© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Post Office Blues

Victori?, Flickr Creative Commons

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Chion/CMS%2010-05-11.mp3

The postal service has two levels of problems. The frist one is a short term problem that's probably solvable. They were placed, in 2006, behind an accounting 8-ball that required them to pre-fund their health care benefits in a manner not ordinarily contemplated in either the public or private sectors -- which by the way is another issue for the post service. It really is a strange creature, a government agency that, in some ways, isn't. Anyway, reasonable people can if they choose to make the postal service solvent.

But backed up behind that is a larger problem that has been referenced on the public policy show "Seinfeld" where the character Kramer visited a city post office and explained why mail was increasingly unnecessary. And yet, it's one of the few government functions specifically mentioned in the Constitution, and there does seem to be a bedrock level at which it needs to function. Can it be reimagined?

Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org Tweet us @wnprcolin.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.