Reason The USPS Must Go!

If there is one reason, and there are actually hundreds, for the entire Congress, and President Obama, to be removed from office it is the continued existence of the USPS. There might have been a time in our history that made the Post Office a reasonable option for the delivery of First Class Mail, but that time has come and gone, and there is no reason for this semi independent  agency of government to continue to deliver mail while losing billions of dollars each year. In the year 2010, USPS lost 8.4 billion dollars, and this was 4.7 more than they lost in the previous year. The losses continue. When a private company fails to make a profit, it closes its door. It doesn't raise wages, hire more employees, and give more benefits and pensions. 


The USPS has over 600,000 employees, and surprise......218,000 vehicles (remember that a lot of the rural carriers own their own vehicles). USPS is the largest owner of vehicles in the world. "As of 2003, the Postal Service paid a 34.2% wage premium to its employees over comparable private sector labor, and wages at USPS have only risen since."  (Rep. Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, 2011). All this while, UPS and Fedex pay taxes, and make a profit. USPS should be shut down immediately, and all pensions should be payable from funds directly "marked" for pensions, and should there be not enough money available, then some revision in payments would be necessary. The government has "worked"  pensions on a Ponzi Scheme for too long. Workers in the private sector have to invest their money in whatever "market" they can find to provide for their retirement, and at retirement they are only able to use what money they have made over the years, or what money is left from their investments. There is no Ponzi Scheme available for them. Currently, the private sector retirement accounts are in the negative "direction" because of the bad economy created by Congress, and especially President Obama. Government pension plans are based on some type of "Disney World" formula that makes retirement payments not only funded by little or no actual contributions from the worker, but they are not dependant on the current market value of the retirement fund. This is where the Ponzi Scheme takes effect, and government workers are guaranteed a lifetime monthly check, sometimes with cost of living increases. The actions of government amount to "limited" socialism, with regard to pensions, and this unfair practice must be stopped, and eliminating the USPS is a good place to start. 


I am sure everyone has a tale of "fright" concerning something that has happened to them in a US post office, but here is my favorite, and believe me this is no exaggeration: I had purchased a second home in North Florida. It was to be a weekend house, but because of the cooler climate and the friendly people of the area, I found that I was spending more than 3 days a week at this house. Well, it got to the point where I decided that I would need a mail box, and not wanting to have mail delivered to a "house" box at the street, and have the mail set for 3 or 4 days while back in Sarasota, I opted to get a mail box at the local post office. 


Waiting in line, I was finally served by a postal worker named Fred. I told Fred that I want to purchase a PO Box. He asked me for my house address. I gave him the Sarasota address because I had no mail delivered to me in that north Florida town. This is when things got interesting. Fred then told me that I would have to take a postal form to Sarasota, and have it signed by the Postmaster at the post office that sent me my mail. I informed Fred that I wanted to receive mail at both addresses, and had no idea from which post office in Sarasota I received my mail. He then informed me that this would not be possible as I could only receive mail at one address. Now I was very confused............... I thought that Fred had misunderstood me. I only wanted to purchase a PO Box at his location, and I wanted it today, not after having a Postmaster, who, I did not know, give me permission. When I tried to make Fred understand that I was willing to pay for the overpriced PO Box he was offering, but I wanted it today, and had no intention of consulting a postmaster in Sarasota, he became extremely "huffy" and aggressive. He told me that  the reason for me having to get the signed permission from the Sarasota Postmaster was related to terrorism..... Some new law directed by Homeland Security. I then told Fred, that I was not a terrorist, but that he could check up on me if he so desired. And further, I told him that in the meantime, it would seem a better idea for him to sell me a PO Box, so that if it should turn out that I am a terrorist, all the FBI would have to do would be to "stake out" this PO Box, and "snap the cuffs on me" when I reached into the box to pick-up my mail. Well, this sent Fred into "orbit".  He told me that I needed to leave his post office immediately, or he would call the police, and have me arrested. Not wanting to find out all the postal laws I am sure I am ignorant of, I left the premises. Never to return.


A week or so later, while pruning some plants in the front yard of the north Florida house, the postal delivery woman came down the street. I stopped her and asked her about Fred, and if she had an idea how I could get a PO Box. She said that Fred was known to be very strict, and that he went by the book, even when he did not know what the book really said. She said that my best "bet" would be to put up a mail box on the street like everyone else in the neighborhood. She said that if I would purchase one at Home Depot or wherever, all I had to do was place it at the correct height, and she would deliver my mail. She also said that Fred had no oversight on mail delivery outside of the post office. Well, I purchased a mail box, placed it at the correct height, and within a few days, I began to receive "junk" mail. So much for protecting the world from terrorists. And I am so glad I now receive all that "junk" mail, I had been missing.
Lord Howard Hurts