By:  Fraser                                           S.R. No. 1108
         99S1650/1                           
                                  SENATE RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service holds a monopoly on
 1-2     first class mail and bulk mail services and routinely generates
 1-3     annual multi-million-dollar surpluses from these services; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service has in recent years
 1-5     expanded its activities beyond its core mission of universal mail
 1-6     service to include many non-postal-related business products and
 1-7     services, such as consumer goods, telephone calling cards and
 1-8     cellular towers, in indirect competition with Texas private sector
 1-9     enterprises; and
1-10           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service has used surplus
1-11     revenues from universal mail delivery (first class postage) to
1-12     expand into these non-postal-related businesses, which have
1-13     increased operating costs at the expense of improved services for
1-14     the delivery of regular mail to the citizens of Texas; and
1-15           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service, an agency of the
1-16     federal government, is not subject to antitrust laws and enjoys
1-17     monopoly advantages in the marketplace over private sector
1-18     enterprises due to its ability to maintain artificially low prices
1-19     for competitive products through subsidization with first class
1-20     postage surpluses and its ability to set the rates of private
1-21     sector competitors; and
1-22           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service, an agency of the
1-23     federal government, enjoys many marketplace advantages not
1-24     available to private sector enterprises, including exemption from
 2-1     state and local taxes, fees, and governmental regulations, which
 2-2     deprives Texas state and local governments of needed revenue and
 2-3     fees to offset the effect of the United States Postal Service
 2-4     operations on highways, law enforcement, and air quality; and
 2-5           WHEREAS, The United States Postal Service, although an agency
 2-6     of the federal government, is accountable to no agency or branch of
 2-7     the federal government except the Postal Rate Commission, which
 2-8     does not have binding authority over the actions or activities of
 2-9     the United States Postal Service related to setting postal rates,
2-10     entering new business sectors, or using surplus revenues from first
2-11     class mail to subsidize enterprises that compete with the private
2-12     sector; now, therefore, be it
2-13           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 76th
2-14     Legislature, hereby call on the United States Congress,
2-15     particularly the members of the Texas Congressional delegation, to
2-16     introduce and pass legislation in the 106th Congress to strengthen
2-17     the oversight power and the authority of the Postal Rate
2-18     Commission, to include subpoena power to enable the Postal Rate
2-19     Commission to examine all records and financial data prior to
2-20     consideration of any postal rate increase or pricing action which
2-21     could affect products also offered by private sector entities;
2-22     final approval authority on all postal rate adjustments including
2-23     international and parcel delivery rates; and authority over all
2-24     nonpostal business endeavors including all products and services
2-25     outside the scope of universal mail service; and, be it further
2-26           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the
 3-1     President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
 3-2     Representatives of the United States Congress and to all members of
 3-3     the Texas delegation to the Congress with the request that it be
 3-4     officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the
 3-5     Congress and other officials of the federal government.