Free Will He!
Postmaster General Jack Potter Retirement
Confessions of a Former Station Manager
In days of double digit unemployment, where trillions of dollars of national debt mount, the leader of one of the largest civilian employers in the free world just up and resigned his post. He declared that soon he’s retiring, because he can, with no reason given. And YOU MISSED IT!?
What in the world were you doing? Cleaning Possum pelts?
Postmaster General Jack Potter, out of nowhere, up announces his retirement for December 3rd? This is the Captain of the Ship jumping overboard! Was he pushed? To the clerks, carriers, managers and supervisors, don’t you see? We are ADRIFT!
I couldn’t see this guy retiring until long after I do! He’s comparatively YOUNG when you look at the other Postmaster Generals who look like everything from Death Warmed Over to the Ancient of Days!
Look. He’s gone. The Postmaster General who advocated cutting service, raising rates, and shifting overpaid top executives from one title to another while declaring positions have been abolished. Of course, if you believe all of that, you are a sucker. He doesn’t do anything without the blessings of lots of Boards, Committees, Congress and the President of the United States. Or was that why he suddenly retired? Personally, I liked the guy. He worked hard. He took a lot of you-know-what. He was a family man and a proud Dad. That’s good enough for me.
We have a New Postmaster General now. Pat Donahoe. This New Captain is somewhat of a mystery. I know a bit about him, but let’s hope that’s all in the past. Who is he? Does he have a temper? I thought George Bush was a wimp when he worked for Ronnie. Then when he became President of the United States, I was quite impressed. What about Pat Donahoe? What’s he really all about? What will he do?
- Will he implement early outs with 6 month separations pay, 5 years added to time in service, no penalties and free military buyback to cull out the highest paid, oldest workers, making room for hiring lower paid younger faster employees?
- Will he reduce the 74 Districts and 8 Areas to 50 districts and 2 areas changing the administrative to worker ratio from 1 in 11 to 1 in 25?
- Will he implement RIF for displaced EAS, and bumping of those who didn’t take the early out, to ruin their chances for Computer Solitaire Super Stardom?
- Will he institute an agency of Untouchables, unlike the OIG and USPSIS who can’t do the job of internal multi-rank policing, to clear the organization of any and all Title 18 criminals no matter what their political or nepotistic connections are?
- Will he stop the closing of Post Offices?
- Will he implement a plan where all executives carry mail thrice a year on a Letter Carrier selected route, enlarging their personal perspective?
- Will he implement a plan where all executives are window trained and help customers during the holiday season, demonstrating leadership?
- Will he halt the expensive implementation of additional programs and equipment and just get back to basics like taking a flat case and expanding it from 6 inches high to 9 to accommodate the common 8 ½ inch wide flat sized mail?
- Will he stop the purchasing of new staff cars and start the purchasing of electric LLV’s?
- Will he at least paint the ghetto looking LLV’s we have.
- Will he stop the managers from working 4 day weeks while they get paid for 5?
- Will he commit to not raising the price of the stamp for 5 years?
- Will he stop the elimination of service, not only keeping 6 delivery days as per law but also advertise delivery of Express Mail on Sundays?
- Will he place a US Postal Service, staffed service stand, in each mall this holiday season?
- Will he listen to your ideas or just see the inside of his office?
- Will he get us all turkeys this December or will we just be one?
- Will he do all these things and get us from the red to the black in a 12 month span or will he just continue the failing theme of cutting service, raising rates, and following instead of leading, and leading by example?
He is the Captain of this ship… so far. We will salute smartly and charge up the hill he directs us to. What will he do?
Surely you will look for his answers too. Free Will He!
Be well!
Guy Nohrenberg
We are proud of you man! The circle o’ trust hears you, you brother of ours! Mr. Potter must have been pressured to step aside as your job interview questions (checklist) for the imcoming PMG intimate. We and the entire workforce can only hope Mr. Donahoe will have an 180 degree turnabout in leading the postal service from its current business model to a company which values its resources, culture, ethics, and seeks to bolster its business acuity as its foundation for revitalization.
Bub and I salute you and await for your return home. Oh yah, and we shout in unison in your direction…Carpenteria!
Very interesting commentary. As a retired rural carrier I agree with these comments. Maybe Potter did his best but it wasn’t good enough. I would add two more to Guy Nohrenberg’s list of 17: Will he develop pride and job satisfaction among USPS employees? Will he figure out how to convince the public that we give fantastic service and value so we CAN raise rates regularly, just like UPS and FEDEX.
I think the way Donahoe approaches the job is dependent on whether or not Potter was pushed overboard. Personally, I hope Potter was push, because at least that will indicate that someone on top getting the point that the postal service’s primary problem is atrocious management.
After years of cronyism and incompetents be promoted by senior incompetents, it’s finally caught up with the postal service. It’s gotten to the point now where the postal service is loaded down by people at the very top who don’t know what the hell their doing.
And it’s still going on. There’s one case that I know about intimately. I know of one person who’s running one of the largest stations in Los Angeles who is computer illiterate, but she can’t even count mail. She should have been fired as a carrier, but she was the baby’s momma of someone in the chain of command.
Then there was another one who was placed into management before she was even finished being trained as a carrier because she was the “friend” of the district manager. She moved hight up the chain of command, but when her “friend” retired someone had the good sense to demote her. Now she runs the one of the worst run stations in the Los Angeles district . . . and the beat goes on.
Whose managers actually work 4 days a week ? They don’t in my office LOL !
Great article Mr. Nohrenberg, I’ve had many of the same thoughts, plus several others. I felt like Potter didn’t get his way so he bailed out — while I say good riddance to him, we have no idea what Donahoe is going to be. I guess all we can do is stay tuned …
None of the above. Potter has been great. FOR POTTER.
I vote YES.
NO.