We thank The Press Herald for connecting the dots between expanding our Forever Stamps program and the need for the U.S. Postal Service to keep changing (“New stamps won’t make postal problems disappear,” Dec. 30).

We agree. Thanks to legislative reforms that give us some flexibility in the marketplace, we now can expand the popular Forever Stamp, an environmentally smart and convenient choice for time-squeezed customers.

That same flexibility means we can deliver the simple flat rate mailing container — minimizing the need to weigh and rate boxes by zone — to meet consumer demand.

Did it work? Priority mail flat rate boxes have generated more than one-half billion dollars in postal revenue from May 2009 to the beginning of this holiday mailing season.

We’ve shown we can be nimble inside the post office, too. As mail volume declined from 213 billion pieces in 2006 to 177 billion in 2009, we adapted through changes to staffing, means of mail processing and even in looking at our general infrastructure. We reduced costs by at least $1 billion annually for each of the past 10 years yet preserved top-notch service nationwide.

Clearly we will need some help from Congress as we look at unfunded mandates in prefunding health and retirement benefits for even the newest of postal employees.

And we continue to explore innovative ways to bring the right mix of postal products and services to our customers, in new and creative ways that match the changing needs of digital communications.

But our mission remains intact, as sure and steady as that new Forever Stamp in your wallet.

We applaud The Press Herald for engaging in the important national conversation in this new year.

My fellow postal employees across Maine and I look forward to delivering the best mail service possible in 2011 for you.