Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits

Mail Delivery Could be Even Slower Than USPS Admits Due to its unreliable tracking system, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) may be delivering your mail even more slowly than it has claimed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Background After increasing its own long-time 2-day delivery standard for First-Class mail to 3-days in January, 2015, the cash-starved USPS proceeded to close or consolidate 82 mail processing plants nationwide over the objections of all 50 U.S. Senators. [ See: Why for Mail Delivery ‘Slow’ is the New ‘Normal’ ] The effects of those actions revealed themselves in August 2015, when a federal inspector general notified the USPS that the number of First-Class letters being delivered at least a day late had increased by 48% in the first 6 months of 2015 alone. Mail May be Even Slower, GAO Finds But lowered standards or not, the GAO’s investigators reported that the Postal Service’s system for tracking and reporting delivery time is too incomplete and unreliable to determine how late the mail really is being delivered. According to GAO auditors, the reports created by the USPS’s mail delivery tracking system â€Å"do not include sufficient analysis to hold USPS accountable for meeting its statutory mission to provide service in all areas of the nation.† In fact, the GAO found that the USPS’ system tracks the delivery times of only 55% of First-Class mail, Standard-Class mail, periodicals, and packages. Delivery times of mail without tracking barcodes are not reported. â€Å"Incomplete measurement poses the risk that measures of on-time performance are not representative, since performance may differ for mail included in the measurement, from mail that is not,† stated the GAO. â€Å"Complete performance information enables effective management, oversight, and accountability.† In other words, the USPS doesn’t know exactly how slow its mail delivery service has become. Spreading the Blame The GAO also placed some blame on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the presidentially appointed body responsible for overseeing Postal Service operations. Specifically the GAO criticized the PRC for failing to determine why the USPS’s delivery time tracking data are not complete and dependable. â€Å"While PRCs annual reports have provided data on the amount of mail included in measurement, they have not fully assessed why this measurement was incomplete or whether USPS actions will make it so,† GAO investigators wrote. While the PRC has the power to direct the USPS to improve its delivery time tracking system, it has so far failed to do so, noted the GAO. Meanwhile, in Rural America The GAO also pointed out that the USPS is not required to – and so does not – track or report delivery time data for mail sent to rural addresses. While several members of Congress have pressured the USPS to study and report on its rural delivery performance, postal officials have stated that doing so would be too costly. However, as the GAO pointed out, the USPS has never provided Congress with cost estimates to prove it. â€Å"Such cost information would be useful for Congress to assess whether developing this information would be appropriate,† wrote the GAO. In 2011, the PRC criticized the USPS for failing to adequately consider the impact of its still on-hold plan to end Saturday mail delivery on rural America. â€Å"As my colleagues and I have heard †¦ [mail] service across the country, particularly in rural communities, is suffering,† said U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the USPS in a statement on the GAO report. â€Å"To fix these service problems, we need to figure out their root causes,† Carper continued. â€Å"Unfortunately, the [GAO] found the delivery performance results that the Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission provide do not give Congress or postal customers an accurate assessment of service.† What the GAO Recommended The GAO suggested that Congress â€Å"direct† the USPS to provide reliable estimates of its costs to report on mail delivery performance in rural areas. The GAO also called on the USPS and PRC to improve the â€Å"completeness, analysis, and transparency† of its mail delivery performance reports. While the USPS generally agreed with the GAO’s recommendations, it also noted that it â€Å"strongly disagrees with the conclusion that our current service performance measurement is not accurate.† So, like your mail, don’t expect the results to be delivered anytime soon.

The decline of manufacturing sector in U.S.A. has been compensated by Essay

The decline of manufacturing sector in U.S.A. has been compensated by a growing service sector - Essay Example United States has for more than three decades witnessed growth in its service sector and a converse trend in manufacturing. This has been the trend for many high income countries as they have been shifting reliance from manufacturing to service. This is a post-industrialization trend where people’s income continues to rise with less interest in investment in material processing The current trend has been more investment or shift to health care, education, insurance and others. It is important to mention that employees’ productivity grows slowly in the service sector than in the manufacturing the reason being low mechanization in service processes. Services therefore become more expensive which results in them contributing a higher portion of US GDP (Gallaher 49). This trend has also resulted to having higher employment in service sector than in the mechanized manufacturing sector. The service sector is now leading while manufacturing is declining with former compensatin g for the decline. The service sector capitalizes in production of intangible commodities in health, information and communication, education and others (Triplett and Bosworth 64). Globalization has been one of the key factors towards the shift from manufacturing to service. Manufacturing firms have been relocating to other countries mostly in the developing economies which either have more people in the low-income or middle-income bracket. Countries like China and India have for the last two decades been encouraging foreign investments through various incentives like tax holidays and low wages for workers. American government in turn is trying to develop policies that will see most of its citizens above the minimum wage bracket; a move that is driving industries to foreign countries. The service sector is labor intensive and it requires highly skilled personnel therefore raising the need to have quality and sustainable education. Also due to globalization many skilled immigrants ha ve come to the United States to seek jobs in the service sector resulting to high brain drain especially in the developing nations (Gallaher 130). Global trends also dictate firms to engage in more environmentally friendly activities and the service sector has come to solve this problem. The service sector engages in more human capital than natural. This has made United States to have heated debates regarding quality of education so as to have more skilled human capital (Gallaher 89). The general lack of undue intervention in the natural resources reduces environmental degradation which is more prone with manufacturing firms. Environmental consciousness has therefore caused investors to shift their investments to more environmentally friendly businesses. Statistics show that in the turn of the 20th century America’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors had taken more than 75 percent of the GDP while in the turn of the 21st century the service sector had more than 60 percent contribution (Triplett and Bosworth 106). This is a huge turn of events considering that it is a gap of just a century. It is within this century that America’s economy grew tremendously into the current post-industrialization era. The above statistics show that to a large extent the service sector is surely filling the gap left with the decline in the manufacturing sector. The world economy has in the last four decades experienced turbulence of booms and decline which have affected the two sectors differently. The manufacturing sector over this period has been heavily affected and shrunk as a result (AIER 2006). The recent economic crisis of 2008 heavily affected industries like motor vehicle manufacturers leading to closure of many plants, takeovers, bailout programs and many other negative occurrences. In the recovery trend the service sector has been seen to recover quickly than the manufacturing

