Let me begin by saying that I am not a fan of a lot of the corporate "welfare" type programs. I understand establishing tax incentives to attract business. I also believe that these should not be permanent. I was not a big fan of the various Wall Street or auto manufacturers which received federal monies. I know a lot of liberals who frequently complain of how the Republican party gives tax breaks to the rich. It's an old and worn out lie. But of late I've heard a lot of the same liberals who complained about bailouts who want the US post office bailed out. This is coming because there is a new postmaster who is trying to cut costs and work within budgets. Last year the Post Office lost nine billion dollars. I am trying to figure out where that money came from, who is fitting the bill for this huge fiscal failure? Some time in the 70's, the Post Office was somewhat separated from the government and operates as a corporation. There are some specific restrictions and regulations, but there are other companies who operate under similar restrictions and regulations and do not have billion dollar deficits. The new postmaster general is looking at cutting overtime, a significant expense last year. This has a lot of people angry. I have seen some proposals to bring the PO back to a federal agency, to pay for it's operation with tax dollars. The cost, if divided among all of the current taxpayers, is about $50 per person each year. The argument is that the Post Office, and receiving mail is worth the cost. Perhaps, but there are so many programs that could be considered "worth" the cost. This is corporate welfare, actually I look at this as another step towards socialism, federalizing agencies under the pretense that it's for the public good. Bull! We should not bail out companies which fail. No matter what the company makes or provides. I am glad to have a leader who understands how to run business, to make profits and cut losses. Frankly, I think that one of the best ways to reduce cost is to limit residential mail to three days a week. If someone really needs a letter earlier, express service will cost more.
A better option would be to totally privatize the postal system. Allow competition, currently the only company that can deliver letter mail is the US Post office, packages can be delivered by a number of other companies.
