Postal cuts not all about money

The U.S. Postal Service has made an unusual request of Congress. The agency wants to scale back its delivery schedule to five days a week instead of six. Unless some change is made, the Postal Service could experience a $6 billion deficit by the end of the year, officials say. The agency was $2.8 billion in the red last year after experiencing its largest single volume drop in history.

While the change would not be immediate because it would require the approval of the postal governing board, great care must be taken to ensure that people who heavily rely on the Postal Service receive an appropriate level of service. This is particularly important for senior citizens who do not use computers to receive and send e-mail or pay bills online. Those who do not use direct deposit likely may receive pension or other benefit checks through the mail. It is vital that they receive these checks in a timely manner.

Otherwise, it is difficult to argue with the anticipated cost savings — as much as $3.5 billion a year, according to a Postal Service study.

Tuesdays, according to previous Postal Service studies, have the lightest mail flow, which would be the most logical day to suspend service if needed.

Although curbing service on day a week would help stem the Postal Service's financial problems, it will present challenges to people who need to meet a deadline, whether paying their bills on time, submitting a college application or sending a birthday card.

It is not as though most consumers lack other options at their disposal, including private shippers such as FedEx and UPS. But for communities that are far from busy interstates, the Postal Service remains the primary provider of parcel delivery. Private companies may also deliver to these areas, but their routes may be less frequent.

In many respects, it makes sense that the Postal Service finds ways to stop its financial losses, since the quasi-independent agency is a taxpayer asset. However, cuts in service must be accomplished in a manner that preserves services for people who rely on the Postal Service the most.