Talk:United States Postal Service/Archive 5

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Alerting editors to scam LiteBlue links

Hi there, this is Jonathan from the Postal Service. I want to alert editors to the fact that several anonymous IP editors have persistently tried to add scam LiteBlue links to the article over the past couple months. I'll cite a few examples, with diff links: ex 1, ex 2, and ex 3.

LiteBlue is the portal that USPS workers use to monitor and manage their career and benefits. It contains, among other things, sensitive payroll information, and probably doesn't belong on the USPS page at all.

The link to the real site is here: https://liteblue.usps.gov/wps/portal. The links in the edits cited above, all of which have since been reverted, have slightly different URLs and take the user to a fake LiteBlue landing page that tries to scam them out of their login credentials. In other words, it's a phishing scheme.

The American Postal Workers' Union put out a bulletin in early January alerting its members of this scheme. Apparently it has since grown to include Wikipedia. I'm not suggesting that this article be put under protection. I just want to flag the issue and advise editors to double-check any edits that include LiteBlue links, because there's a good chance they're fraudulent.

Tagging in a few editors whom I've noticed tend to keep a close eye on the USPS article: DN, User:Ww2censor, and User:Coolcaesar.

Thanks for your help! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 21:58, 4 March 2024 (UTC)

POV issue: "Criticism of the universal service requirement and the postal monopoly"

This section is properly written to conform to neutral POV standards, but it's glaring in its omission of any contrary views. Is anyone with knowledge on the subject able to add some balance? WP Ludicer (talk) 16:54, 13 April 2024 (UTC)

I shortened one of the arguments in the section, which appeared too long and prominent for WP:DUEWEIGHT. Llll5032 (talk) 18:00, 13 April 2024 (UTC)

Deliveries section update

Hello editors, Jonathan here back on the talk page for my next request, this time updating a few figures in the Deliveries section that are outdated. In the first sentence of the section, I'm proposing these figures be updated:

Current language:

As of 2021, the USPS operates 31,330 post offices and locations in the U.S., and delivers 128.8 billion pieces of mail annually, to 163 million delivery points (as of 2022).

Suggested language:

As of 2023, the Postal Service operates 33,641 Post Office and contract locations in the U.S., and delivered a total of 127.3 billion packages and pieces of mail to 164.9 million delivery points in fiscal year 2022.

In the last sentence of the section, I'm proposing these changes:

Current language:

The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the busiest time of the year for the USPS with the agency delivering an estimated 900 million packages during the period of 2018.

Suggested language:

The holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the peak mailing and shipping period for the Postal Service, representing a total volume of 11.7 billion packages and pieces of mail during this time in 2022.

References

Of course, I will defer to non-COI editors to review these changes. If any editors have feedback on how to improve, please let me know. Thank you so much! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:50, 30 April 2024 (UTC)

Hopping back into this thread to ping two editors who've been helpful and active on this page in the past: User:Zippybonzo and User:Ww2censor. If there are any questions, please ping me back and I'll be ready to respond. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 14:49, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Sorry to post another reply here, just trying to get some eyeballs on this edit request, which isn't too complicated. I'm going to ping here a few additional editors who have made appearances on this article recently: User:Llll5032, User:WP Ludicer, and User:Philipnelson99. Again, if anybody has questions I'll be around to give a reply. I do appreciate your time. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 14:04, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Implemented, but with slight wording change so as to not be unnecessarily wordy. Graywalls (talk) 15:26, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this request Graywalls. I'll have another edit request posted here shortly. In the interim, if you've got the time, I have an open edit request for the Delivering for America subsection that has received some past feedback from other Wikipedians, but seems to have lost momentum. Let me know if you could take a peek at that. Again, thanks a bunch! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 15:59, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Requesting edits to During the Trump administration section

Hello again! Jonathan from the Postal Service here. For my next request, I wanted to revisit changes I was seeking to the During the Trump administration section back in May of last year. A couple of aspects of that request went unaddressed by editors. (Which is totally understandable; it was a pretty complex request.)

As I did last time, I'll lay out these suggested changes in table form. Going from left to right, you'll see the current text of the article, then my changes, and finally my justification for those changes as well as any relevant sourcing.

