Save the Post Office has an article critical of the appointment of Tony Hammond to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The author raises the concern that Mr. Hammond will not be sympathetic to the impact of PRC decisions on either Postal employees or communities facing the loss of their Post Office. Both of these issues are significant concerns of members of the Senate. It is possible that he could face opposition from Senators with concerns about the loss of rural Post Offices or the loss of Postal Service jobs.
Mr. Hammond will likely play an important role in the proceeding covering changes in service standards that the Postal Service is filing today. As proposed legislative changes do not change the process of reviewing service quality changes or the criteria for reviewing them, his confirmation hearing could provide an opportunity for supporters and opponents of this change to better understand how he will approach this issue.
What is more important for postal stakeholders is what Mr. Hammond’s appointment may say about the Obama administration’s approach to postal policy and, in particular, the service changes that the Postal Service has proposed. Ideally, President Obama is appointing an individual that supports the administration’s approach to postal policy so that PRC decisions do not run counter to that policy direction.
The following link illustrates the importance as to who is appointed to a regulatory of an industry in transition. This article covers the impact of Ronald Reagan’s first appointment to the Interstate Commerce Commission who focused on slowing deregulation down, an approach that ran contrary to the perception that Reagan supported deregulating business activity.
Nevada Fats and the Gang of Three: The Interstate Commerce Commission under the Chairmanship of Reese H. Taylor 1981-1985
