<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">The idea that the post office should be a profit center for the U.S Government is one that arose in the 1980s along with deregulation of major industries in the US and UK. This has been a failed policy in many cases-privatization of the public schools comes to mind. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">The postal service is a SERVICE which all civilized countries (and most others) provide to their citizens in the interest of improved commerce and communication - like roads. Many of the financial woes can be laid at the feet of the users not paying rates closer to the cost of the service. (By the way this also true of the roads. Commercial, heavy or overweight loads cause damage and shortened life out of all proportion to the fees they pay. Let business pay for the public services they receive in proportion to their use) How about all items being charged first class rates? The postal employee does much the same work regardless of the postal class of the item.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Absorb the postal service back into the government proper. Look for efficiencies, yes, but it's not going to make a profit. The military is not expected to make a profit, the department of agriculture, etc.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; "><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; ">Bill Bonte</span></body></html>