Office of the City Clerk - Record #: R2014-705

• Record #: R2014-705
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Failed to Pass
• Intro date: 10/8/2014
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Budget and Government Operations
• Final action: 5/20/2015
• Title: Call for U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk to support postal reform legislation
• Sponsors: Dowell, Pat, Harris, Michelle A., Thompson, JoAnn, Burnett, Jr., Walter, Graham, Deborah L.
• Related files: R2015-407

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
5/20/2015		City Council	Failed to Pass	Fail
10/31/2014		Committee on Budget and Government Operations	Held in Committee	Pass
10/8/2014	93412	City Council	Referred

City Council Resolution

WHEREAS, The US Postal Service is a vital component of this country's economic and communications infrastructure handling and delivering 160 billion pieces of mail and generating more than $65 billion in revenues annually, while receiving no taxpayer funding; and

WHEREAS, The mailing industry, which employs 8 million Americans, generates over $1 trillion dollars annually, and represents approximately seven percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), depends on the US Postal Service's invaluable mail processing, retail and last-mile delivery networks 6 days a week; and

WHEREAS, The US Postal Service is the only private company or federal agency required by Congress to pre-fund future retiree health benefits for 75 years, requiring $5.5 billion dollars to be paid annually. In addition, the health benefits for postal retirees is fully funded with billions of dollars in excess, so there is no need to require a crippling $5.5 billion additional annual payment that is causing unnecessary service cuts; and

WHEREAS, The US Postal Service is the second largest employer of US Veterans in the country with over 22% of its employees United States Veterans; and

WHEREAS, Inner City and Rural communities, many of which do not have access to the Internet, remain dependent on the Postal Service for vital communications and for the shipment of goods; and

WHEREAS, Small businesses along with many Americans, particularly seniors, depend on the Postal Service for receipt of their prescription drugs; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Mayor and the Chicago City Council urges US Senator Durbin and US Senator Kirk to support postal reform legislation that would: Secure the continuance of 6-day mail delivery; Stabilize the Postal Service's finances by reforming or eliminating future retiree health financing policies that are crippling the Postal Service's finances; Strengthen and protect the Postal Service's invaluable mail processing, retail and last-mile delivery networks that together comprise a crucial part of the nation's infrastructure; Retain door-to-door delivery for 30 million plus households and businesses; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chicago City Council transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to both US Senator Durbin and US Senator Kirk, and to the United States Postmaster General.

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Pat Dowell Alderman, 3^rd Ward

Michelle Harris Alderman, 8^th Ward

 

Walter Burnett Alderman, 27^th Ward

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5ann Thompson Alderman, 16^th Ward

 

 

Jeborah Graham Alderman, 29^th Ward