75-01-B7
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Postal Service
TranscriptThe U.S. Postal Service is facing three unhappy choices, all of which will cost us more money. There's a fourth one worth considering. It might even mean cheaper postage stamps. I'll be right back. And now the post office is about to take another nick out of your pocketbook. Remember back to 1971 when the so-called independent postal service took over from the inefficient patronage-bound old postal department. It was launched with great fanfare. Service was going to be better, automated equipment would keep pace with increased volume and postal workers would be happier and more efficient. There was even some hope that in time the postal service would be self-sufficient and there'd be no more annual deficits funded by our tax dollars. Well, they did discover advertising, bright new posters on the walls of every post office urging patrons to collect stamps. Money orders were redesigned. Signs became bilingual. Someone designed a new logo and ads ran in cities all over America asking the citizens to please be patient about the slow deliveries and they did streamline things. Saturday deliveries were eliminated in residential areas. Weekday deliveries were cut back. Some services previously available in post offices six days a week were cut to five. The cost of a first class stamp went up, and up, and up. Up 67 percent just since the new postal service came into being. Something else went up too. In these four years the postal service's annual deficit rose from 175 million dollars to an expected 500 million this year. There are four ways they can deal with this problem. They can, of course, raise the price of stamps again, or they can cut services to the public again, or third Congress can reward the postal service with a fatter subsidy. Right now it's about one and a half billion dollars a year. some Congressmen would choose the subsidy, it's better than raising the price of stamps or cutting service because subsidies are less visible and so produce fewer howls from the people, but as I said there's a fourth choice. a recently issued study with the house of representatives on how the postal service affects small firms reports that private postal firms have shown quote "that they can provide postal services at less cost and more dependably than the present postal system." end quote. So far they've only been allowed to handle third class and packages, now some of these independent firms have asked for permission to deliver first-class mail. Why shouldn't we the people ask Congress to let them at least on a test basis? We could tie one little string to the deal. Last year when Congress approved a bill to help save the railroads in the northeast corridor it included a provision designed to encourage the railroads to seek new capital through employee stock ownership plans. The idea was to make the employees stockholders part owners of the railroads they worked for thus giving them a vital stake in the efficient operation of the railroads. We could do the same with independent postal companies. give a postal employee a good job in a private postal system plus a piece of the action, and who knows, we might just see the return of the three cent stamp one day, and that's a compromise on my part, because I remember when they were only two cents. What's your viewpoint? I'd like to hear from you just drop me a line, care of this station. This is Ronald Reagan. Thank you for listening. |
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