Discussion Board 4-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Board 4-1 - Assignment Example Suppression and denial of emotions leads to withdrawal and even development of antisocial behaviors that may spill to affect the nature of relationship with a family. The approach can be effective in treating a family with a depressed and withdrawn adolescent daughter who is experiencing first menstrual circle but fears to tell parents who discourage discussions about sex and sexual developments. In this case, the depression and withdrawal of the adolescent daughter may be the only causes of the presenting family problem. Parents may feel uncomfortable with emotional shifts in their daughter and opt to invite a therapist. Applying Experiential Therapy will enable a therapist directly and spontaneously interrogate the daughter about her concerns and reasons for emotional shift. Structural Therapy will not be effective because it can be possible that parents only prohibit discussions about sex with their children but encourage other topics. Interpersonal boundaries can be comforting to every member, and it may be difficult noting any inefficient boundary within the existing family

Theories relevant to my study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theories relevant to my study - Assignment Example This mode of teaching advocates for acknowledgement of cultural heritages. Thus, it provides the students with a wide range of instructional strategies which support their different learning habits (Lynch, 2011). There are various theories that are associated with culturally responsive pedagogy. These include Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory, McClellan Acquired Needs Theory and the Self-Determination theory by Richard Ryan. Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory bases its arguments on self-actualization, esteem, belongingness, safety and psychological needs of a person. Acquired needs theory focus on the need for achievement, affiliation and power (Analytitech, n.d). On the other hand, the self-determination theory focuses on human motivation and personality (Intime, 2002). Therefore, it is evident that these theories illustrate that students should be provided with conducive condition for them to learn. They provide a basis whereby teachers can understand the diverse learning needs of the students so that they can improve their performance in class (Analytitech, n.d). In this perspective therefore, it is important for the administration of schools to re-evaluate and re-shape the school curriculum so that the diverse academic needs of the students can be addressed in an appropriate

The Legacy of Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Cote d'Ivoire Essay

The Legacy of Felix Houphouet-Boigny - Cote d'Ivoire - Essay Example This effect was so strong, that during Houphouet-Boigny’s reign, Cote d’Ivoire was perceived as a model state and one to be aspired to. Consequently, on Houphouet-Boigny’s death, he left a significant legacy in his country. Since Houphouet-Boigny died, the sovereign state has been subject to significant inner conflict which cumulated in a civil war and high tensions across the country. Currently, with a democratically elected president of Cote d’Ivoire, there is a chance that the legacy of Houphouet-Boigny will be realized and the country may return to stability and economic prosperity. Houphouet-Boigny Cote d’Ivoire is a highly diverse state, containing more than 60 different ethnic groups. The varied nature of this population makes peace difficult, and the effectiveness of political power has varied depending on the political leader (Cocodia, 2008). This diversity is prevalent throughout the African nations and is thought to be one of the key fact ors. Currently, there are approximately 20.2 million people living in Cote d’Ivoire (BBC News, 2011). The main ethnic groups in the region are Akan, which comprise 42.1% of the population, Voltaiques or Gur (17.6%), Northen Mandes (16.5%) and Krous (11.5%). A number of small ethnic groups also exist. Religion is also highly varied, with 38.6% of the population being Muslim, 32.8% Christian, 11.9% Indigenous and 16.7% none. This distribution is confounded by the fact that approximately 70% of migratory workers are Muslim and 30% are Christian (Central Intelligence Agency, 2012). These factors show the significant challenges that Houphouet-Boigny faced in the creation of a unified country. Additionally, they show the ease in which the country could fall back into tension and conflict. Each ethnic or religious group has different perceptions about many things, such as politics and rights. Consequently, if a president aligns himself with a particular group, he may anger two or th ree others. This makes the creation of a representative and unifying government difficult. Felix Houphouet-Boigny achieved peace and unity in his country through two means. The first of these was the redistribution of wealth away from ethnic groups that were traditionally rich to those that were poor. This was a crucial move as it not only helped to stabilize the state’s economy, but it also assisted Houphouet-Boigny to become recognized as a fair leader as his own ethnic group was one that he shifted funds away from. Furthermore, this aided to provide strong ethnic stabilization as no group was treated as superior to another. Secondly, Houphouet-Boigny worked to maintain peace through sharing and redistributing power (Tangeras & Lagerlof, 2009). While he was in power, Houphouet-Boigny maintained a strong conscious focus over politics and the distribution of power among ethnic groups. In doing this, he was able to avoid the buildup of tensions within the nation (Cocodia, 2008 ). Through these actions, Houphouet-Boigny was able to create a government that most people supported. As president, Houphouet-Boigny maintained strong authority, significantly grew the economy of Cote d’Ivoire and gained respect from his people by running a highly representative government (Cocodia, 2008). Despite the fact that both Houphouet-Boigny and his