During the Trump administration Section Updates

Current version	Proposed change	Comments
In May 2020, in a controversial move, the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service appointed Louis DeJoy, the first postmaster general in the last two decades who did not emerge from the postal bureaucracy.	In May 2020, in a controversial move, the bipartisan Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service appointed Louis DeJoy, the first postmaster general in the last two decades who did not emerge from the postal bureaucracy.	I believe it's meaningful to mention that the board that appointed DeJoy was bipartisan.
Mail collection boxes were removed from the streets in many cities; after photos of boxes being removed were spread on social media, a postal service spokesman said they were being moved to higher traffic areas but that the removals would stop until after the election.	In the summer of 2020, the longstanding practice of removing mail collection boxes from low-traffic areas came into question, as photos of their removal spread on social media. This practice had been ongoing for decades, due to declining volume of first class mail.	Clarifies the passage on removal of mailboxes, as it is as a long-running practice and not the result of a new directive.

References
References

I'll provide a link here to the old edit request, which has been archived, in case anyone wants to take a look at it. As always, I'm available to explain myself further, should editors have any questions. Thanks in advance to anyone who steps in to handle this request! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 16:01, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

 Not done I believe that both passages are more clear and neutral as they are currently. P,TO 19104 (talk) (contribs) 20:11, 27 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for the response. However, I would like this edit request to be re-opened in the event another editor weighs in offering additional feedback. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:39, 28 May 2024 (UTC)

COVID-19 test kits edit request

Hello. I'm back to post my next edit request, which is a relatively short one. Here, I'd like to add some information about the Postal Service's mailing out free COVID-19 test kits. I've cited notable media coverage of the program with articles from Time, Federal News Network, and USA Today.

In the draft below, I've done the following:

• Added a sentence detailing how the Biden administration contacted Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to kickstart the free test kit program, delivering 380 million home test kits between Jan. 2022 to May 2022, cited to Time as well as Federal News Network.
• Cited a USA Today piece stipulating that the USPS ended the program in March 2024, and that, by the program's end, it had delivered a total of 1.8 billion free test kits.

Please read below:

COVID test kits draft
After the Biden administration contacted the Postal Service about the possibility of mailing free COVID-19 test kits to Americans, Postmaster General DeJoy helped the USPS deliver approximately 380 million home test kits from January 2022 through May 2022. As of March 2024, when the program concluded, the USPS had delivered over 1.8 billion free COVID-19 test kits. References

Ideally, this new paragraph would be added to the end of the Coronavirus pandemic and voting by mail section. If editors have questions about this proposed language, please don't hesitate to ping me. Thank you. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 18:21, 31 May 2024 (UTC)

 Done STEMinfo (talk) 23:28, 31 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:02, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

USPS self-financing edit request

Hello! I'm back with my next request. This one, again, is quite a short one. As the article exists now, there is nothing that explains that the Postal Service is self-financing. I'd like to add two sentences that briefly explains the history of how the USPS became self-financing. Preferably this would be added to the Governance and organization section, explained below:

• Cited a CNN Business article, as well as a PBS article that states the USPS is self-financing and has been since the Postal Reorganization Act came into effect in 1971. NOTE: The PBS reference listed is already in use in the History and I've edited the citation in my draft update to make it a named reference because it is used multiple times.
• Cited both the CNN Business and PBS sources again to explain that the USPS does not receive taxpayer funding, and hasn't since 1982.

Please read below:

USPS self-financing draft
Since the Postal Reorganization Act came into effect in 1971, the USPS has been mandated to be self-financing and rely solely on revenue from stamps and package deliveries to support itself. In 1982, postal stamps were changed to be categorized as products rather than a form of taxation, and since then, the Postal Service has no longer received taxpayer funding. References

Thank you to whoever takes the time to review this request. As always, I'll be here to respond to any feedback. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 15:01, 12 June 2024 (UTC)

Jumping back into this thread to ping two editors who have been active on this Talk page recently: User:STEMinfo and User:P,TO 19104. If either have any interest in evaluating this or questions please do let me know, and thank you very much. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 18:56, 21 June 2024 (UTC)

 Done P,TO 19104 (talk) (contribs) 22:38, 27 June 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much for completing this request, I appreciate it. If you'd be able to help with another request, I’m hoping to be back soon with a short request for a new image. Thanks again. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 13:42, 1 July 2024 (UTC)

LiteBlue scam link alert

Hi everybody, I'm back once again to alert editors of the LiteBlue scam links that have continued to be added to the USPS article. I posted on this Talk page back in March to make editors aware of this, a post which has since been archived. To refresh our memories, LiteBlue is a portal that USPS workers use to manage their careers and benefits. It contains sensitive payroll information and likely doesn't belong on the USPS page.

