1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. What type of deliveries will the Post Office still make on Saturdays?

3. a) How much money did the post office lose last year?
b) What factors have contributed to the post office's astronomical losses?

4. How much will ending Saturday delivery save the post office every year?

5. What percent of Americans think Saturday deliveries should end to save the post office money?

6. Ask a parent if he/she thinks your local post office is run efficiently, and to explain his/her answer.

7. Some of the benefits full-time postal employees receive, per http://postalmag.com/benefits.htm include:

DAYS OFF:
10 holidays per year
13 sick days per year

VACATION DAYS:
13 days (2 1/2 weeks) for working less than 3 years
20 days (4 weeks) for working 3-15 years
26 days for working 15 years or more

HEALTH INSURANCE:
The Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan (FEHBP), administered by the Office of Personnel Management, is among the most generous and popular of all postal benefit plans.

FOR RETIREES:
In addition, retirement benefits including generous pensions and health care are provided.

a) Ask a parent to compare his/her work benefits to some of the benefits full-time postal employees receive.

b) The Saturday delivery cuts will only save $2 billion of the $16 billion the post office lost last year. To eliminate their huge yearly losses, should the post office do any/all/none of the following:

• cut the salary, benefits or pensions offered to employees
• require employees to be more productive - meet higher productivity goals
• cut the number of employees working at each post office, and require more productivity from those who remain
• recognize that in this modern age, the post office has become obsolete/irrelevant and shut down
• further reduce their hours/delivery services
• ask the federal government to fund half/all of their annual budget
• hold fund raisers
• other

Explain your answer.