USPS is Just Fine, Thank You 

Editor:

Regarding your Jan. 14 editorial "Going Postal," I can understand people's confusion about ads for marijuana versus ads for marijuana-related goods and services. As a letter carrier and vice president of the local National Association of Letter Carriers branch, I'm glad our congressional representative has stepped in to help clear up the confusion — go, Jared!

However, in your rush to defend your own beleaguered industry's bottom line, you misrepresented some facts about the U.S. Postal Service.

In the first two months of fiscal 2016, the USPS reported a $772 million profit to the Postal Regulatory Commission, and a 14-percent increase in parcel deliveries over last year — which, by the way, had a $1.2 billion operating profit. That's right — billion. And that's all without taking a dime of taxpayer money or subsidies, as you claim in your piece.

If you hadn't noticed, USPS is hiring like mad in our area. Not only do we deliver mail and parcels to every home and business in America, six (and in some cases seven) days a week, we also deliver many FedEx and UPS parcels "the final mile," too. Instead of being killed by the Internet, as so many industries have, we are flourishing.

And about that "growing and unfunded retirement liability" you mentioned, are you sure you weren't thinking about our local government pension liabilities? Because Congress chose to saddle the USPS with a pension pre-funding mandate, where 75 years of pension responsibilities had to be funded in 10 years — and we're the only agency in this country burdened with this requirement — not only is my pension entirely funded, but if my grandson decides to become a letter carrier, his pension is completely funded, too!

I realize you don't have the resources nowadays you had even 10 years ago, but a quick phone call or Google search could have led to a more balanced, accurate, and thoughtful opinion column.

Suzanne "Bones" Stafford, Arcata