Subscribe now

Let USPS make loans

Mike Rapp’s April 18 reminder of delayed service at mail-processing centers is a hint of things to come in the U.S. Postal Service, which has enjoyed widespread trust for its reliable service. The crux of this problem is the draconian Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, passed by Congress in 2006, that requires USPS to pay employee benefits for the next 75 years in 10 years, costing $5 billion a year in income.

To compensate for this loss, USPS proposes: closing one-half its mail processing centers, reducing office hours in one-half the post offices, ending Saturday delivery, contracting with Staples to maintain (profitable) mail kiosks, and placing 3,700 post offices (mostly in rural areas, where the post office is the center of the community) under review for closure. These measures would eliminate approximately one-third of postal jobs.

Congress could make up for the punishing burden placed on the USPS by facilitating what post offices in New Zealand, Brazil, India and China do, and the USPS inspector general estimates would generate $9 billion annually for USPS: making small, low-interest loans to local residents. This creative action can only occur if Congress has the backbone to stand up to the banking industry.

Buell Hollister

Spokane

Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

  • No more than 250 words
  • We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
  • We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
  • With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
  • The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form
Submit your letter here
Mail
Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Email
editor@spokesman.com
Fax
(509) 459-3815
Phone
(509) 459-5430

Read more about how we crafted our Letters to the Editor policy