***The 60 Plus Association***

**1600 Wilson Blvd. • Suite 960 • Arlington, VA 22209**

**Phone 703.807.2070 • Fax 703.807.2073 • www.60Plus.org**

**Kill the Death Tax. Protect Social Security. Energy Security.**

+-----------------------+-------------------+--------------------------+
| ***James L. Martin**\ | ***Rep. Roger     | ***Pat Boone\            |
| President*            | Zion (R-IN,       | **National Spokesman*    |
|                       | 1967-75)***       |                          |
|                       |                   |                          |
|                       | *Honorary         |                          |
|                       | Chairman*         |                          |
|                       |                   |                          |
|                       | ######            |                          |
|                       |                   |                          |
|                       | #######           |                          |
+-----------------------+-------------------+--------------------------+

> Testimony of James L. Martin
>
> President, 60 Plus Association
>
> [Universal Postal Service and Postal Monopoly]{.underline}
>
> Thursday, July 10, 2008
>
> 10am, PRC Hearing Room
>
> 901 New York Ave., NW, Suite 200
>
> Washington, DC 20001
>
> Good morning, I'm Jim Martin, President of the 15-year-old national
> senior citizen organization, the 60 Plus Association. I very much
> appreciate the opportunity to testify before the Commission on behalf
> of the report you will prepare for the President and the Congress on
> universal postal service and the postal monopoly in the United States.
>
> Preparing a few thoughts for this morning's testimony, I spoke with
> one "gray hair" as I like to call them \-\-- who recounted a joke he
> gathered about what postal service would look like in the year 2029
> \-\-- he said the headline would read: POSTAL SERVICE RAISES PRICE OF
> FIRST CLASS STAMP TO \$17.89 AND REDUCES MAIL DELIVERY TO WEDNESDAYS
> ONLY.
>
> Well, that's a cute story as far as it goes...but I know we can all
> agree we hope it doesn't go very far!
>
> The 60 Plus Association represents seniors in the United States who
> depend on the U.S. Postal Service; on that there can be no question
> \-\-- seniors, as one might expect, have migrated to the Internet and
> things like email very slowly. We're getting there, but we're not
> there yet.
>
> The quality of timely and reliable service that the U.S. Postal
> Service provides, particularly for first-class letter mail and other
> market-dominant products and services, is extremely important to
> seniors. It is our hope and expectation that as the Postal Service
> moves forward with service standards for these products, that they
> will continue to ensure that the services they receive do not lose out
> to the competing interests, such as those of big, corporate mailers.
>
>  
>
> We have followed recent discussions about possibly moving to
> 5-day-a-week mail delivery with some concern. We remember when
> twice-a-day delivery was a regular occurrence, as
>
> (over)
>
> 2\.
>
> you might as well. We have seen a trend toward mail delivery to
> cluster boxes, instead of to the front door, in many newer
> communities. And it seems that there are always fewer collection
> boxes, and fewer pickup times. We recognize that declining mail
> volumes and other factors create a climate where cost-cutting is an
> important priority for the Postal Service. We hope that the Postal
> Regulatory Commission will continue to do everything it can to ensure
> that such cost-cutting not come at the expense of the prompt and
> reliable mail service that seniors depend on.
>
>  
>
> While many seniors have been slow to join the online revolution, many
> do actually rely on online and catalog purchases for better prices and
> wider selections. Many others depend on timely and reliable delivery
> of checks and other important documents. For these seniors, the Postal
> Service's monopoly on the use of the mailbox is increasingly
> inefficient and inconvenient. The higher cost of using private
> delivery companies as an alternative is a problem for seniors on fixed
> incomes. Seniors must purchase and maintain their mailboxes -- why
> can't they choose who has access to them?\
> \
> It is a significant concern to seniors that first class letter mail
> continues to contribute more to the Postal Service's institutional
> overhead than other products and services, including parcel post,
> priority mail and periodicals.
>
> I'll conclude my comments this morning this way: the U.S. Postal
> Service enjoys two monopolies we all know about: the first is letter
> delivery, the other is the use of mailboxes. Since it's my opinion
> that my seniors at 60 Plus refer to the latter more frequently in
> comments to me, I'll end this way: why cannot this prohibition on the
> use of mailboxes be lifted? It would be a great help to senior
> citizens all across America if simple acts of community communication
> could be conducted via the mailboxes they purchased in the first
> place! Invitations to birthday parties, circular coupons from local
> businesses, notices about community activities, street cleanings or
> special trash pickups, etc. are real choices denied seniors, many less
> mobile or infirmed who would really appreciate the lifting of this
> mailbox monopoly. As a matter of fact, it is my understanding that the
> United States is the only country in the world that operates with this
> mailbox monopoly restriction.

I would respectfully ask this Commission to give that serious thought.

> Thank you.

The 60 Plus Association is a 15-year-old nonpartisan organization
working for death tax repeal, saving Social Security, affordable
prescription drugs, lowering energy costs and other issues featuring a
less government, less taxes approach.  60 Plus calls on support from
nearly 4.5 million citizen activists.  60 Plus publishes a magazine,
SENIOR VOICE, and a Scorecard, bestowing awards on lawmakers of both
parties who vote "pro-senior."   60 Plus has been called "an
increasingly influential senior citizen's group."