Dayton Business Journal
Postal Service's $1.9 billion loss means reform can't wait any longer
Kent Hoover 

The U.S. Postal Service's $1.9 billion loss in the second quarter proves that Congress "can't afford to wait any longer" to pass postal reform legislation, said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. 

Carper, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has been the main force in Congress behind changing the Postal Service's business model. That could include allowing the Postal Service to restructure its retirement health benefits payments, continue reducing its number of facilities, finding new sources of revenue and possibly cutting Saturday mail delivery. 

The Postal Service agrees with Carper that postal reform needs to happen sooner, rather than later. 

Otherwise, "unsustainable losses" will be unavoidable, and the Postal Service could become "a long-term burden to the American taxpayer," said Postmaster General and CEO Patrick Donahoe. 

Total mail volume fell to 38.8 billion pieces in the second quarter, which ended March 31. That volume is down from 39.4 pieces in the first quarter. But operating revenue increased 0.7 percent to $16.3 billion, thanks to strong growth in shipping and package revenue… 

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