Postal Service's Closure Review Process Was Flawed, Panel Says December 28, 2011 The U.S. Postal Service relied on questionable data to identify more than 3,600 post offices and other retail operations to study for closure, an oversight panel has concluded. In many cases the selection process ignored whether an alternate post office was nearby and which closures would reduce costs the most and lacked sufficient data and analysis to make the best decisions, the Postal Regulatory Commission said. "We certainly challenge their methodology," the commission's chairman, Ruth Goldway, said Wednesday.

	usps | news | linkextra December 13, 2011 USPS DELAYS CLOSINGS AND CONSOLIDATIONS USPS, in response to a request made by multiple U.S. Senators, has agreed to delay the closing or consolidation of any Post Office or mail processing facility until May 15, 2012. The Postal Service will continue all necessary steps required for the review of these facilities during the interim period, including public input meetings. USPS hopes this period will help facilitate the enactment of comprehensive postal legislation. Given the Postal Service's financial situation and the loss of mail volume, the Postal Service must continue to take all steps necessary to reduce costs and increase revenue.

	Current Legislation Reform Measures December, 2011 Click here for detailed summaries of the postal reform legislation now pending in Congress, including proposed bills S1789 by Senators Lieberman, Collins, Carper, Brown and HR2309 by Representative Issa & Ross.   (PDF format)

	Postal Service Cuts Will Mean Slower Mail December 5, 2011 The U.S. Postal Service on Monday is set to unveil changes that will make the nation's mail system slower, closing hundreds of mail processing facilities.

	AUSPL Advises Lessors NOT to Pay CBRE Commission Fees November 23, 2011 By now, most AUSPL lessors have received a "Dear Landlord" letter in which the Postal Service introduced its real estate program delegating lease negotiations to CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). We are vigorously challenging this program because we believe it unfairly targets lessors and favors CBRE. Many members are concerned about being forced to deal with CBRE because it subjects our members to negotiating with less qualified, third party contractors who have no prior experience with the property with the expectation we pay the real estate commission. What's more, postal buildings are unique. Nearly all postal buildings were constructed according to standard plan documents developed by USPS. The facilities include specialty equipment, materials, specialized interior space and configuration, accessibility and security features that would be difficult and very costly to duplicate in a generic commercial facility. Without understanding that, CBRE agents may well recommend the Postal Service relocate to lower priced, alternate quarters, which would be detrimental to our lessors and USPS. At AUSPL, we believe lessors should NOT enter into an agreement to pay CBRE a commission. While the "Dear Landlord" letter obligates lessors to negotiate with CBRE, it does NOT obligate them to pay a commission. Indeed, the "Dear Landlord" notification is an "agency notice," which requires lessors to negotiate with CBRE. However, a USPS real estate contracting officer must ratify and sign any lease renewal; CBRE is not authorized to sign any (new) lease or lease renewal agreement. Do not be bullied or pressured by a CBRE agent. If an agent CBRE "threatens" to withhold recommendation of the negotiated lease terms to the Postal Service real estate contracting officer, contact us immediately. Call 800-572-9483 or E-mail auspl@auspl.com. We will continue to fight this program and we keep you posted. Stay tuned. --Terry Phillips AUSPL President

	Looming Elections Could Delay Decisions; Slower Delivery Response January 24, 2012 Some mail industry lobbyists are now predicting that Congress will not come to the aid of the United States Postal Service until after the November elections. That's because the House and the Senate remain far apart on their approaches on what to do about the nation's mail service.

	Competing Bills Aim To Fix Postal Service January 17, 2012 WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers are poised to debate an overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service soon after Congress reconvenes next week, with the fate of Springfield's mail-processing facility hanging in the balance. Democrats and Republicans agree the Postal Service needs to significantly change the way it operates, but there are more than half a dozen competing bills in the House and Senate outlining what changes should be made. And it's unclear whether lawmakers will be able to find consensus on this issue before May 15, when a recently negotiated moratorium preventing post office closings will be lifted.

	Lessors Beware December, 2011 Tax assessors are routinely overvaluing post office buildings. This results in additional costs for the Postal Service which does not help us. Please check your tax bills and advise the Postal Service of any such egregious actions so it may negotiate a fair fax.

	Large Group of Senate Democrats Seeks To Stop Postal Service Cutbacks December 9, 2011 A large group of Senate Democrats is fighting to stop plans by the U.S. Postal Service to shrink its services to address its multibillion-dollar operating deficit.The postal service announced this week it planned to close 252 mail-processing centers and cut tens of thousands of jobs. Democrats say Congress should have a say in a government action that could ultimately lead to more than 100,000 lost jobs at a time when the unemployment rate is 8.6 percent.

	Postal Service Suspends Post Office Closures November 17, 2011  You've got mail - for now Summit County - Efforts on behalf of rural communities by U.S. Senator Michael Bennet have paid off, as the U.S. Postal Service put a temporary "time-out" on post office closings that will provide more time for the Agency to examine potential effects of these closings on local communities and help Coloradans avoid frustrating and needless holiday season service interruptions.

	Save Our Post Office Packets (Lessor and Community Leader) Now Available In the Members Only Section If you are a member of AUSPL and do not have your user name and password, please call or email us, we will verify your membership and give you the codes to gain access. If you are not yet a member of AUSPL and would like to join our organization, please go to the Join Now section of the website to be immediately signed up. Or if you prefer, click here for a membership application. We look forward to hearing from you. With 3,654 post offices, mostly rural, targeted for possible closure and mail services liable to relocate to "Village Post Offices" in local stores, gas stations, pharmacies, libraries or town halls, lessors should keep in contact with their postmasters, local elected officials and civic leaders think of your Mayor, City Manager, Chamber of Commerce President in the community where the post office is located.

Now Available in Members Only!

Last Chance Tips on Negotiating With USPS. What to Do When You've Done All You Can & USPS Moves Out

Click here to download your copy of this handbook

	Postal Service to Review 3,600+ Post Offices for Closure Spring, 2011 Click here for a state-by-state list of post offices USPS would like to study for possible closure. The Postal Service is looking at post offices nationwide. Just because your post office is on the list, it doesn't mean it will be closed. Conversely, post offices not targeted may not be safe, either. This list will likely constantly change. Further, there are federal laws which require USPS to follow specific closing procedures which take time.

	How the U.S. Postal Service Fell Apart November 17, 2011. Inside a grad student's apartment at the University of Pennsylvania sits a slightly faded blue-and-white wooden sign from a post office in Malone, Wash., that no longer exists. If this were any other college student's place, the sign would probably be a trophy from some kind of prank. But no: it was a gift from the post office to 25-year-old Evan Kalish, a UPenn graduate student who has crisscrossed the Northeast, driven down South and flown to Hawaii to see more than 2,700 post offices, many of which are in danger of closing or have already been shuttered.

	Are Your Records With the Postal Service Up To Date? Go to the Members Only section for information on the forms you need if you change your mailing address, or if you need a change of ownership form for your post office, etc. To update your information with AUSPL please click here.