Berkeley Councilman: Tax E-mail! Tax Each Gigabyte! → US Postal Service needs to redefine its purpose

The post office was originally mandated because there was no other way to conduct business, and the US saw it as a necessity for the country to run. That is no longer the case, there are plenty of alternatives. Maybe the post office needs to redefine its role in the USA, or maybe it is a concept that has outlived its usefulness.

Or maybe the Post Office needs to up its rates to something more realistic, and be a self-sustaining organization. How else can you get an original piece of paper from the east coast to the west coast in a couple of days for less than the price of a cup of coffee?

I love the post office: they are cheap for the service they provide, but maybe it should no longer be a government subsided organization!

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...I love the post office: they are cheap for the service they provide, but maybe it should no longer be a government subsided organization!

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!. The government does NOT subsidize the USPS - all operating costs are covered by their own revenue

2. The postal service is mandated in the Constitution

You might want to re-think that position I think...

Well, the right to bear arms is mandated as part of the Constitution (technically its second amendment), but we certainly don't see the Senate or President respecting that lately.

And freedom of assembly is granted to us by the first amendment, but apparently you don't have such a freedom if the government thinks you might be eating in a restaurant associated with terrorists abroad. Then it's apparently acceptable to use deadly force against you... for your own protection, nonetheless. Were it not for Senator Paul, you might also be a recipient of this "protective action" while dining at your favorite pizza pub here at home. (It does make one wonder who the real terrorists are.)

Given the above, it would be no surprise to me if the current administration or Congress decided to ignore Constitutional provisions about the postal service.

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...Well, the right to bear arms is mandated as part of the Constitution (technically its second amendment), but we certainly don't see the Senate or President respecting that lately. ...

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Really? You may want to brush up on recent SCOTUS decisions and then think about that a bit more...

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...And freedom of assembly is granted to us by the first amendment, but apparently you don't have such a freedom if the government thinks you might be eating in a restaurant associated with terrorists abroad. ...

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Not that the abuse of the powers the Congress gave up to the Executive are not an issue that needs to be discussed and fixed ASAP; what does that have to do with the Post Office?

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...Were it not for Senator Paul, you might also be a recipient of this "protective action" while dining at your favorite pizza pub here at home. (It does make one wonder who the real terrorists are.)...

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Sen. Paul got kudos from both sides of the isle and for good reason and he deserves that praise. It still however has nothing to do with the Post Office...

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...Given the above, it would be no surprise to me if the current administration or Congress decided to ignore Constitutional provisions about the postal service.

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And give up the opportunity to pass "bipartisan" post office naming bills? You give Congress as a whole too much credit for intelligent thought...

JMHO