Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington
Post
January 24, 2000, Monday, Final Edition
SECTION: OP-ED; Pg. A20; LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
LENGTH: 220 words
HEADLINE: A
Message to the Postal Service
BODY:
Postal
Rate Commission member Ruth Goldway tries to convince us that privatizing the
U.S. Postal Service would be a boon to the country [op-ed, Jan. 19]. But why fix
what isn't broken? When considering the future of service, public officials need
to ask a crucial question: Would privatization lead to cheaper rates and quicker
delivery for consumers? The answer -- a quite obvious one, I think -- is no.
ROBERT RAIBLE
Silver Spring
Ruth Goldway's
proposal to privatize the U.S. Postal Service won't work. She argues that the
postal service could capitalize on its ownership of land and buildings in the
best parts of every city. How? By selling them?
The postal service, she
says, is set "to lose up to 30 percent of its mail revenues," but it will
generate $ 4 billion in federal and state tax revenues. Am I missing something?
And a private postal service will have to abide by local parking laws.
Ticket those mail trucks!
A universal mail service has
been a hallmark of American democracy for more than 200 years. Private carriers
do not deliver mail to everyone everywhere, and in some cases not at any price.
Ms. Goldway asks: "Why would a consumer advocate and liberal Democrat
push to privatize the postal service?" Good question.
DWIGHT RETTIE
Morehead City, N.C.
LOAD-DATE: January 24, 2000
