GOOD QUESTION | Should the United States Postal Service be privatized? Why or why not?
Readers weigh in on whether the USPS should go private.
Yes. As mail volumes decline, the USPS is shifting its focus to parcels. To succeed, it needs to make changes to its business model. By privatizing, the USPS would be able to make changes without politics getting in the way.
Paul Steiner
Vice President of Strategic Analysis
Spend Management Experts
Yes. The USPS has more than $100 billion in unfunded liabilities, an aging infrastructure of post offices and sortation centers, and a backlog of capital investments and no agreed-upon strategy to achieve profitability. More than 70 percent of mail received is junk mail or ads. The government should contract Amazon to run the USPS for 10 years with an option for Amazon to acquire them at the end.
Steven Pandolfo
Director, Pricing and Procurement
Sunset Transportation
Yes. Last-mile delivery of packages—and not the delivery of letters—is growing in importance. The USPS should sell the naming rights to mailboxes to Amazon and also contract Amazon to manage day-to-day operations.
Brittain Ladd
Founder and CEO
Six-Page Consulting
No. The post office should remain a government agency but with programs for access to boxes by private companies. Reverse the corporate foundation model with the post office transacting with private firms desiring access to already established postal infrastructure and services to benefit their bottom line.
Lawrence Hotz
Marketing Director
WDSrx—Woodfield Distribution
No. Wholesale privatization would essentially make rural Americans second-class citizens. Let’s not forget that 44 million of 157 million USPS delivery addresses are located throughout sparsely settled rural America. No private sector shipper would be able to serve our entire country and earn a profit without massively raising rates.
Art Sackler
Manager
Coalition for a 21st Century
Postal Service
No. Privatization would lead to increased service costs. The post office should stay focused on what it was originally intended to do and not try to compete with private services.
Walter Koopalethes
Operations Manager
Thomas
No. Privacy concerns have not been addressed by big tech yet.
Gideon Victor
SQL Developer
XDimensional Technologies
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