[Senate Hearing 107-832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 107-832
NOMINATIONS OF HON. RUTH Y. GOLDWAY AND TONY HAMMOND
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON THE
NOMINATIONS OF HON. RUTH Y. GOLDWAY AND TONY HAMMOND TO BE
COMMISSIONERS OF THE POSTAL RATE COMMISSION
__________
OCTOBER 8, 2002
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Governmental Affairs
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
83-481 WASHINGTON : 2003
___________________________________________________________________________
For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; (202) 512-1800
Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman
CARL LEVIN, Michigan FRED THOMPSON, Tennessee
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii TED STEVENS, Alaska
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
MAX CLELAND, Georgia THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah
JEAN CARNAHAN, Missouri JIM BUNNING, Kentucky
MARK DAYTON, Minnesota PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois
Joyce A. Rechtschaffen, Staff Director and Counsel
Jennifer E. Hamilton, Research Assistant
Nanci E. Langley, Deputy Staff Director,
Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal
Services
Richard A. Hertling, Minority Staff Director
Johanna L. Hardy, Minority Senior Counsel
Ann C. Fisher, Minority Professional Staff Member,
Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal
Services
Darla D. Cassell, Chief Clerk
C O N T E N T S
------
Opening statement:
Page
Senator Akaka................................................ 1
Prepared statement:
Senator Bunning.............................................. 9
WITNESSES
Tuesday, October 8, 2002
Hon. Christopher S. Bond, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Missouri....................................................... 1
Hon. Ruth Y. Goldway, to be a Commissioner on the Postal Rate
Commission..................................................... 3
Tony Hammond, to be a Commissioner on the Postal Rate Commission. 4
Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a U.S. Senator from the State of New
York........................................................... 5
Alphabetical List of Witnesses
Bond, Hon. Christopher S.:
Testimony.................................................... 1
Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham:
Testimony.................................................... 5
Goldway, Hon. Ruth Y.:
Testimony.................................................... 3
Biographical and professional information.................... 10
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 18
Hammond, Tony:
Testimony.................................................... 4
Biographical and professional information.................... 29
Responses to pre-hearing questions........................... 36
Appendix
Hon. Dianne Feinstein, a U.S. Senator from the State of
California, prepared statement................................. 9
NOMINATIONS OF HON. RUTH Y. GOLDWAY AND TONY HAMMOND
----------
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2002
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Governmental Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:05 a.m., in
room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K.
Akaka, presiding.
Present: Senator Akaka.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR AKAKA
Senator Akaka. The Committee will please come to order. I
want to thank our colleagues and our guests for being with us
today.
This morning, we are considering the nominations of Hon.
Ruth Goldway and Tony Hammond, who are nominated to serve six-
year terms as Commissioners of the Postal Rate Commission. We
are pleased to have this morning my friend, Senator Bond, who
will introduce Mr. Hammond. I understand that Senator Clinton
will arrive shortly to introduce Ms. Goldway, however, we will
continue until she arrives.
Senator Bond, we really appreciate your coming and taking
time before this hearing to introduce Mr. Hammond. I know you
have lots to tell about him, so you may proceed.
TESTIMONY OF HON. CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE
STATE OF MISSOURI
Senator Bond. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I really
appreciate the honor of being able to join you today to present
my good friend and fellow Missourian, Tony Hammond, for
consideration for appointment as Commissioner of the Postal
Rate Commission. As I was saying to Tony, the Postal Rate
Commission is the creature that we love to hate. As we are
bombarded with letters and e-mails complaining about the post
office and the rate increases, at least there are now friendly
faces that we can put on that when we respond indignantly about
the high cost of postal service.
Nevertheless, the Congress did establish the Postal Rate
Commission and gave them very important powers. This is a
significant responsibility, one that is very necessary for the
commerce of the United States, and I think Tony Hammond, who
was nominated by the President this past April, is well
qualified to handle those responsibilities.
Tony was born in Hickory County, Missouri, where he still
owns his family farm. He graduated from Southwest Missouri
State University in Springfield.
I first became acquainted with Tony when he served on
Capitol Hill for 10 years between 1979 and 1989. During that
time, he worked as Legislative Director for our good mutual
friend, the late Missouri Congressman Gene Taylor. During Gene
Taylor's tenure as ranking member of the Post Office and Civil
Service Committee, Tony Hammond dealt with the many diverse
issues and interests concerning the U.S. Postal Service rates
and operation. He had real on-the-job training for the issues
dealt with by the Postal Rate Commission. He practiced writing
up the letters that now he is going to have to respond to as a
member of the Postal Rate Commission.
