Wednesday, January 9, 2008

POLITICS- Post Office Obsolesence

Several states have adopted a NO JUNK MAIL list similar to the no-call lists for telemarketers. It’s hard to imagine why this wouldn’t be a good idea. First class postage increases almost every year now and the only thing I get in my mail box are bills, advertisements, Christmas cards, and Netflix. (About once a week one bank actually sends me the same credit card offer twice on the same day!) And only one of these is paying the going rate at the post office. Producing transporting and disposing of all this crap is a huge waste of time and money. Why not do away with junk mail?

Because the post office is against it.

Postal Service spokesman Al DeSarro said half of the mail his agency handles is direct marketing mail, and reducing its volume could cost thousands of Postal Service jobs.
"This is an infringement on commerce and an infringement on free speech," DeSarro said.

So now the purpose of delivering the mail is to employ postal workers, not the other way around. Good to know that. And free speech?! Suddenly stuffing my mailbox with credit card offers and news of car dealer overstock that I don’t want and using my tax money to do it is guaranteed in the constitution. (BTW, the ban expressly exempts political mailings.) I wonder how long we’re going to keep the post office running? Email is cheaper, easier on the environment, quicker, and almost ubiquitous.

I guess until the last postal worker retires or dies.

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