Here is a link to the actual LiteBlue website: https://liteblue.usps.gov/wps/portal

Links to the phishing LiteBlue scheme site have continued to be added to the article over and over again, and currently, three exist at the bottom of the page in the External links section. Here are a few examples of anonymous IP editors adding the links over the last month: example one, example two, and example three.

Back in January, the American Postal Workers Union posted an alert notifying members of this phishing attempt: [1]. I'm hoping that editors do take action here to make sure this vandalism doesn't continue to go unchecked. I'll ping a few editors here who have been active on this article recently: User:P,TO 19104, User:Spencer, and User:Ww2censor. Thank you all so much. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:49, 9 July 2024 (UTC)

 All links removed P,TO 19104 (talk) (contribs) 21:15, 9 July 2024 (UTC)

Thank you! Hopefully, these scam links will no longer be added to the page. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 15:54, 10 July 2024 (UTC)

Automated Postal Centers edit request

Hi editors, I'm back with another edit request. This time, I'd like to update the Automated Postal Centers subsection. The section as it exists now is outdated both in title and content, as the APC name was phased out long ago, and some of the citations in the section are either broken or outdated.

Specifically, I've made the following changes:

• Removed the image of the Automated Postal Center. I'm currently working on uploading an image to Wikimedia Commons of a Self-Service Kiosk that I'll propose the addition of in a future edit request.
• Updated the Lunewsviews citation.
• Renamed the subsection to Self-Service Kiosks.
• Added that the USPS renamed APCs to Self-Service Kiosks in the early-2010s cited to a Brooklyn Eagle article.
• Updated the description of SSK, noting its ability to weigh and mail parcels, letters and flats, renew postal office boxes, and print postage, cited to articles from Linns Stamp News and the USPS.
• Removed the archived USPS citation as it is outdated information.
• Also added that the SSKs only accept debit and credit cards as forms of payment, and operate similarly to how ATMs function, cited to the USPS.
• Removed the final sentence of the subsection and its All Things Considered citation as it is a broken link, and the language reads as too promotional.
• Added statistics cited to the USPS regarding how many machines are in operation, and the exact amount of money they generated in 2023.

Please read below:

Self-Service Kiosk draft

Self-Service Kiosks In 2004, the USPS began deploying Automated Postal Centers (APCs) at USPS locations. In the early 2010s, the USPS renamed APCs to Self-Service Kiosks (SSKs). Self-Service Kiosks are automated and are able to weigh and mail parcels, letters and flats, renew postal office boxes, and print postage. SSKs only accept debit or credit cards as payment and function similarly to how an ATM operates for bank customers. As of 2023, there are 2,788 SSK machines in operation which generated $267.9 million in annual revenue. References

As a reminder, or for editors who may not have replied to my requests before, I'm an employee of the Postal Service and have a conflict of interest which is why I'm making this request.

If any editors have questions, please let me know, and I'll be standing by to respond. Thank you! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 19:28, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

 Declined; content additions should generally be cited only to independent sources to avoid undue promotion and maintain encyclopedic neutrality. Left guide (talk) 07:58, 19 July 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for providing feedback here user:Left guide. I would like to tag in a few editors who have been active on this Talk page in order to strike a consensus on the draft above: user:P,TO 19104 and user:STEMinfo.

