Angelika After members of Congress just managed to save the USA from bankruptcy and raised the debt ceiling following an embarrassing mudslinging battle, the next piece of bad news came from the American Postal Service: If Congress won't intervene, the Postal Service faces insolvency in a few months.
The structural problems in the United States Postal Service have been known for a long time. Above all, the internet is causing significant challenges, as people send emails instead of letters and pay their bills online. In a very interesting article on the impending bankruptcy of the American postal service in the New York Times, it is reported that the postal service delivers 22% fewer items than it did five years ago. However, it still managed 167 billion deliveries in this fiscal year. The stagnant economy is also not helping the postal service reduce its mountain of debt. As my favorite postal worker at the post office in Noe Valley confirmed, small and medium-sized businesses are sending far fewer items due to the poor economic situation.
The American postal service is an independent yet still government owned institution. By law, it is required to deliver mail comprehensively, meaning it must transport mail even to the most remote corners of the USA. A standard letter costs 44 cents, regardless of whether I send it just around the corner or to an address in Hawaii.
Furthermore, the USPS (United States Postal Services) is generally only allowed to adjust the postage rates in line with the inflation rate. Postal employees have a status almost similar to that of civil servants, and many cannot be dismissed. To implement fundamental changes, the Postmaster General must seek permission from Congress. For example, only Congress could lift the postal workers' job protection and allow for dismissals, or decide that mail is no longer delivered on Saturdays. By the way, this would be a severe blow for Michael, as he can hardly wait to run to the mailbox to retrieve incoming mail, and already experiences withdrawal symptoms on Sundays or public holidays.
By the way, it's not my fault that the postal service is struggling. I'm sending so many packages and letters, mostly to Germany, that I'm known at our post office like a colored dog and often receive sympathetic looks around Christmas time. I'm also the sentimental type of person who prefers a handwritten birthday card over a birthday email.
Greetings from the financially stricken country:
Angelika & Michael