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.