If they too believe that using those USPS sources is a no-go, then I totally understand and have prepared a draft below which removes the USPS sources, including the sentences about the SSK financial figures as well as their functioning similar to an ATM. Please read below:

Self-Service Kiosks draft v2
Self-Service Kiosks In 2004, the USPS began deploying Automated Postal Centers (APCs) at USPS locations. In the early 2010s, the USPS renamed APCs to Self-Service Kiosks (SSKs). Self-Service Kiosks are automated and are able to weigh and mail parcels, letters and flats, renew postal office boxes, and print postage. References

If there are any further questions about this latest draft, please ping me and I will be available for a response. Again, I do thank you for your time in answering this request.Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 13:36, 5 August 2024 (UTC)

 Done with the second draft. I have no objections to other uninvolved editors adding the additional content if they think it's useful. Personally I think it's a relatively reasonable WP:ABOUTSELF, but the page is already very long and I don't think this section needs that much detail. I've also kept the image until it can be replaced with the new one mentioned. Rusalkii (talk) 18:58, 18 August 2024 (UTC)

Thank you so much for implementing this, as well as all the attention you've paid to the active requests on this Talk page. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 19:48, 21 August 2024 (UTC)

Proposing Delivering for America subsection

Hello! I'm back on this Talk page to propose an all-new Delivering for America subsection. There's currently nothing in the article about DFA, a 10-year reform plan launched in March 2021. It includes a $40 billion capital investment and rather significant changes to USPS's operations, so I thought it might be worth covering at some length. I've put together a draft for this section and uploaded it to my user page. Link here.

Obviously, editors should closely review the text and the references, but just to give people a sense of what's included, I'll briefly summarize what the draft covers:

• Launch of program and USPS's stated intentions
• $40 billion capital investment
• New expedited parcel delivery services
• Expansion of USPS parcel-sorting capacity under DFA plan
• Planned construction of 60 large regional processing and distribution centers
• Budget deficit reduction through postage rate increases, operational reforms, and passage of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022
• Measures USPS has taken to reduce employee turnover and stabilize its career workforce

I think this subsection would fit well at the bottom of the Operation and budget section, below the Coronavirus pandemic and voting by mail subsection. I've done my best to use solid sourcing and organize the information coherently, but as ever, I'm open to independent editor feedback. Happy to refine a passage, track down better sourcing, clarify language, etc. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 18:12, 6 October 2023 (UTC)

Hi Jonathan. It's a bit large and seems to include some unnecessary info that might not be considered WP:DUE....

"In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency. The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities.

As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service introduced the USPS Connect offering in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023. Together, these offerings have expanded expedited parcel shipping options for the agency's customers. Between Delivering for America's inception and September 2023, USPS installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities. As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day, up from 53 million in 2021, and 60 million in 2022.

USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities. The first of these new facilities is a million-square foot building in Atlanta that, as of March 2023, is under construction.

In May 2023, the Postal Service announced that its Delivering for America initiatives had cut the agency's projected losses through 2031 from $160 billion to $70 billion. Losses are projected to go down due to postage rate increases, improved operational efficiency from the consolidation of its delivery network, and the passage Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which lifted financial burdens placed on the Postal Service by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

Under the Delivering for America plan, USPS has focused on reducing employee turnover. The Postal Service has also sought to reduce its reliance on seasonal employees by stabilizing the size of its career workforce. Between October 2020 and September 2023, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees."

I would suggest a shorter version, removing the parts in bold and restructuring a bit, in order to gather more support for this change. I would also use some attributions to avoid violating WP:VOICE. Cheers. DN (talk) 22:03, 6 October 2023 (UTC)

I would add that when there is a request to add text to an article, that text needs to be posted verbatim on the article's talk page. COI edit requests should exist on the talk page as a permanent record of what has been requested to be added or deleted. Placing the requested text in a draft page that the COI editor ultimately controls does not satisfy this guideline. The only permanent record we have of the above request is a portion of the proposed text added by the reviewing editor as part of their review. Other than that, it is anybody's guess what is being proposed here, should the COI editor decide (however unlikely that may be) to delete their draft — an action which, because they control that draftspace — is something that remains in the realm of possibility. Concerns about the length of the the additions and heading formatting are easily handled with {{collapse}} and {{fake heading}} templates.

