Association for Postal Commerce

1901 N. Fort Myer Dr., Ste 401 * Arlington, VA 22209-1609 * USA * Ph.: +1 703 524 0096 * Fax: +1 703 524 1871

PostCom Praises Bush Administration for Action on Postal Reform

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Contact:  Gene A. Del Polito, Ph.D.
               President, Association for Postal Commerce

PostCom Praises White House for Support on Postal Reform

Arlington, Va., December 10, 2003  -- The Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom), an organization representing companies that value preserving a universal mail delivery system for business communication and commerce, has praised President George W. Bush for his support to enact comprehensive postal reform.  The Bush Administration has called upon Congress to pass reform legislation “to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service can continue to provide affordable and reliable universal service, while limiting the exposure of taxpayers and operating appropriately in the competitive marketplace.” 

“This President and this Administration understand all too well the importance of our postal system as part of our nation’s economic infrastructure,” said PostCom President Gene Del Polito.  “The Bush Administration also understands fully that the loss of our industry and our economy would suffer if the postal system is allowed to drift into fiscal collapse.”

Del Polito said a postal “crisis” has been building over the past several years.  He said the advent of this crisis has largely been ignored with the exception of the White House and a few Members of Congress -- most notably Reps. John McHugh, R-N.Y., Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Tom Carper, D-Del.  “Postal reform has been under ‘discussion’ for the last four congresses,” Del Polito said.  “The time for discussion is over.  It’s time to get a meaningful reform package enacted into law.”

“There is more than sufficient information from the Presidential Commission and past legislative efforts to get legislators up to snuff,” Del Polito said.  “Industry organizations, such as the Association of Postal Commerce, already have identified clear and specific provisions that must be a part of any legislative package.  Key among them is the need to reform substantially the manner in which postal rates and services are determined.  In addition, no reform measure can ever be successful unless it brings about a fundamental restructuring of the incentives that underlie our postal system.  The proper rewards and consequences need to be set in place to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service will be operated in a true market-driven enterprise.  Indeed, without such changes it will be virtually impossible to ensure that mail will remain a self-sustaining, economically viable, and affordable vehicle for business communication and commerce,” he said.

 

“The challenges we face in the United States are not unique,” Del Polito said.  “In fact, similar challenges have been facing other posts across the world.  The only difference is that until now, other nations have acted and we have not.”  

 

The Association for Postal Commerce was founded in 1947.  It represents companies and organizations that use, or support others in the use of, mail for business communication and commerce.

 

 

 

 

 

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