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As many of our out-of-state subscribers know, having this newspaper delivered in a timely manner can be very frustrating. The newspapers leaves the Dodgeville Post Office every Wednesday afternoon, yet might not arrive in Arizona, Florida or Texas until a month later.
Over the years I've become pretty well versed in postal rules and regulations and along with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, I assist newspapers across the state when they have delivery issues.
The first thing I found out years ago is getting a newspaper from point A to point B isn't a straight line. For readers outside the county, a newspaper might go through several United States Postal Service (USPS) distribution plants before arriving in your mail box.
I've worked with several USPS managers at different plants, who try very hard to pinpoint the problem and sometimes the end result is timely delivery. However, as soon as one delivery problem is solved another subscriber, in a different state, starts having problems. It has been a never ending battle.
This week the cash strapped U.S. Postal Service announced plans to eliminate more than 250 processing centers and lay off nearly 30,000 works. In order to avoid bankruptcy, the cuts are part of a $3 billion plan to shore the postal service up.
The cuts will help put a stake in the heart of newspaper delivery. Five distribution plants in Wisconsin are on the chopping block, which could will affect delivery to subscribers throughout Wisconsin. Even worse a plant in Fox Valley Illinois, which is a clearing house for all newspapers that are delivered out-of-state, is also is slated to be closed.
According to an associated press report, not only should newspaper subscribers be concerned, but so should all USPS customers. everyday users of first-class mail will see delays. According to the USPS, the changes could slow everything from check payments to Netflix's DVDs-by-mail, add costs to mail-order prescription drugs and even threaten the existence of newspapers and time-sensitive magazines delivered by postal carrier to far-flung suburban and rural communities.
Our readers aren't the reason the USPS is in trouble, but it looks like they are going to be part of the solution.