Notes

Regards,  Spintendo  19:00, 11 October 2023 (UTC)

Hey, DN! Thanks so much for the helpful feedback. I've taken your suggestions into account and reworked the section. Per another editor's feedback above, I'll put both my initial and the revised versions of the section draft here:

Delivering for America (initial version)

In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency. The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities. As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service introduced the USPS Connect offering in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023. Together, these offerings have expanded expedited parcel shipping options for the agency's customers. Between Delivering for America's inception and September 2023, USPS installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities. As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day, up from 53 million in 2021, and 60 million in 2022. USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities. The first of these new facilities is a million-square foot building in Atlanta that, as of March 2023, is under construction. In May 2023, the Postal Service announced that its Delivering for America initiatives had cut the agency's projected losses through 2031 from $160 billion to $70 billion. Losses are projected to go down due to postage rate increases, improved operational efficiency from the consolidation of its delivery network, and the passage Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which lifted financial burdens placed on the Postal Service by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Under the Delivering for America plan, USPS has focused on reducing employee turnover. The Postal Service has also sought to reduce its reliance on seasonal employees by stabilizing the size of its career workforce. Between October 2020 and September 2023, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees. References

Delivering for America (revised version)

In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency. The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities. In April 2022, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 was signed into law. The bill was described by the Washington Post as a "key component of DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the Postal Service to avert a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade". It lifted financial burdens placed on the USPS by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service has introduced two new parcel shipping offerings: USPS Connect in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023. It has also installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities. As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day, up from 53 million in 2021, and 60 million in 2022. The USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities. In an effort to stabilize its workforce, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees between October 2020 and September 2023. References

As you can see, I cut most of what you suggested. I see your point about the initial version being a little bit gratuitous. Two notes on specific changes:

• Per your attribution suggestion, I added a quote from a Washington Post article describing the Postal Service Reform Act as an important part of the DFA plan
• I condensed the passage on the Postal Service stabilizing its workforce. I realize my first crack at describing it was too long, but 150,000 part-time workers being moved into full-time positions feels significant enough to include. USPS employs about half a million people, so 150k is a large percentage of its workforce. I'll defer to you, since you're the indepedent editor, but I'm just asking that you reconsider the inclusion of that fact.

I'll now step aside and let DN, or any other independent editors, judge the revised draft. I hope what I've put together now fits the site's content guidelines, but if further changes need to be discussed, I'm available. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 19:56, 12 October 2023 (UTC)

Without discussion of the negative aspects and criticism of DFA by postal unions, members of Congress, etc., this is irredeemably biased. --James (^talk/_contribs) 20:19, 12 October 2023 (UTC)

If you want to discuss negative aspects and criticisms, or add them, you are free to do so, but I think you may be expecting too much from a COI editor, to do it for you. Cheers. DN (talk) 21:45, 12 October 2023 (UTC)

Complying with basic, fundamental precepts such as NPOV is not "expecting too much". It is expecting the bare minimum.--James (^talk/_contribs) 01:05, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

How is this violating NPOV? DN (talk) 02:33, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

Are you familiar with WP:COINOTBIAS? DN (talk) 02:41, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

Interesting that you would go to that. I never said anything about conflict of interest. In fact, I would respond in the exact same way to an editor without a declared conflict of interest: Without discussion of the negative aspects, failures, and criticism of DFA by postal advocates, unions, commercial mailers, members of Congress, etc, such as the plan's inaccurate revenue forecasts, rate increases, lower mail volume, lack of profit, layoffs, lower QoL for postal employees, and postal facility closures, the proposed text is irredeemably biased. And if we're going to play the acronym game: WP:UNDUE, WP:NOTPROMO, WP:SYNTH, WP:COVERT, WP:PAYTALK, WP:COIRESPONSE, WP:COIPOLITICAL, see also WP:BOOSTER, WP:PAIDATTRIBUTE, WP:CPP.--James (^talk/_contribs) 13:24, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

I'm not here to "play a game". I simply asked you some genuine and fair questions without insinuation. Please do not assume I am just here to troll. The article seems to already mention those things, so if you would kindly explain how adding any of those proposed details would be a NPOV violation, I am all ears. DN (talk) 17:38, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

Let's try to stay cordial and productive and try to avoid turning this into a BATTLE. DN (talk) 17:39, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

Just to clarify, are you still looking at the (initial version) or (revised version)? They seemed to have made some significant improvements in the revised version, IMO. What do you think would make it more acceptable without rehashing the criticisms that are already in the article, or, would you prefer to copy edit those details and put them with the proposed addition? DN (talk) 18:02, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

