The words “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” – although by no means an official creed or motto of the United States Postal Service – the phrase has long been associated with the American postman. The motto, even though it’s not official, is inscribed on New York’s James Farley Post Office in New York City, facing Penn Station. But it has no official status, mind you.

Well, thank God it’s not official because the mail carriers that serve the House of News media mogul headquarters on St. John couldn’t find their backside on a clear day with no wind, a GPS and a diving rod. Note to potential small businesses, if you’re thinking of opening anywhere that’s served out of the James Crews station, think again. The last time our office received mail was December 24, 2018, over two weeks ago.

Scary huh!?

Here’s a little heads up to the head honchos down at the James Crews Post Office, where the mail carriers headquarter. Businesses not only depend on the mail service to deliver invoices and collateral material to their customers, they also depend on the mail service to deliver product as well as receivables. Receivables, that’s called money in business parlance. When the mailman doesn’t show up or won’t deliver, that means cash flow is interrupted. When cash flow is interrupted, business people like the News-Dog get a little cranky because that negatively impacts our ability to pay bills, do business and, gasp, pay our employees, emphasis on the latter.

Time was in the USPS, businesses got their mail prior to residences for the above noted cash flow reasons. That practice apparently has gone out the window given the last time we had mail delivered to the office was prior to the Christmas holiday. The response from USPS is that we should get a PO Box. Really! That essentially means we reward the Postal Service even more for their negative behavior, paying them extra, upwards of $100 per year just because a mail carrier can’t, or won’t do their job. On top of that, extra time must be budgeted on our side to travel daily to the PO box, to not only get the mail but also to send outgoing mail. More time, money and energy spent because the Post Office can’t do their job, deliver mail to business patrons during business hours.

The Dog is certain there are competent people working for the Post Office. We spoke with two of them and both were sympathetic to our situation and helped us get a few pieces of our long lost mail. We appreciate those efforts greatly. This News-Dog now understands the plight of a retired mail carrier who used to live right up the street who couldn’t even get his mail delivered or picked up and received the same “attention to detail” from Postal Service management. Think about that for a minute. Even the mailman couldn’t get the post office to deliver his mail much less an explanation as to why.

The last time we wrote a piece critical of the USPS and their ineptitude, our receivables dropped to zero for roughly three weeks and all we got was junk mail and bills. Coincidence? The Dog thinks not. As long as the powers that be at the Post Office continue to accept sub-par behavior as normal, this News-Dog thinks nothing will change and the crème of mediocrity and sloth will continue to rise to the top.