The Postal Regulatory Commission has begun seeking research proposals to quantify the social value of the U.S. Postal Service. The PRC seeks explore such matters as the costs and/or benefits of the USPS’s community presence and its effect community security and public safety.
This proposed research should also address the benefits in terms of real estate values, increased business, etc. of being located near a post office, the PRC said.
In addition, this research should also spell out how lower priced postal products help keep the general prices of competing services affordable, according to the PRC.
On top of that, the PRC wants research to spell out:
*The value of the national street address and ZIP code system to emergency workers, businesses, utilities, researchers, and government.
*The environmental impact of mail delivery.
*The economic impact of providing middle-class jobs in the community.
*The value of providing affordable advertising and fulfillment options to small businesses.
*The postal service’s role in linking remote communities commercially and socially with the rest of the country.
The PRC is accepting proposals through June 21 and expects to have evaluations completed by July 20.
This request comes as the PRC begins public hearings on the U.S. Postal Service’s proposal to cut Saturday mail delivery. The Commission expects to take nine months before it issues an opinion on this proposal. For more, click here http://directmag.com/postal/0430-prc-postal/index.html
