The United States Postal Service (USPS) could shut down for the entire winter due to a $5.5 billion bill they can’t afford to pay.
According to CNN, the USPS can’t afford to “meet an obligation to a retiree health care trust fund” that’s due at the end of September.
"A lot of people are going to be hurting very bad because they won't have paychecks, plus the aggravation of waiting two or three extra days to get your mail," said Marvin Gilbert of Mt. Morris, who relies on the post office.
Post offices in Flint and Saginaw have already been targeted for possible closure, and the cuts don't end there. The New York Times reports the USPS is facing painful cost-cutting plans such as eliminating Saturday services, laying off 120,000 workers, and closing about 3,700 locations around the nation in order to reduce the $9.2 billion deficit. You can see a full list of facilies facing closures by clicking here.
Last year, NBC25 reported that the cost of stamps had already been raised to 46 cents per stamp in order to help out the dying mail processing.
As more people turn to e-mail for both personal and business matters, the post office continues to see a steady decline in mail volume.
Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe tells the newspaper that things are looking so dire, that the post office could stop delivering mail by the end of the year.
Reuters reports the USPS has desperately reached out to Congress for help, and has asked for "major structural changes." However, given Congress' long Labor Day holiday, the topic has been tabled until lawmakers can meet and discuss the situation.
This story has sparked much controversy among NBC25 viewers.
Here's a look at some of the comments from below:
There's also been a heated discussion on the NBC25 Facebook Page. Here are what some people are saying about this topic:
We want to hear from you. Do you think postal mail is a thing of the past? What do you think will happen to the USPS? Leave us your comments below.
