The idea that a private company would both deliver mail to every office and home six days a week, and collect it from the same plus thousands of drop boxes scattered across the nation-- all the while maintaining walk-up offices in every town--and still be able to deliver a first-class envelope to any address for a mere 44 cents (an amount that hasn't changed in real terms after 30 years) is simply an absurd expectation.
I've always said the Post Office is a classic government role. Nobody wants to pay the freight to do door-to-door service to every address in America, or they'd be doing it. FexEx and UPS cherry pick the stuff they can make money on - and leave the rest to Uncle Sam.
Don't miss the comment from the Oklahoma postal worker in Tom's post - it's priceless.
So, next time you hear somebody say they don't want their health care run like the Post Office, you can ask them "You mean, you don't want it to be universally accessible and cheap?"
(and only because I cannot resist repeating this - you could also ask them if they would prefer to have a post office run like the insurance companies "We've decided not to mail your letter...because it's just too far).
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