"Rehashing" is an incorrect descriptor. Like Jonathan said, There's currently nothing in the article about DFA. Therefore, there is also currently nothing in the article about responses to DFA. Adding a new section describing a controversial political plan (written in PR-speak, to boot) without integrating response and criticism of the plan is not neutral. And yes, I am looking at the revised version. It is extremely telling, in my opinion, that the proposed text does not ever actually say what the plan is! (It is, among other things, raising rates, lowering service standards, layoffs, and closures.) Leaving aside the tactical omissions, here are some specific phrases and terms that are not neutral and/or insidiously promotional: "intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency" (How? Be specific), "$40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities" (Improve how? Be specific. How does this number compare to past spending? Where is the funding coming from? Without context, this is just saying Big Number Good), associating PSRA with DFA (this is disputed), "installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities" (Over what time period? What, if anything, was removed and/or replaced in order to make way for these machines? Be specific. Without explaining the reasoning and context of these decisions, this is just Big New Shiny Thing Good), "smaller, redundant facilities" (self-evident), "in an effort to stabilize its workforce" (What does that even mean? Why no mention of the fact that most of these conversions came about due to union negotiations, not some mysterious "plan"?). Further reading: WP:NIF, WP:NOCRIT, WP:CONTROVERSY, WP:WTW. --James (^talk/_contribs) 19:24, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

I appreciate this explanation and now understand your argument much better than before. I'm unaware of sources referring to the DFA as a "controversial political plan" or that it "raises rates, lowers service standards, layoffs, and closures" etc... So I would request citations for that, as well as any other criticisms that you are suggesting. More attributions should help to resolve at least some of these concerns. I hope we didn't get off on the wrong foot, but for now I will just ping Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service and suggest that AGF be observed in working towards a consensus to include an acceptable version of the proposed addition. Cheers. DN (talk) 20:37, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

I found a few sources that include some analysis and criticisms we can all perhaps agree on...

• govexec.com (DeJoy Promises His USPS Plan Will Still Deliver, Despite Disappointing Numbers So Far)
• GAO recommendations
• CBS (USPS proposes 5th postage hike since 2021 — a move critics call "unprecedented")
• FNN (DeJoy rebuffs USPS regulator considering more ‘proactive’ role in postal oversight)

Cheers... DN (talk) 01:05, 14 October 2023 (UTC)

Thank you to both editors for weighing in on this request. I will take a step back and consider all the information presented in the discussion. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 20:28, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

Okay, I've now had time to think about how this section can be furter revised. Following DN's lead, I've used three of the four sources they suggested above, and done a little research of my own, to produce a section that's more balanced, and covers some of the drawbacks/criticisms of the Delivering for America plan. Please click the dropdown in order to view my revised section draft:

Delivering for America (futher revised version)

In March 2021, the Postal Service launched a 10-year reform plan called Delivering for America, intended to improve the agency's financial stability, service reliability, and operational efficiency. The plan includes $40 billion in investments meant to improve USPS technology and facilities. In April 2022, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 was signed into law. The bill was described by the Washington Post as a "key component of DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the Postal Service to avert a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade". It lifted financial burdens placed on the USPS by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. As part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service has introduced two new parcel shipping offerings: USPS Connect in June 2022 and USPS Ground Advantage in July 2023. It has also installed 348 new package sorting machines within its facilities. As of September 2023, the Postal Service is able to process approximately 70 million packages per day, up from 53 million in 2021, and 60 million in 2022. The USPS announced in July 2022 that it would be building 60 new regional processing and distribution centers in order to replace smaller, redundant facilities. One of the first of these facilities, a 700,000-square-foot building in Gastonia, North Carolina, opened in November 2023. In an effort to stabilize its workforce, the Postal Service converted 150,000 of its pre-career workers into full-time employees between October 2020 and September 2023. Delivering for America has attempted to stabilize the Postal Service's finances by adjusting service times for mail and package delivery. In 2020, the Postal Regulatory Commission gave the Postal Service increased authority to raise postage rates in order to cover its operating costs. Between 2021 and 2023, USPS has raised the postage rate four times. In May 2023, USPS reported a $2.5 billion loss over the year's first quarter, with approximately $500 million of that figure related to costs within the agency's control. It also reported that its projected ten-year losses had been reduced from $160 billion to $70 billion. References

