[Alberta's Child]

Very interesting post, and I'd have a hard time disagreeing with a lot of what you've said.

However, one thing I've pointed out for some time is that direct mail deliveries to homes and businesses may be a very unnecessary use of labor these days. Why not replace these home deliveries with expanded neighborhood post offices where individual customers can pick up their mail whenever it's convenient for them? The cost of a P.O. box may be much less than the cost of individual deliveries, when you break out the labor costs down to the individual customers.

Another alternative would be to have mail customers pay a premium for premium service -- like maybe a $500 annual fee for direct home or business deliveries.

[Big Giant Head]

Uh, do you understand what “rural” means? In my neck of the actual woods, these people may not get to town for days or in some cases weeks. Think medicine delivery here.

Many city addresses could be handled by having the customer simply pick up when it’s convenient, but how is it convenient to make a 40 or 50 mile round trip to town?

And why are we arguing the silly points and avoiding the white elephant? If we REALLY cut the post office loose from the government, they could show a profit. They are forbidden from being profitable. They are supposed to only break even, or lose.