P. M. BRIEFING : Postal Service Spending Blasted
Sen. David Pryor said today that it is “an outrage” that the Postal Service spent more than $6 million to send executives to conferences last year when it faces a fiscal crisis that has prompted it to seek higher rates.
At the same time, a member of the independent Postal Rate Commission took the agency to task for paying performance bonuses of up to $11,000 to its managers last year.
The criticism came a week after the Postal Service announced that it is seeking a rate increase, including a rise in the first-class stamp price from 25 cents to 30 cents.
Pryor (D-Ark.) cited meetings in Hawaii and Florida, among others, and noted a General Accounting Office study that found $6.2 million in spending on various conferences.
Postmaster General Anthony M. Frank said the meetings and conferences were “necessary for the proper conduct of our business.”
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