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Health & Fitness

The US Postal Service: 'Safe, Reliable, Dependable . . . and Free'

There are some institutions in life that are worth fighting for.

A recent artice I read described the comparison of Eastman Kodak and the Postal Service. It basically said that Eastman Kodak had run its course because of new technology.

The author did not do his homework—Eastman Industries has "reinvented" itself as a Fortune 500 company and has diversified to include more things than cameras.

The same can be said for the future of the Postal Service.

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In Europe, it is still as strong as ever because they have the latitude to change with the times. The US Postal Service is attempting to "reinvent" itself, but is hamstrung by a Congressional mandate to fund health care costs up front of $8 million a year since 2006. No other company is required to do that.

Also, congressional restrictions require approval before the service can implement cost-saving strategies. They have made significant changes to their operation already to make themself more efficient. Another mandate requires them to break even, not be profitable. This can still happen, but they need more latitude to accomplish this.

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If they were listed as a Fortune 500 company, they would be number 42 on the list. Not too shabby for a company that everyone thinks is on the ropes. Just getting rid of that ridiculous mandate to provide UPFRONT health care costs would put them back in the black. They were doing quite well before that.

I guess that Congress thought, they are doing so well let's make them suffer a little and take some of that money—sound a little like stealing from the social security trust fund? They definitely need a little restructuring but as important as this Service is to many people, let's give them a chance to get things right. They have been doing it right for over 200 years.

As far as costs, how much do you think forwarding your mail, hold mail while on vacation, and all ancillary products would cost if Fedex or UPS were in charge? What does the Postal Service charge for these services --nothing !!!

The company can be and will be reinvented with a little help from all of us and the Congress. Stop the bashing and let's find a way like the Europeans have. By the way, for all of you that do on line bill-paying where you hear of your accounts being raided all the time—use the Postal service as I have for over 60 years—it is safe, reliable, dependable (despite what you hear), and free.

Like baseball, it is an institution that will last forever. 

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