Mr. Chairman, I know that you served with and remember the
late Congressman Taylor during the time he was in the House.
When I first came to Washington, I roomed with him for a couple
of months while I was waiting for a house. But if we really
wanted to spice up the record of this hearing, we could go into
executive session and I expect the three of us could spend the
better part of the morning exchanging Gene Taylor stories, all
with good intent, but I would prefer they be in executive
session.
Missouri has produced some very colorful people in its
history, but Gene Taylor was considered by many to be our 20th
century Mark Twain and a gentleman who will certainly be
missed. But I can assure you that his guidance and leadership
helped train Tony Hammond and prepare him for this important
post.
Before being nominated to the Rate Commission, Tony owned
and was a managing member of T. Hammond Company, a private
consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia. He has also
served as the Senior Vice President of the direct marketing
firm Feather, Larson and Synhorst and senior consultant to
Forbes 2000, Inc.
He has a wealth of experience. He has been a great
contributor to his community and to our State. He has been a
friend and loyal servant for a great many. It is a real honor
today to introduce to you and to give high recommendation to
Tony Hammond for appointment to be Commissioner of the Postal
Rate Commission.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Bond, for your
personal notes, as well. We really appreciate your statement.
Senator Bond. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Akaka. Before we proceed further, I would like to
welcome Commissioner Omas, Chairman of the Postal Rate
Commission, and Commissioner Covington, the PRC's Vice
Chairman-elect. I want to welcome you to the hearing this
morning.
The Committee rules require that an inquiry be conducted
into the experience, qualifications, suitability, and integrity
of a nominee to serve in the position to which he or she has
been named. The Committee has received all the required
information on our two nominees. Ms. Goldway and Mr. Hammond
have provided written responses to pre-hearing questions
submitted by the Committee concerning issues relevant to the
position on the Postal Rate Commission. Our Committee staff
have reviewed all of the information, including the financial
disclosure reports submitted by the Office of Government
Ethics.
Copies of the nominees' biographical information and
prehearing responses will be included in the record as part of
this hearing and will be available upon request. Our witnesses'
financial statements are available for inspection by the public
in the Committee office, and Senator Cochran and I have
personally reviewed their FBI background investigation reports.
The Committee rules require that all nominees be under oath
while testifying on matters relating to their suitability for
office, including the policies and programs which the nominees
will pursue, if confirmed.
Ms. Goldway and Mr. Hammond, would you please stand and
raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God?
Ms. Goldway. I do.
Mr. Hammond. I do.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Please be seated.
Ms. Goldway and Mr. Hammond, I want to thank you for being
with us and to congratulate you on your nominations. If either
of you have anyone you would wish to recognize at this hearing,
please do so at this time. Ms. Goldway?
Ms. Goldway. Thank you, Senator Akaka. At this time, I
would simply like to introduce my husband, Ambassador Derek
Shearer, who is with me today who has been my partner and best
friend in all of my life's endeavors, and particularly in my
public service career.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much for being here. Mr.
Hammond, do you have anyone here?
Mr. Hammond. Just my nephew, Tracy Hammond of Washington,
DC is with us here today.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Now, we will welcome your opening
statement or comments that you may have. Ms. Goldway, will you
please proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF HON. RUTH Y. GOLDWAY,\1\ TO BE A COMMISSIONER ON
THE POSTAL RATE COMMISSION
Ms. Goldway. My statement includes a thank you to Senator
Clinton, so we will--when she arrives shortly. Thank you,
Senator Akaka and Members of the Committee. Thank you for
inviting me to appear this morning. I respect and appreciate
the careful consideration you have given to Postal issues
during the 4\1/2\ years that I have served on the Postal Rate
Commission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Biographical information and responses to prehearing questions
from Ms. Goldway appear in the Appendix on pages 10 and 18
respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
And I want to thank Senator Clinton for coming today to
introduce me. She has provided many kindnesses to me and my
family over the years and was instrumental in my first
appointment. For the record, I wanted to note that Senator
Clinton was instrumental in establishing the first semi-Postal
stamp, the breast cancer research stamp, which I supported as a
Commissioner, and she has now been involved in your efforts to
establish the semi-Postal stamp honoring the September 11
heroes.
At my first appearance before this Committee as a Postal
Rate Commission neophyte, Senator Levin kindly granted me the
benefit of the doubt regarding my competence, because I had the
good sense to go to the University of Michigan. [Laughter.]
Now I am here again, and I come before the Committee today
with what I believe is a record of accomplishments and
attention to issues that demonstrate my competence and my
commitment to the work of the Postal Rate Commission.
