Random Thoughts From Nashville
Nashville – I’m at the 2010 National Catalog Forum, presented here April 13-15 by the American Catalog Mailers Association. It’s being held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Equipped with 2,881 rooms and 600,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel must have its own weather pattern.
I’m definitely not the only one who has gotten lost at least five times this week. For the first-timer, this hotel seems like a never-ending maze designed to make you add at least 10 minutes to your walk time to various areas.
The National Catalog Forum is being held here along with the National Postal Forum.
I had the chance to talk to Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahoe, 1-on-1, for a few minutes and he believes the five-day mail delivery proposal should happen based on widespread national support. Getting widespread support on the other big issue – the U.S. Postal Service’s annual obligation to prefund health retiree benefits – needs industry help as far as getting the word out, Donahoe says.
Postmaster General John E. Potter has asked Congress to restructure its payments for retiree health benefits, which right now cost the USPS more than $5.5 billion a year. Donahoe says these two issues are crucial to righting the USPS financial ship, which has incurred an $11.7 billion loss in the past three years.
Potter has said if five-day delivery and the retiree health benefits situation aren’t rectified in the USPS’s favor, losses will grow and the USPS could lose $33 billion in the year 2020.
If five-day delivery is approved, but the retiree health benefit situation remains, Donahoe says postal rates would possibly “go higher than we’d like” and the USPS would need to close (some post) offices “faster than we’d like.”
On a lighter note, Terri Alpert, founder/CEO of Stony Creek Brands, presented ACMA Executive Director Hamilton Davison with an award for his hard work and dedication during the past three years. Davison, Alpert said, is “living proof of the difference one person can make.”
Before she presented the award to Davison, Alpert read the inscription. There was one problem. Hamilton Davison became Hamilton Davis on the plaque. No worries, Alpert said. The change will be made.
ACMA Chairman Stan Krangel said the group’s three-year ride has paid dividends because “we’ve gotten some traction. There is some teeth in it and no longer is there a mixed message. I don’t think we need to lessen our resolve. No one will be an advocate for catalogers like us. If we don’t get involved, then we have no right to complain.”
