A group of industry trade organizations has launched www.postaljournal.com, a Web site they hope will serve as a discussion forum to exchange ideas about the future of the U.S. Postal Service.
The founding organizations—which include the Association for Postal Commerce (www.postcom.org), the Mailing and Fulfillment Service Association (www.mfsanet.org) and the Envelope Manufacturers Association Foundation (http://www.emafoundation.org)—deny the site will be used for overt lobbying.
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“It’s sort of like an online journal where papers are contributed and people can feel free to offer additions or alternative points of view by writing to the editor. We'll have it serve as a basis where thoughts can be freely expressed,” said Gene .Del Polito, president of Postcom.
“It’s not our intention to use this as a vehicle to convince anybody about the passage of any particular or future legislation," he continued. "But our feeling is you gotta create some place where those who are responsible for creating policy can go and learn about pros and cons, learn about the ideas that people have been willing to contribute and then judge for yourself whether the ideas need to be focused on more closely.”
At press time, postaljornal.com was in the process of setting up an editorial advisory board and looking to enlist the services of a voluntary editor in chief, said Del Polito, who for the moment is performing that function.
The issue of recrafting the postal system is probably going to be a three or four year project,” says Del Polito. “So there’s a need to air alternative ideas and discuss them. It’s going to be an ongoing process.”
“We’ve been working with Gene on this and we support it and are participating in it,” said Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president of government affairs at the Direct Marketing Association. “Our view has been that all of us we need some real good thoughtful discussion to look at the economic downturn and what it did to the postal service," he said, noting that neither the DMA, Postcom or other groups have ideas right now on how to fix the USPS.
“We desperately need new ideas,” said Cerasale.
The U.S. Postal Service posted a net loss of $3.8 billion for 2009, compared to a $2.8 billion net loss in the prior year and predicted losses would continue into the new year. Learn more at http://directmag.com/postal/usps-loss-year-1117/index.html
