Postal staff has seen too much waste
Roger Simon August 14, 2002
Why listen to me when it comes to how poorly the Postal Service operates or why it wastes millions of dollars sponsoring bicycle teams or lavishing benefits on management? Why not listen to the people who work for the Postal Service?
Kenneth Smith, who lives in the Portsmouth, N.H., area, says he has been employed by the Postal Service for 35 years.
"Believe me," he writes, "you have only scratched the surface as to what goes on in this agency. Many of my co-workers have long complained about the Postal Service's use of advertising, and endorsing the Olympics and Lance Armstrong.
"Other major problems and waste in the Postal Service are: Managers and employees have no accountability when errors are committed.
"Just recently, I cleared out an old storeroom. I ended up throwing away computer equipment that was outdated, but it had never, ever been opened. Original packaging, uncut.
"You could make a career writing Postal Service columns that the general public would not believe, but you would sure get postal employees shaking their heads in agreement."
Then there is Jim Novak of Brunswick, Ohio, who writes: "You are correct in the waste. I am a letter carrier for 18 years, and this was a career I always wanted. Today, I can't stand going to work.
"There is waste in management due to the bonus program that they give to bosses who meet their goals. Postmasters get over $65,000 a year, plus could get as much as a $10,000 bonus for doing nothing! Many management positions could and should be eliminated.
"And the unions, they are worthless today. Before they were there to help the working man, and (now) they would rather join the management team and bide their time until they retire.
"My main question is: Why can't this be corrected today? We know what and where these problems are, yet it continues! We need to get the public, media and elected officials involved in this, to voice their complaints."
Or how about this, from Larry D.: "In the 35 years that I have worked in the post office, I have seen a lot of waste at the local level also. As letter carriers, we fight and argue with management all the time when they come up with these stupid programs that distance us from the customers.
"The most recent program is the 800 number. You can't even call your local post office direct — you talk with a non-postal employee in North Dakota if you have a problem. Management keeps making our starting times later and later, and therefore the customer receives their mail later in the day.
"The letter carriers do care and try to give the best service possible in spite of the moron managers."
Mitchell Daniels from the New Haven area reminds me of something important: "There are those employees who do a number of positive things in the community in which they live or work. I have taught free CPR and first aid to senior citizens and young adults. I'm also a mentor and a big brother. We have a lot of caring postmasters and managers. My letter carrier union collects food every year for the needy. Not to mention the fact that we collect money for the care and research for handicapped children. I can go on and on. We may not be a perfect organization, but don't count out the employees who do give a damn. We take pride in our job, as well in our country."
Fair enough. And P. Snedeker of Las Vegas writes: "I just read your article about the Postal Service and the lavish styles of its upper-level employees.
" But I should like to tell you about my experience here in Las Vegas, where the temperatures for the last 45 days have run as high as 115 degrees. When my postman drove up in his truck last week, I asked him why he didn't close his windows and turn on the air conditioning. He told me that none of the trucks have air conditioning."
But why do I have the sneaking suspicion that the bosses have plenty of a/c in their offices? In any case, if you are around when the letter carrier drops off your mail, you can do what my mother always did and offer them some lemonade.
In those days, there was still a bond between the people who received the mail and the people who delivered the mail. It would be nice if those days returned.
Roger Simon writes for U.S. News and World Report. His column is distributed by Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles 900045. E-mail: WriteRoger@aol.com.