I suspect you live in a different century USPS has a government mandated monopoly on mail delivery and a governance model that allows them to raise rates whenever they deem it necessary.
Seems to me that a self-supporting government agency shouldn't need to have a bill passed (HR 2918) that allows it to postpone required payments into their pension plan ($4 billion worth) just so they can keep their head above water.
They also went fro $0 debt in 2005 to $10.2 billion on 2009 (out of a statutory limit of $15 billion) and racked up another 3.5 billion in losses in the last quarter alone.
Self supporting indeed.
Your profile informs me:
After 38 years with USPS I retired just over 6 years ago
Tells me all I need to know.
time to take your shots old-timer
Don't mind if I do ..
The complaint is the $5 billion is being paid to an entity (united states government) that's already collected $75 billion too much.
Sounds like a working argument to me ~ and so typical of the government.
BTW, USPS doesn't have a government mandated monopoly on mail delivery ~ rather, the Congress once passed a law establishing a "letter mail monopoly". That's why others, e.g. UPS, FedEx, Sears and Roebuck, Home Depot, and so on can and do delivery stuff including manifests (but not bills).
The letter mail monopoly covers letters as the general public imagines them, AND checks. It does not include non-communicative correspondence ~ handbills, broadsides, newspapers, magazines, and so on.
The Postmaster General is authorized to grant exceptions ~ which is why you have express letters handled by FedEx and UPS (and others).
At the same time for purposes of security the law allows the Postmaster General to require that intended recipients of mail maintain a receptacle not available to others. Technically speaking, you are the guy who keeps private delivery services out of your mailbox, not the post office.