket. It’s money from job benefit packages. It’s not “real”. It’s all smoke and mirrors. In a year USPS will be right back in debt again and will be whining and crying poor. Closing and cutting spending is the only way to reduce debt. Any other way is pure fantasy. Sorry, but this is Wishful, Political Thinking.
Then the government can give back the $40 +billion the PO overpaid into the civil service fund. Yes, thays on top of the $11 billion overpaid to the fers system.
According to this article “Collins’
bill would stop any shutdowns before the November elections, protect rural post
offices for one year and require six-day USPS delivery service for two years.
Rather than a realistic long term
solution it appears to be a very thinly veiled attempt to influence voters by playing
politics with the Postal Workers.
Business as usual among long term politicians.
Who caused USPS to falter so badly, over the last 40 years – USPS Management, the Postal Union, or the Congress?
All of the above.