Don't Let Anti Government Clique Destroy Postal Service

As a 40 year logistics industry veteran, I know first hand how Fred Smith, founder of Fed Ex became a billionaire two times over. And it wasn't by providing excellent delivery service at Chevy prices; it was providing excellent service at Mercedes Benz prices. Scare the daylights out of people with million dollar ads touting the end of their job if they don't use Fed Ex and you can get individuals and companies to fork over exorbitant prices for what the United State Postal Service (USPS) does routinely for much less.

That is why folks like Fred and his counterparts at UPS are pouring millions into the coffers of the "destroy good government" crowd in Congress to take down their current bête noir, the United States Postal Service.  The 2006 legislation that requires the Postal Service to pre-fund retiree health benefits costs for the next 75 years within 10 years, is like shackling this wonderful provider of tens of thousands of good middle class jobs with a ten ton anchor, throwing it out to sea and chirping: "Swim for it". That is reprehensible and must be rescinded. A good starting point is to learn about and then support H.R. 630 / S. 316, a bill introduced by Rep. Pete De Fazio (Dem OR) which will do just that.

How? First and most importantly, H.R. 630, The Postal Service Protection Act, eliminates the USPS's unique and unprecedented burdensome pre-funding requirement. Second, it provides for the USPS to recover the estimated 75 billion in overpayments. Third, it provides for permanent establishment of six day a week mail delivery, whose elimination would disrupt timely and efficient service without any significant cost savings. Fourth, it would end the current prohibition on USPS from providing non-postal opportunities, including notary services, issuance of licenses, services to state and local agencies, and shipping of wine and beer. Other countries have had great success with these non-postal services; so should America from the USPS. Fifth, it would give the Postal Regulatory Commission binding authority to prevent post office closures that would adversely affect communities and employees. Sixth, by creating strict standards for delivering First Class Mail on time, it would make it more difficult to close area mail processing facilities, saving thousands of good middle class jobs in the process.

If I've learned two things in my 40 years in logistics, one is that Fred Smith doesn't need a third billion. The second is that Chevy may be the heartbeat of America, but the Postal Service is the heartbeat of great middle class jobs providing fine mail delivery at Chevy prices.