By Dr. Ada Fisher

Now that he’s gone and done it, President Obama in equating health care reform to the postal service shows the fallacies of both.  If that is his model for health care, lord help us for the postal service faces constant demands for increase rates and is rationing its service to us in the face of competition.  The only way it seems that we can regain postal integrity is to put that agency back where constitutionally it belongs in the arms of the federal government.  
 
Why should we save the postal system? 
 
One reason to rescue the postal service is that it is still a good bargain for what is charged and is part and parcel of the government’s constitutional mandate to regulate commerce.  Businesses need to use the mail for not everyone has a computer and bills must be paid though fewer goods are being shipped this way.  
 
In Europe the cost of postage inflates beyond reason and there is often no telling when your letter will get there.  At one time and still for most mail sent first class, it will reach its destination within three days in this country.  Next day service requires an unreasonably high cost and some lame brain nut decided to let Federal Express and UPS have offices in some post offices where they are competing with them head to head at an often higher cost.  In the world of global competition the US Postal Service still rules in service even if not in customers.
 
The privatization of the postal service has not had the desired outsomes.  Unionization has had a somewhat negative effect though no politicians want to touch this.  Some are calling for outsourcing this service which would be a tragedy and might see a foreign entity underbid American companies for this privilege.     Federal Express and United Parcel Service are often more expensive than the post office for mailing.  Stopping the hemorrhaging from the mail service has seen often puzzling attempts in search of remedies:     

                                                                                                                                
     -Stopping weekend mail (Saturday) for businesses while continuing it for customers may have the effect of limiting commercial undertakings which create jobs for others.  Why not stop it for general customers on Saturdays and keep it on that day only for businesses?                 

                                                                                                   
     -The elimination of post offices is being undertaken.  I hope that every one of the 3,145 county seats in this nation will still be allowed to keep a post office available to them.  This will hopefully help maintain their viability as a center of commerce and county seat for small towns, villages and cities of under 50,000 people.        

                                      
     -Would there be more practicality in 24 hour postal centers in at least every county seat rather than the hodgepodge of offerings of stations which can be difficult to find in some localities?         

                                                                                                      
     -Would it be more efficient to stop house to house deliveries and go to block boxes which unfortunately would be a better target for criminals or have a central box repository like those offered by mail box companies?   Somehow this seems to defeat the spirit imbued in the postal service’s creation.
 
Keep your eye on the mail for it to could be gone too soon if we lose sight of what is in the best interest of our citizens and why a postal service was thought a necessary constitutional mandate by our founding fathers.
 
Dr. Ada M. Fisher is  A Physician, Licensed Secondary Educator for Mathematics and Science, Previous County School Board Member and the NC Republican National Committee woman.  Contact her at P. O. Box 777; Salisbury, NC 28145; telephone (704) 223-2321; DrFisher@DrAdaMFisher.org