Consistent with my longtime interests in consumer issues, I
have focused attention on how household consumers are affected
by the Postal Service with regard to the rates they pay and the
service that they receive, such as the reliability and value of
Priority Mail. I have also worked hard to ensure that rates for
all users reflect an accurate assessment of the attributable
costs and a fair share of institutional costs.
Through written opinions, op-ed pieces, supplemental
testimony, meetings with Congressional and Senate staff, and
public appearances, I have sought to bring these issues to the
public and to the Postal Service's attention.
I am grateful for the opportunity the Senate has provided
me to serve our country. If you honor me with a second term on
the PRC, I pledge to work diligently and creatively with each
of you, your Committee staff, the Postal Service, the mailing
community, and with Chairman George Omas and my colleagues on
the Commission to assure the health, vitality, and future of
the Postal Service. Together, we must plan for its
transformation into a communications network for the 21st
Century, while continuing to uphold its unique responsibility
to bind the Nation, delivering the mail as uniformly as
possible to every American household.
Thank you, and I am pleased to answer any questions that
you might have.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. I want to ask Mr.
Hammond for your statement. Will you please proceed?
TESTIMONY OF TONY HAMMOND,\1\ TO BE A COMMISSIONER ON THE
POSTAL RATE COMMISSION
Mr. Hammond. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I greatly appreciate
you and the Committee taking time during this very busy session
towards the end of Congress for scheduling this hearing, and a
special thanks to Senator Bond for taking time out of his
schedule, also, to come and be here today.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Biographical information and responses to prehearing questions
from Mr. Hammond appear in the Appendix on pages 29 and 36
respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the interest of time, because of your schedule, I
prepared no special opening statement. I am pleased to be here
with my fellow Commissioner, Ruth Goldway, and I look forward
to being able to work with you and the Committee staff on the
betterment of the Postal Service. Thank you very much for
taking the time.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much for your statement. Ms.
Goldway and Mr. Hammond, the Committee has three questions we
ask of all nominees. I ask that you respond to them together.
Is there anything you are aware of in your backgrounds that
might present a conflict of interest with the duties of the
office to which you have been nominated?
Ms. Goldway. I don't believe there is anything.
Mr. Hammond. No.
Senator Akaka. Do you know of any reason, personal or
otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from fully and
honorably discharging the responsibilities of the office for
which you have been nominated?
Ms. Goldway. No.
Mr. Hammond. No.
Senator Akaka. Do you agree, without reservation, to
respond to any reasonable summons to appear and testify before
any duly constituted Committee of Congress if you are
confirmed?
Ms. Goldway. I do.
Mr. Hammond. Yes, most certainly.
Senator Akaka. Thank you so much for your responses. I have
a few questions of my own, but before I proceed with the
question, I want to welcome Senator Clinton. While she is
catching her breath, I want to introduce her to Tony Hammond.
We are delighted to have you here, Senator Clinton. We know you
have a personal relationship with Ms. Goldway and would look
forward to a statement from you and any introductions you may
have this morning.
TESTIMONY OF HON. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, A U.S. SENATOR FROM
THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Senator Clinton. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I am
delighted and honored to be here and have this opportunity to
speak on behalf of Commissioner Goldway. She has been nominated
for a full term to the Commission on which she has served
honorably and well since 1998. She has been a friend of mine
for many, many years and she has deep ties in New York, having
grown up in the city and attended public schools all the way
through City College.
She has, as I am sure the record reflects, a remarkable
array of accomplishments, working at the highest levels as a
public affairs professional with expertise in consumer issues,
urban planning, education, and the arts. She has also helped
protect the consumer as an Assistant to the Director of
California's Department of Consumer Affairs during the 1970s,
and served the public as a city council member and Mayor of the
City of Santa Monica from 1979 to 1983.
During her tenure on the Postal Rate Commission, she has
shown a true commitment to improving our mail service for
household consumers, as well as a commitment to the overall
effectiveness of the U.S. Postal Service. I express the
strongest possible support, both as a longtime friend, but
equally important in this context, as a user of the mail, for
the Commissioner's nomination, and I thank you, Mr. Chairman,
for letting me come and make my statement. I apologize for
being a little tardy today and I look forward to our continuing
work together. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Clinton, for
your personal remarks. We certainly appreciate your appearance
here this morning.
Senator Clinton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. I would like to continue with my
question to Ms. Goldway.
You are being nominated to a second term as a Postal Rate
Commissioner. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 gives the
Postal Service a clear mandate to develop innovative,
effective, and efficient services for the Nation's mail users.
