A Counterpoint to Post Office Official Message

On Dec. 28, Novato Patch and many other media outlets from Rosemarie Fernandez, manager for the U.S. Postal Service's San Francisco district. It was eerily similar to op-ed pieces sent out by other district managers around the country.

Now, a website called Save the Post Office has punched holes in the op-ed piece thought to be written by Fernandez and pointed to a relatively new policy that prevents postal service workers from speaking to the media. As Save the Post Office's Steve Hutkins wrote, "The message from headquarters to postal employees is clear: Say what we tell you to say, or keep quiet."

The communication roadblock is in effect at the local level as well. Novato Patch has attempted to reach the Novato Postmaster Michelle Tucker on a couple of occasions over the past year. Most recently it was about the and what that might mean for customer service in Novato (the idea eventually was put on hold). Each time Tucker was approached by e-mail and phone, the messages were returned by the San Francisco district's public information officer, who said media inquiries should go through him. Fair enough, but why the local gag order?

The U.S. Postal Service, understandably so, is on the defensive. First-class mail delivery has declined 27 percent over the past five years nationwide. Blame it on the Internet if you want. There is endless speculation about how many billions of dollars it is losing each year. The organization certainly wants to make sure its management is on the same page, especially when it comes to quotes in the media.

But on the local front, there is a customer service angle to consider. Tucker is responsible for 108 employees at the who help make sure delivery is as prompt as possible to 26,000 residences, businesses and P.O. boxes. That's a big responsibility. They're busy. There isn't much time to deal with a pesky journalist.

Maybe only the media cares about free access to ask questions of a local postmaster. A typical homeowner couldn't care less about that. So here's the question for the general public: What should the U.S. Postal Service do to survive in 2012 and beyond? Add a comment below and share your ideas.