Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Privatizing the Post Office

I have blogged about this topic before (in passing) and I think it deserves another look. That is, of course, privatizing or, (better yet) getting rid of it all together. There is one small problem, however. It is against the law for a company to deliver a 1st class piece of mail. That's right, not legal.

This post comes on the heels of the post office's trial balloon about suspending Saturday delivery. I am sure there will be no corresponding decrease in price as there is set to be an $8 billion (yes, folks with a 'b') budget short fall this year. The post office is semi-private and is not funded by the government. But, it is the second largest employer (behind Wal-Mart and not including the federal govt as a whole). According to the AP, the payroll every two weeks is $2.1 billion (again, with a 'b').

So what about the 600,000 people that would lose their jobs if the post office went away? The fact is that mail still has to be delivered. Many of those people would just start wearing a different uniform (probably brown). Those folks would bring you your mail more efficiently that it is being done now. (Raise your hand if you like going to the Post Office)

Unfortunately, this is one issue politicians will never touch. There is no upside for them and tremendous downside.

One can dream, anyway. And on Saturdays I can dream a little longer since I won't be going to the mailbox.

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