In this era of expanding Internet use, the Postal Service is
having to adjust to this cultural shift in order to maintain
competitive rates and to break even. As a member of the PRC,
what role do you see the Commission taking in the future to
ensure the vitality of the Postal Service?
Ms. Goldway. I think our primary role is to consider the
innovations in rates and classifications that the Postal
Service would present to us and to both facilitate those
innovations and to consider them in the light of the entire
mailing community so that those innovations work effectively
for everyone.
Our responsibility is to look at the entire network of
communications and how the Postal Service fits into that. So
when we review these suggested innovations, I think we want to
make sure that the public's overall concerns are met, not just
the Postal Service.
I think we also are very much involved in the discussions
about the future of the Postal Service, and we have, both in
the context of written opinions in hearings and in meetings
such as the summit that occurred in June, provided new ideas
for the Postal Service to consider with regard to phased rates
or a non-denominational stamp or ways to provide additional
information on mailing material that the public might find
beneficial.
We are not responsible for the day-to-day operations of the
Postal Service, but I think in the regulatory role that we
provide, we can offer suggestions and occasionally leadership
in how to assist the Postal Service in adjusting to these
changing markets.
Senator Akaka. Thank you for your response.
Mr. Hammond, I am not sure if you have had an opportunity
to review the transcripts of the two Postal Rate Summits
convened this summer by the Postal Service and the PRC, but I
know there was a lively discussion of the use of phased rates.
What are your thoughts on the use of phased rates?
Mr. Hammond. Well, I have had an opportunity to look at the
phased rate issue with regard to the two summits which were
held, but not in great detail because I was not on the
Commission yet when those two summits sponsored by the PRC and
the Postal Service were held. But I know there have been a
great deal of comments lately, especially from the mailing
industry, about predictability and stability in the rates.
I would not want to comment before I actually saw what was
before us, but indeed, I think that there needs to be further
discussion of the phased rates. I think it is beneficial for
dialogue to continue. And while I would not want to say that I
would automatically go for phased rate increases before we had
a case before us, I think it is very beneficial to continue the
discussion on that right now.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Ms. Goldway, the Postal Service
has filed a request for a negotiated service agreement with the
Postal Rate Commission. What is the time frame for the
consideration of the NSA and will the PRC handle this case
differently than other rate cases?
Ms. Goldway. We are hoping to proceed with this case within
6 months. I think 180 days is our framework. We believe that we
can review cases that are discrete in this manner in a shorter
time frame than we do the comprehensive rate cases, and we
believe that, at least initially, the outlook is for a
cooperative discussion and as speedy as possible decision.
While I do not want to commit to a specific time frame
because we have obligations with regard to due process and we
are not yet certain how many parties will intervene in the
case, it does look like we can review this perhaps in even a
shorter time frame than the guidelines that we have established
for ourselves.
Senator Akaka. Thanks for your response. The Postal Service
has been criticized for providing inadequate financial data in
rate cases. Ms. Goldway, you have had an opportunity to decide
rate cases. What do you believe would assist the Commission in
its rate case deliberations?
Ms. Goldway. The crux of our decision making process at the
Postal Rate Commission is determining what the costs are that
the Postal Service is incurring so that we can decide on the
fair rates that are needed. We regularly have disputes about
the information that is put before us with regard to whether it
is adequate or sufficient, and there is a great deal of motions
practice and time involved in requesting more information from
the Postal Service so that we feel comfortable making decisions
about costs, and some disputes with some of the parties about
what is the accurate information that the Postal Service is
providing.
I feel certain that if the Postal Rate Commission had
subpoena power, we could request information from the Postal
Service, not that we would necessarily use that subpoena power,
but the indication that we had that power would provide us with
an opportunity to get the cost information we need more quickly
with fewer disputes among the parties, and that, in fact, it
might facilitate decisions that we make and speed the process
along. So I have been an advocate for a change in the
legislation that would give us that power to get more
information.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Mr. Hammond, as the Postal
Service's transformation plan is implemented, there may be
plant consolidations and post office closings. Would you
explain the role played by the PRC in decisions relating to
locating, relocating, or closing facilities?
Mr. Hammond. There is a specific appeals process to the
Postal Rate Commission that is in the regulations. There has
been since the Reorganization Act. One of the things that we
are responsible for assuring is that all the rules are followed
in any closings or consolidations. I think because of the
monopoly situation that the Postal Service has, I think it is a
very big responsibility for the Postal Rate Commission to
especially scrutinize that process.