Visual Analysis Assessment Form of Figurative Work Assignment

Visual Analysis Assessment Form of Figurative Work - Assignment Example In this painting, Hockney uses a collection of watercolors to create a deep impression of the skies at night. In addition, David uses five watercolors to paint a picture of the seas and atmosphere at night. The blue colors in the foreground give a feel of cool seawater at night. Cool colors and the foreground give an illusion of calmness in the sea at night. David also manages to paint brown watercolors to describe the rocky mature of the seabed (Castillo 77). A collection of brown rocks beneath the sea gives a different texture from the calm, smooth waters of the blue sea. David Hockney manages to paint the reflection of the sun on the blue sea. A mixture of orange and yellow colors is used to create a perfect reflection of the sun on the waters. The artist uses yellow colors towards the inside of the sun to indicate high intensities of heat. Orange reflections toward the periphery of the reflection indicate that the sun is less hot on the outside part. In this painting, there is a great aspect of tonal range. Bright colors including orange and red have been used in the sky. Orange color shows the intensity f brightness of the sun. The clouds n the sky are painted red to show that they are closely associated with the sun (Fichner-Rathus 71). The reflection of clouds in the blue sea has a brown color showing a reduction in tone. In this painting light seems to be coming from the sky. There is total darkness at the vanishing point between the sky and the sea. There are certain striking features about this picture. What has caught my attention most is the yellow and orange reflection of the sun I the foreground. David Hockney gives an impression of a brighter sun in the sea than at the sky level. The intensity of brightness of the sun is greater at the water level than at the sea. This piece of artwork manages to create movement. David Hockney uses waves and water reflections to create movement in the picture. Brown

The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 Essay

The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 - Essay Example The internal performance of Thorntons Plc is multi-faceted, consisting of various aspects which are inherent in its operations. An internal analysis considers the company's culture, image, organizational culture, key staff, access to natural resources, position on the experience curve, operational efficiency, operational capacity, brand awareness, market share, financial resources, exclusive contracts, and patents and trade secrets. Simplifying all these generates three main considerations-resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Thus, for decision makers inside a firm, the main challenge is the identification, development, deployment, and protection of resources, capabilities, and core competencies (What Tools Are Useful in Assessing the Internal Environment n.d.). In business terms, resources refers to the inputs that goes into the firms production process such as capital equipment, skill, individual employees, patents, finance and talented managers (Dess, Taylor & Lumpkin 2005). Resource can be classified as tangible, intangible, or organization capabilities. The resource-based view of a firm emphasizes that a "firm can earn sustainable supra-normal returns if and only if they have superior resources and those resources are protected by some form of isolating mechanisms preventing their diffusion in the whole industry" (Resource-Based View of a Firm 2007). Furthermore, these supra-normal returns are possible only if resources are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and non-substitutable (Dess, Lumpkin, and Taylor 2005). Tangible resources are relatively easy to identify. This category typically includes the physical and financial assets used to create value for the customer. In order to fully identify the tangible resources of Thorntons Plc, this report will divide them into financial, physical, technological, and organizational resources. 1. Physical Maintaining its reputation as one of the classic makers of indulgent confectionery, Thorntons Plc continues to use a larger proportion of manual processes in its production system. In the industry where almost all the manufacturing processes are mechanized, Thorntons take charge of the quality of its products by being fully different from its competitors. In terms of physical resource, the company becomes remarkable because of its minimal automated processes (Jennings 2003). Thorntons business is also highly dependent on its distribution channels specially its own stores. It should be noted that the company is recognized because of the number of its outlets in the whole United Kingdom (Jennings 2003). These stores have become instrumental in consistency of the services received by each customer. 2. Financial During 2003, Thorntons Plc reports total assets of 114.108 million, 27% of which is in liquid assets. Cash comprises a meager 14% of the current assets or 4.5% of the total resources. In terms of capital structure, debt finances 62.30% of its total resources while equity financing accounts for the remaining 37.7% (Thorntons Plc Annual Report 2003). It should