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Sunday, February 10, 2013

What is killing the United States Postal Service?

It is probably not rural mail delivery pricing (that is just one of many many issues)...

The Problem:  It's Congress.

We have to decide what we want the USPS to do?  Maybe it makes sense to completely privatize it, or let it fall away, or close it.  The U.S. Constitution, Art. I, Section 8, clause 7, empowers Congress to operate a postal service and post roads.  Restricting service is a symptom of the underlying problems.  If the goal is to make it a self sufficient service, then Congress needs to let it actually do that.  It is an issue because unlike other government agencies that are equal (or greater) drains on the national budget, the USPS is supposed to be self supporting.

Alexis de Tocqueville commented on the postal service and post roads during his visit to America in the early 19th century.  It played a huge role in making the United States and tying the frontier with the rest of the country.  What is its roll now with private courier services, the internet, e-mail, television, radio, and cell phones?  

2 comments:

  1. Some time ago, the USGOV took over a whore house - The Mustang Ranch, near Reno, NV, due to asset forfeiture. They ran it at a loss and had to get the convicted felon back into management. ONLY the federal government can run a whorehouse at a loss.

    Is it any wonder that they rode the Postal Service into the ground?

    ReplyDelete

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