The recent postal reform legislation passed at the 11th hour by Congress is not nirvana. It may not even work to lessen the size of future rate increases or stem the U.S. Postal Service's downward spiral of First Class mail. But let's get to the legislation and see what's inside it. The law seemed to resolve in the postal service's favor two important financial obligations: the military pension issue and the escrow account status. As you recall, Congress in prior legislation had required the USPS to pay military pension obligations for postal employees accrued when they served in the military. Congress also had required the USPS to put funds into escrow to pay for future pension and retiree health benefits until an accounting would determine exactly how much was required. In 2006 the sum of these two payments was about $6 billion. The reform legislation eliminates the military pension obligation and the escrow payments. In its place, the law establishes a new retiree health b