New Haven Independent

Posted by: Joe MustGo | September 1, 2009 12:51 PM

What's with the Elm City return, is Lieberman's Stamford home getting painted this week or something?

Posted by: V | September 1, 2009 12:55 PM

This is the sort of thing that opponents of government-run healthcare use as an example of what happens when politics and business mix.

The post office tries to close some branches to break even. People complain, politicians intervene, and the branch will stay open. Stay open and continue wasting money. We all pay for this in the end.

Posted by: Yaakov Stern | September 1, 2009 1:20 PM

Funny you should mention that, V, because it just so happens that Joe here is a big opponent of the government running health care. Ironic, isn't it?

Posted by: Rep. Pat Dillon | September 1, 2009 1:31 PM

Good for Joe.
The post office is not losing money because of Westville or Kilby Station. It inherited massive legacy pension and health costs, and must respond to a changing market.
Shrinking the customer base won't solve the problem. Shuttering urban post offices and relocating in malls reachable only by car won't solve it either.
There may be management issues, or design issues, and they should be looked at. Perhaps when the post office was a monopoly, management did not think outside the box. But since Fed Ex appeared it was clear the PO management in DC, and regionally, should be doing just that.
In addition to management issues, this is an opportunity to look at ways to integrate the stations into the neighborhoods.
At some branches, bike racks might help too.

Posted by: vinnie | September 1, 2009 2:05 PM

Congress should subsidize the USPS. The government has spent billions on wars(government calls wars conflicts)surely the government can help the USPS. By the way in spending billions on conflicts the United States has not won a war since WWII.

Posted by: anon | September 1, 2009 3:18 PM

Could we get a real post office downtown also? It's absurd that a city this size makes you drive out to Brewery Street for postal functions.

Posted by: DingDong | September 1, 2009 4:06 PM

How about he fights for universal health care instead of post offices? My vote can't be bought so easily. I don't know how much Joe's vote cost the insurance companies.

Posted by: Brett | September 1, 2009 5:29 PM

For a long time I was a fan of Senator Lieberman's. Even though I did not always agree with him, I supported him. Up until he agreed to add something so detrimental to Postal Employees that at least for myself and my family he has lost one families support for him, especially if he ever decides to run for President again. Lieberman seems to be in the same fold as Senator McCain way of thinking.

Posted by: anonymous me | September 2, 2009 10:14 AM

The post office is not loosing money due to craft employees but, rather, due to poor management. Management seeks to cut everything because they are focused on operations and that is all they know. What they should be doing is focusing more on revenue and selling thier products and services. Unfortunately, they have their hands tied by deals made with the competition. Both UPS and FedEx provide transportation for the Postal Service while the postal service provides "last mile" delivery for UPS (UPS Mail Innovations) and FedEx (Smart Post). Big business mailers now have no reason at all to use the Postal Service directly for shipping packages. This is the one area that the Postal Service had the biggest opportunity to generate new/increased revenue for the future. USPS management has dismantled the infrastructure (planes and trucking) that would have allowed them to be competetive in this area and contracted it with their competion. Now, USPS wants to cut services and further dismantle infrastructure. Where do they think this will lead? USPS management needs to stop focusing on, and blaming, craft employees for it's woes and start focusing on building the business and finding ways to generate revenue. It doesn't necessarily require a lot of "thinking outside the box" but, rather, just ceasing self destructive behaviors and using more sound and accepted business marketing strategies.

Posted by: Tim | September 2, 2009 1:47 PM

Senator Lieberman is pandering to his constituency regarding the Postal Service. Announcing that you want to keep facilities open when the Postal Service needs to cut costs is not realistic. The Postal Service should imitate private industry when revenues have decreased and slice away management in large chunks.

Posted by: To Tim | September 2, 2009 11:19 PM

State govt cut too. The early retirement has devastated the management ranks and experience level. Senior staff are now senior management overnight. But, it had to be done.

Posted by: one | September 3, 2009 9:09 AM

Voters have to remember that politicians work for us. If our elected officials can't keep basic government functions working then let's start looking for another Representative. As far as the USPS goes. It starts at the top. The CEO (Postmaster Potter) just announced incentives to get employees to retire (lower labor costs). That's fine. Why keep guys in charge that take almost a year to copy the same exact policy as GM/Chrysler? How smart do have to be to read the business section? I wouldn't expect a Exxon-type CEO to be working for the government (ex-CEO of Exxon was paid $600 million when he left Exxon, Potter's $857,459 package for fiscal 2008).
If the USPS is going to cut service where it looses money, then the smaller communities will be
the one's loosing service. Let's hold our elected officials accountable. That is where OUR job starts.

Posted by: Richard Keane | September 4, 2009 7:41 PM

Former Postal Worker to tell story about Wall Street

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/white-house-curious-about-movie-stock-shock-114735.php

Richard Keane, narrator Stock Shock
www.twitter.com/stockshockmovie

www.stockshockmovie.com