Mission Statement

We're here to represent Main Street - the voice that gets lost in the debate over postal reform. We intend to see that the Postal Service stays true to its mandate of providing universal service at universal rates.

We must bring to bear the kind of unbiased, high quality analysis Congress needs to make sound decisions. Postal reform is a complex and controversial issue, and Congress must have the best information it can get.

We strongly believe in making the Postal Service as competitive as possible, but not at the expense of the individual and small volume mailers who count on it the most.

Accordingly, the Coalition has adopted the following Mission Statement:

• To protect a universal mail delivery system for both businesses and consumers with the primary goals of providing reliable and timely service at nondiscriminatory and reasonable rates
• To support efforts to control costs, improve the productivity and efficiency of the Postal Service management and operations and to ensure the continuation of the Institution as a fundamental public service
• To seek enhancement of the authority of the Postal Rate Commission as an independent body to review and rule on all proposed rate and classification changes
• In light of the Postal Service's governmentally protected monopoly position in certain business areas, to oppose all efforts to (1) shift more overhead costs onto captive customers, or (2) give the Postal Service the ability to grant special rates and volume discounts to large mailers

The Main Street Coalition has appeared and testified before both the Senate and the House. Copies of that testimony is available on request. The Coalition, which represents more than 30 percent of USPS volume, is working with the Postal Service to define common grounds of agreement and to improve the dialogue between the agency and smaller volume mailers. Of significant concern to the Main Street Coalition is the threat that commercialization and privatization pose for the Postal Service' public service mission. This is disturbing particularly when coupled with the threat to eliminate or curtail the activities of the Postal Rate Commission.

Finally, The Main Street Coalition is in the planning stages of an aggressive grass roots and media outreach program targeted at key members of Congress. The grass roots program is geared to reinforce the Main Street Coalition mission in the development of any postal reform legislation. The Coalition believes that this joint action will be a major and persuasive force in shaping postal reform.

If you would like more information on the Main Street Coalition please e-mail us by clicking here.