What really ails Postal Service
By The Bakersfield Californian
Regarding the Feb. 8 editorial "We'll survive without mail on Saturdays": Unfortunately, it appears the majority of Americans aren't hearing the truth concerning the problems with the U.S. Postal Service.
I did my own research to discover the truth -- never easy, but not impossible. While there are problems, there exists one reason why the USPS is going bankrupt, and it isn't because it's inefficient, wasteful or taking money (i.e., taxes) from U.S. citizens. It is simply because of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which was passed by a lame-duck Congress in 2006, which mandates funding of health care and pension benefits for Postal Service retirees for 75 years. I know of no other government agency or private company that has ever been "forced" to do this.
There is no reason for this law. According to the USPS inspector general's study, the pension plan is overfunded and the reserves are far higher than most private companies and the federal government, including the military! This alone should make the public ear prick with the wrongness of it. If you believe that the Postal Service's closure will have no impact on you, then I suppose you just don't care about your many fellow citizens who rely on the mail.
I urge you all to do your own research and then write your representative and senators, asking them to end this needless attack on an institution that traces its roots back to 1775 and Ben Franklin.
Lynn Bailey
Bakersfield
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