Editor, Gazette-Journal:

"The Postal Service is facing dire economic challenges that threaten its very existence …"

The United States Postal Service is a self-supporting establishment of the U.S. government, the one government agency that touches every American on a daily basis. Over 574,000 Postal Service employees assure delivery of more mail every day than most countries deliver in a month.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Because of Congressional mandates, the USPS cannot operate the same way as a private business. It cannot react to current economic challenges since Congress has tied its hands in such a way that if a private business had to operate in the same manner, it would be bankrupt in a short time.

Yet, Congress has done nothing to avert the Postal Service crisis.

As a proud retired postal employee, I find this unconscionable.

We...