The Bottom Line For The Post Office
To the Editor:
We have often heard that success in business is a strong recommendation for political office, even the office of the U.S. president. Run the government like a business and we will thrive as a nation is the thinking. While there are some managerial skills in common for private business and the government, there is a major difference in the purposes of private business and government, be it local, state, or federal. In the world of business the bottom line is profit, but for the government the bottom line is the common welfare and quality of life of its citizens. That is a significant difference. Business works for itself, but government works for us (or it is supposed to according to the Constitution).
A case in point is the U.S. Postal Service, established in Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution to be a not-for-profit, self-funded independent branch of the government. When the post office is criticized for losing money, the answer is not to downsize and limit its vital functions, but rather to find ways to increase its essential revenue, usually done by the sales of stamps and services. The founders never intended the post office to be a for-profit service, but rather a vital way of disseminating important information to the public, absolutely necessary for a healthily functioning democracy. A good example of the mistake of applying business principles to a government function is the foolish closing of the NSC Pandemic Unit in 2018, because since there was no pandemic that unit was viewed as losing money. Closing that office was based on a philosophy that government functions best when it is run like a business. But that action was like cancelling your car, or home, or health insurance until you need it, but then it’s too late. Would we be in a better place today with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic if the pandemic unit had been maintained and properly funded?
Neither the post office nor the government is a for-profit business. Our government has a social contract with its citizens as defined in the Constitution to provide for our defense, our common welfare, protect our freedoms, and to provide equal justice and opportunity. Certainly we want the post office to run efficiently, but it is important to remember that the U.S. Post Office is the life blood of this country. And now, with threats to limit mail-in voting in some states, along with undocumented claims of mail-in voting fraud, Americans may face an unfair choice on Nov. 3 of not voting, or voting in person and thus being exposed to a serious disease. We must have full mail-in voting and a fully functioning, robust, unimpeded post office. The recent reports of the reorganization and downsizing of the post office are very troubling in this political climate.
As Americans our right to easy access to voting is the most fundamental and essential pillar of our democratic republic.
Bill Balch
La Grange