SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 38

(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, Chafin, Unger, Jackson, Plymale, Snyder, Bailey, Bowman, Wooton, Prezioso, McCabe, Anderson, Helmick, Fanning, Edgell, Sharpe, Ross, Mitchell, Love, Hunter, Rowe, Caldwell, Oliverio, McKenzie, Facemyer, Redd, Burnette, Boley, Minear, Deem, Craigo, Kessler and Minard)

Urging the President and Congress of the United States request the United States Postal Service keep Saturday mail delivery service and examine its fiscal stability.

Whereas, On Wednesday, April 3, 2001, the governing board of the United States Postal Service announced that Saturday mail delivery may be eliminated; and
Whereas, There are times when Saturday delivery is crucial to the elderly and poor of the United States who depend on the United States Postal Service for the delivery of retirement, social security and welfare checks; and
Whereas, After five years of operating in the black, the Postal Service suffered a $199 million loss last fiscal year; and
Whereas, According to Postal Service management, the agency faces a $2 billion to $3 billion loss this fiscal year; and
Whereas, In January 2001, the price of first-class mail was raised to 34 cents which is estimated to generate nearly $1 billion. The Postal Service is preparing to seek another rate increase to take effect next year; and
Whereas, Despite declining projected demand for first-class mail and billions of dollars invested in supposed productivity enhancement, the Postal Service's workforce has increased to over 900,000 workers, up nearly 250,000 since 1980; and
Whereas, A study of Postal Services's annual reports indicate that the Postal Service workforce expanded nearly 11 percent during the six-year period from 1993 through 1999, up more than 87,000 employees during the period; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That the Senate hereby urges the President and Congress of the United States request the United States Postal Service keep Saturday mail delivery; and, be it
Further Resolved, That United States Congress should implement a thorough examination of the United States Postal Service and its fiscal difficulties in an attempt to understand its problems, such as the increase in the number of employees and how the Postal Service could have operated in the black yet now appear to be fiscally unstable; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States and to West Virginia's congressional delegation.