It seems that the battle for the direction and future of the USPS has now been fully engaged.  We’ve had words, and now we have action – or at least the threat of action. We’ve gone from hand wringing, to bluster, and now we have the scheduling of some real action to address the persistent financial problems facing the USPS.  Today we have a real General, albeit the Postmaster General, promising positive steps to reducing costs by changing service levels to reduce costs.

As a direct marketing veteran, 30 years in service, General sir!  I am pleased that Patrick Donahoe has taken some bold steps indicating that he is ready to make the cuts and adjustments that will help bring his USPS back into a balanced financial position.

Over the coming days, and probably weeks, I will write extensively about all of the issues, hopefully from the perspective of all sides, and try to posit some solutions that I think all can live with, if not love.  Our times have changed how we consume our information, more digitally now, and less via print and mail.  This trend is likely to continue and that means adopting solutions that work best for all of us.

Tomorrow – the USPS plans and requests, their solution for the short-term fix to their budget woes.