Post office mulls closing hundreds of offices

08-03-2009 • www.msnbc.msn.com/

Postal agency is facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss, spite of a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps. A pillar of U.S. communities since the nation’s founding, the post office is facing the prospect of closings or consolidation of services at hundreds of locations amid a sharp decline in business due to e-mail.

Post officials sent a list of nearly 700 potential candidates for closing or consolidation to the independent Postal Regulatory Commission for review.

Some of the offices could be closed while others could have some of their functions consolidated with other offices. For example, in some cases preparing mail for delivery may be shifted from Office A to nearby Office B, but the first office might still offer such services as selling stamps and mailing parcels and letters. In other cases one of the offices might be closed.

Postal Vice Pre