It's happening right here in Fort Collins:
The U.S. Postal Service is correct to consider the relocation of the Old Town post office in Fort Collins, a necessary step as the agency looks to close a $7 billion gap nationwide.
It's important that the Postal Service continue to have an Old Town station, but a space smaller than the current 26,252-square-foot facility would be adequate and save money. The Postal Service also could sell the adjacent parking lot.
"In view of our continuing struggling financial situation, we're looking to capture any types of efficiencies we can," USPS spokesman Al DeSarro said.
"Efficiencies." Can I read this as: "We're losing money, even though we're a taxpayer-subsidized quasi-monopoly, so we're going to have to reduce service?"
Hmmm... This probably wouldn't have any parallels in current policy debates, now does it?
The postal service, like all government monopolies, is an inefficient sinkhole. Private companies like UPS and Federal Express give much better service. Consumer Reports found that, again and again, the private deliverers get it there faster.
The private competitors also make a profit doing it, so they don’t ask for taxpayer handouts. They outperform the post office, even though the post office has huge advantages. It pays no federal tax, no state tax, and no parking tickets. Often they don't even pay rent. They don't pay to register their vehicles. Check out a license plate spot on a post office truck -- nothing there.
The postal service always promises future solvency, but keeps losing your money: $7 billion this year despite a 2-cent rate increase.
Is it a coincidence that the best post office in Fort Collins - by far - is the one that's run by employees of a private company?
