goldway, you're recognized. [inaudible] >> just push that button. >> thank you chairman ross and ranking member lynch and members of the subcommittee. thank you for inviting me to testify on the record of the paea and postal service finances. i look forward to your views and your leadership on postal issues. on the whole we can say that paea has been a positive force for change keeping posted rates low and service at acceptable levels. while providing stakeholders with information and the opportunity to participate in the process. the price cap serves as a powerful incentive for the postal service to add efficiency and reduce costs including $11 billion in the last three years. at the same time the requirement to measure service and report the results publicly insured the postal service improved service quality. seasonal pricing incentives for standard in first class mail, five expanded the product market tests and expanding use of nsa, 127 in 2010, and 56 to date in 2011, show the service is taking advantage of

herr, and maybe miss goldway, and mr. postmaster goldway, and mr. postmaster general, mr. donahoe, you as well. between 1990 and 2007, did overall volume for the postal service go up or down? >> it went up. >> at precisely the time the internet was coming into full play in the united states, is that correct? >> yes. >> the relationship between the internet and mail volume is not necessarily, always, inevitably a negative one. might one conclude that, given that statistic, miss goldway? >> my theory is that human beings have an insatiable appetite for communication, and everything will grow, but it grows in different stages. >> my time is limited but it went up? >> it went up. >> did it go up last year? did mail volume go or down last year? >> mail volume went down. >> it went down over the previous year? >> yes, slightly. >> slightly. i think you made reference to the impact of the internet on your business, but the internet can also generate business, can it not? if i order a book from amazon, not only is that business for the postal service, but it is actually lucrative