While we do not have any closing cases before us right now,
yes, indeed, the transformation plan anticipates possibly that
being done. It appears to me that the regulations in place do
adequately cover the potential for a citizen or individuals, to
ask for the review process by the Rate Commission. But if the
Postal Service was unresponsive, and I have no indication that
they would be, but if they were unresponsive, that any further
regulatory power that the Rate Commission might need could be
necessary in case that did occur.
Senator Akaka. I would also ask that question to Ms.
Goldway, in commenting on the role played by the PRC in
decisions relating to locating, relocating, or closing
facilities. We have chatted with the Postmaster General about
this. As you know, anywhere in the United States, whenever
folks from the community hear there might be a closing,
Congress hears from them. So it is a very sensitive matter and
I thought I would ask you, also, for comments on this.
Ms. Goldway. Thank you, Senator Akaka. As a former mayor, I
am particularly interested in this and have thought about it in
the context of urban planning issues and how important post
offices can be to the social fabric of the communities that
they are in.
I do not believe that the issues about post office closings
or locations are adequately addressed in the current
legislation. I am not necessarily seeking power for the Postal
Rate Commission with regard to more review, but I feel that
there is not yet an adequate way in which we can both assure
that post offices of a historical significance or of a
particularly important social significance to small communities
are preserved and still give the Postal Service the flexibility
it needs to consolidate, because I believe it does need more
flexibility to consolidate and close Postal facilities and to
place Postal facilities in other institutions that people go to
more readily.
So I think this is an issue that needs to be discussed and
worked on further. I feel that the current legislation, while
it does provide individual citizens with an opportunity to
appeal to us if the Postal Service acts improperly within their
own regulations, we are not given any power to tell the Postal
Service to change their actions if we determine that they have
not been appropriate. We simply provide a public forum for
people's concerns without any avenue for address.
So I am not sure it is an adequate regulation and
legislation at the moment, and I would like to work further
with the Postal Service and with the Congress in considering
ways that we might address those concerns because I know you
experience them, as well, in your home State. I think this is
an issue that the Postal Service is going to have to address
very quickly in the coming years to save costs.
Senator Akaka. I want to thank Ms. Goldway and Mr. Hammond.
Thank you again for your cooperation with this process and for
being with us today. It has been, I would say, if anything, a
personal hearing with friends in the Senate and we look forward
to the confirmation process being completed as soon as we can.
If there are any further questions, we will certainly send
them to you for any response.
I have no further questions for you. I want to thank you
again for coming and wish you well in all that you do.
If there is no further business to come before the
Committee, the hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 9:37 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
----------
PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR BUNNING
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This country's mail system is one of the most basic and important
functions of government. Six days a week, Americans across the country
rely on their mail carriers to deliver their letters and packages.
Last year's anthrax attacks showed us how important reliable mail
delivery is.
However, the Postal Service is facing some serious financial
problems that must be addressed in the coming months and the Postal
Rate Commissioners will play a large part in the Postal Service's
success as they consider Postal Rate increases.
Postal Rate Commissioners also have other important duties,
including investigating complaints by postal customers about Postal
rates and fees and hearing appeals from Postal customers about the
closing of their retail post office.
I hope that you will always keep in mind the affect that closing a
post office can have on a community--particularly a small, rural
community, and that this is a decision that should not be made lightly.
I appreciate the time our two witnesses have taken to be here
today, and look forward to hearing from them.
__________
PREPARED STATEMENT OF DIANNE FEINSTEIN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA
I am pleased to introduce Ruth Goldway to the Committee. Ms.
Goldway has been nominated by President Bush to be a Commissioner of
the U.S. Postal Rate Commission and has been serving as a Commissioner
since 1998.
Ms. Goldway is married to Professor Derek Shearer and they have
three children: Julie, Anthony, and Casey.
Before serving on the Commission, Ms. Goldway traveled with her
husband to Finland where he served as U.S. Ambassador from 1994 through
1997.
I am proud to say that Ms. Goldway has also served the people of my
State, California:
LMs. Goldway served as Director of Public Affairs at
California State University, Los Angeles;
LShe was Assistant to the Director of California's
Department of Consumer Affairs where she was a successful
advocate on behalf of consumers, women, and urban issues; and
LMs. Goldway was elected council member and Mayor of
the City of Santa Monica and served as Founder and Chairperson
of the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation.
Serving as a Commissioner these last four years, Ms. Goldway has
become well respected not only by her colleagues but by those whose
businesses are tied to the operations of the U.S. Postal Service.
Her experience in public and private life has brought an invaluable
perspective to the complex issues facing the U.S. Postal Service during
a time of increasing uncertainty. I am confident that Ms. Goldway will
continue to make significant contributions to the Commission with her
reasoned judgments on postal rates and service standards.
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
-