Do we still need the US Mail Service? Yes!

Earlier this week, Blue Oregon posted the question, “Would you let your pizza guy deliver your paycheck, or your ballot?”. It references a guest column in the Beaverton Valley Times, by US Mail carrier Peter Shapiro, outlining why contracting out postal delivery services is not in the public interest. Many interesting comments on the Valley Times site and on Blue Oregon. Amid the curve in the comments to health care services on Blue Oregon, “Oregonian37” posts this:

“The fact that the United States Post Office is one of the very few, if not only bureaucratic entity mentioned and called for in the Constitution tells me how important the framers thought that government oversight and coordination is to such an irreplaceable institution.”

It’s Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, “To establish post offices and post roads”, listed above declaring war and maintaining a navy on the list of powers of the Congress.

I urge you to read the entire comment thread on Blue Oregon, still active yesterday. It’s one of the most informing, diverse set of responses I’ve read.

This controversy is being replicated all over the US. I believe the hidden, core question should be addressed directly: Do we want the US Mail Serice privatized, or do we want to keep the public system and private delivery companies like UPS and FedEx in clean and clear competition? In other words, is a completely public system no longer needed? Except for the prior limited exception for rural routes, pre-2003 rules change, I believe keeping a completely public system as one option for consumers is in the best interests of the citizens of the United States.

In Britain, the Royal Mail lost its monopoly in 2006, despite record profits in 2005 (interesting comments on that link, too). The Guardian newspaper reported at the end of last month that a Dutch company is ready to start door-to-door delivery – it’s still door to door there, with mail carriers walking or bicycling in almost all cities, and the delivery slot most often inserted into the front door, rather than a box outside. From the article:

“But Royal Mail is angry that it is being investigated when Britain has been at the forefront of mail liberalisation in Europe. It says private firms should not be able to cherry-pick the best customers and areas for delivery leaving Royal Mail under obligation to provide a universal service.”

Sounds familiar, huh? Reminder, from Jobs with Justice:
Informational Picket and Rally – Stop Contracting out of Mail Delivery!
Thursday, March 15, 4:30 – 6 pm

“Beaverton Post Office, across from Beaverton Town Center, on Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy/ Farmington Rd. at Lombard off 217, Take MAX to Beaverton Transit Center; shuttle available. US Postal Service management has notified the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 82 that mail delivery to hundreds of new homes in a Beaverton-Bethany area development called Arbor Parc will be outsourced to the lowest bidder on a private contract. This low-wage, no benefit, non-union work will endanger mail security and degrade mail service. As part of a new national USPS directive, all new developments (eg. the Pearl, South Waterfront, Happy Valley) face the same fate. Help save living wage, union jobs and quality mail service! For more info, call JwJ: 503-236-5573.”