I hope this addresses the concerns voiced by editors above. If anyone has additional feedback, please reach out and I'll do my best to address it. Thank you! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 16:05, 15 November 2023 (UTC)

I have pinged James to see if they have any more input. I've been rather busy but I will try to give some feedback soon. DN (talk) 21:28, 6 December 2023 (UTC)

I appreciate it, DN! I'll be here if you, James, or any other independent editor has thoughts. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:27, 12 December 2023 (UTC)

This discussion has been dormant for a few months, so I thought I'd ping the thread. Reaching out to DN because they've demonstrated the most consistent interest but other editors are welcome to jump in as well. Happy to offer clarification on anything above for anybody who's new to the discussion. Thanks! Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 20:00, 4 April 2024 (UTC)

Just noting that I've added the Edit COI template to this request, to give it a wider reach. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:48, 15 April 2024 (UTC)

@Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service, could you summarize what exactly happened here? Is there no consensus on this edit yet? If so, I may have to close this as we can't have something so disputed the debate drags on for 8 months. ABG (Talk/Report any mistakes here) 11:37, 1 June 2024 (UTC)

Hi User:AlphaBetaGamma, thanks for checking on this. There hasn't been any feedback on the most recent version of the draft I've proposed above. To attempt to summarize: An editor initially offered feedback on specifically what to remove from the original draft. Then, another editor argued that the manner in which I posted the edit request to the Talk page wasn't done correctly. I then came back and posted an updated draft incorporating feedback from both. A new editor entered the discussion to note they didn't believe the draft addressed the "negative aspects" of DfA, and two editors had a back-and-forth about the need for adding criticisms of the DfA plan, noting that since there is nothing in the article about DfA in the first place, there needs to be an even viewpoint of it represented. I updated the draft again to address these concerns, but since then, feedback has yet to be given.

Unfortunately, the two editors who provided the most feedback never returned to OK this version of the draft. I don't believe the overall request is disputed at this stage, more that it has received multiple rounds of feedback that have been addressed in the draft, and it is now waiting for re-review. I see that the COI edit queue has many unresolved requests, and this might've fallen by the wayside due to this. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 17:05, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

@DN @James Allison, I'm reviewing old COI requests. My current inclination is to accept the latest revised draft - it isn't perfect and probably somewhat slanted against criticism of the plan, but I think it's an improvement over not having anything at all; I may also incorporate some additional criticism from the given sources. Tagging you both to let you weigh in before I do this, if you'd like to continue work on this I'm happy to step back. Rusalkii (talk) 18:41, 18 August 2024 (UTC)

 Done I've removed the "key component of DeJoy’s 10-year plan" sentence. Otherwise I have kept the "further revised" draft as written. Thank you for your patience! Rusalkii (talk) 17:15, 24 August 2024 (UTC)

Hello user:Rusalkii, thank you so much for taking the time to evaluate this request and implement it into the article. I completely understand why you made that one minor alteration, and do appreciate your time here. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 16:25, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

Kansas EV Addition

Hello editors, I'm here to post another short edit request. Before I get into the details, I want to note that I have a COI, which you can read more about on my user page here: User:Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service.

Just this month, the USPS deployed two new electric vehicles in Kansas, and the news was covered by the The Topeka Capital-Journal. Below I've drafted a sentence that covers this news and cites the TCJ report. Ideally, this sentence would be added to the bottom of the Fleet subsection.

Read here:

Kansas EV draft
In August 2024, the USPS deployed the first new vehicles from its fleet modernization project at its Topeka Sorting and Delivery Center in Kansas, including: an electric vehicle with higher clearance for routes delivering a high number of packages, and an electric delivery vehicle produced in partnership with Canoo that is a "pod-like" smaller van. References

Please reply if anybody has questions regarding this request, and I'll be ready to respond. Thank you. Jonathan with U.S. Postal Service (talk) 12:23, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

 Done Likeanechointheforest (talk) 17:53, 28 August 2024 (UTC)