Nobody’s Perfect
Predictably, the U.S. Postal Service said it wants to stay in business and keep providing the universal affordable service it always has.
Indeed, the postal service DOES deliver everywhere whether or not doing so is profitable. Maybe profit isn’t always important as providing a needed public service.
In its 86-page report to the Postal Regulatory Commission on Oct.15, the USPS did concede it wants to limit the universal service obligation to market dominant products like first-class mail, standard mail, and periodicals while others like parcel delivery are subject to market forces.
In fact, the postal service asserted that it needs flexibility to adapt to charges in the market as times goes on.
But the USPS argued forcefully for keeping its monopoly on mail delivery and access to mail boxes, pointing out that both the mailing industry and public want to keep the postal service as is and that some foreign postal services that have been “liberalized” over the past few years have benefited larger corporations much more than individuals and small businesses.
With all the mess going on as a result of financial deregulation, isn’t it worth thinking about keeping something that works around, even if it’s far from perfect?
Related Topics: Postal Dispatch
