Letter to the Editor: Save Our Post Office

Posted

The U.S. Postal Service is in trouble during the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial bill that passed congress gave big business $500 million but none was given to the post office. This is the third slush fund big business has received. The first was the economic crash in 2008. These businesses caused ordinary citizens to lose their homes, their jobs, their pensions and health insurance. These same businesses got a big tax break in 2017.

Ninety percent of the companies kept the extra money and did not give any raises to their employees and kept wages low. For example, Walmart. The same businesses, that in the recent bill, took millions of dollars, designed for small businesses.

Republicans have been attempting to privatize the Postal Service for years. A 2006 bill required USPS to put aside monies for retirement and health insurance for 75 years.                        No other governmental agency or private business had this requirement. The Post Office was saddled with overwhelming financial obligations. The bill forbids the rates to increase to compensate for this horribly unfair bill. It didn’t work. We kept our post office. Republicans again want to privatize the post office. Mitch McConnell will not even consider giving money to the Post Office.  The house bill includes money for the post office.  If the post office was a big business they would get all the money they ask for.

We need our post office. It is important. It is local. They deliver mail to every home 6 days a week. If there is a problem you can talk to your local mailman or go to the post office. Have you ever tried to complain to a big business that is not local, but far away. It can be exasperating and time consuming, often not getting anything resolved. For example phone and cable companies. They have big call centers, often out of the country, and the people  have no authority to do anything. 

If you have a question on mailing there is a person to ask. If you are on vacation, you tell your local mailman and he will give you a card to fill out. Your mail resumes when you return. 

Several years ago I was required to send some important papers via Fed Ex.  It cost $13. First I went to the local post office. The cost was $4. I was shocked and I value my Post Office.

If private business is in charge, they have no obligation to the people. They can change anytime or stop giving certain types of service, if it is not profitable enough and our voice doesn’t count.



This should not be a Republican or Democratic issue. If big business can get a big handout and steal the small business monies, then the post office should also get funding. 

Write Mitch McConnell and force him to support the post office.

 

Judy Bell

Centralia