Taking “Stock” of Bernstock
From the looks of it, Robert Bernstock, former president of shipping and mailing services for the U.S. Postal Service, had many, many other things on his mind during his two-year stint with the financially strapped USPS.
According to the Federal Times, between June 2008 and February 2010, one or more unnamed postal staffers sent or received 1,422 e-mails regarding Bernstock’s outside businesses or from his tax accountant and financial adviser. Or, about 71 e-mails per month. Yikes!
Bernstock resigned his position June 4 and is currently under investigation for awarding about $5.8 million in no-bid contracts to his former business associates.
Postal Service inspector general David Williams “is investigating Bernstock’s role in steering millions of dollars in consultancy and Website modernization contracts to people he worked with in the private sector.
Allegedly, Bernstock had directed more than $1.3 million in sole-source contracts to consultants he had worked with when he was an executive at Scotts Miracle-Gro, Vlasic, and Nutrisystem, the Federal Times reported. He had also reportedly given a $4.5 million contract to Tatum via a colleague who he worked with at Scotts Miracle-Gro and Vlasic.
The U.S. Postal Service’s former top marketing executive repeatedly used government staff — and at least two business associates he hired with sole-source contracts — to manage his personal finances and outside business interests, according to a report in the Federal Times.
Bernstock admitted to Office of Inspector General investigators that he had used postal resources and staff to handle his personal business while on the agency’s time.
During Bernstock’s run at the USPS, the federal agency lost billions of dollars and saw mail volume drop off the side of a cliff, and there remains a strong push to end Saturday mail delivery to help the USPS save money.
It’s comforting to know that during that time Bernstock was only concerned about making money for himself.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
If a clerk or carrier had conducted personal business using a USPS computer or while on-the-clock they would have been fired immediately. Since it’s an executive PMG gives the ok to do so? USPS management has been running the agency into the ground and it will be the front line workers who suffer for management’s failures.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
I’ve assembled a video history of Bernstock’s work.
http://www.youtube.com/user/dryMAILman#p/u/5/ckgBlzykxqY
July 1st, 2010 at 9:39 am
Management robbing us blind will be the downfall of the Postal Service. This behavior is so common. The USPS throws money down the drain and continues to employ dishonest managers while the craft employees pay the price of the cuts to save money. Save money so managers can steal it for themselves. At the same time the cuts hurt customer service and we all pay in the end. Five day delivery is a joke but management is right now as we speak forging ahead with a plan to make it happen. On our lightest volume day, mail is still left in the office sitting at the carriers cases to show that Tuesday is the day they are targeting for non delivery of the mail. Load up the carriers on Wednesday and Thursday. They are making the numbers by manipulation and are hell bent on 5 day delivery. They will do anything to make it happen. We need to clean house of all the bad supervisors and upper management to be successful and preserve the Postal Service.
July 6th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Nevermind fire anyone accused of wrong doing, the average postal non-manager would be prosecuted, even if illegal tactics had to be used to do so.
Why don’t they promote this fool into another facet of the industry? That’s what they normally do with management.
While the count of postal workers and work declines, management continues to increase. What’s wrong with this picture?
None of these Einsteins would survive in the private sector…only in the postal service………………