Time for USPS privatization?
Matthew Yglesias (yes, Matthew Yglesias) argues that it’s time to privatize the post office:
The simplest idea would be to relax or end the universal service obligation, acknowledging the USPS’s permanently diminished revenue stream. In other words, let the Postal Service close down unprofitable post offices and charge hard-to-reach customers money for their mail delivery. The problem with that is politics. A very modest USPS move to shut down rural post offices led to massive congressional backlash earlier this year. And, indeed, since guaranteeing subsidized rural mail delivery is the whole point, it doesn’t make much sense to back away from the commitment. If we’re committed to universal service, then we need to get the Postal Service extra money. If we’re not committed to universal service, then we may as well just privatize the whole operation.
