Jeff Parr - Close to Home Press Democrat
Mar 19, 2025
The Postal Service is enshrined in the Constitution and is older than the nation. Don’t let this cherished institution be privatized by greedy individuals who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
On Feb. 20, the Washington Post reported that President Donald Trump was going to fire the postal board of governors and place the U.S. Postal Service under the Commerce Department. The White House denied the report, but the unelected head of DOGE, Elon Musk, has since said the Postal Service should be privatized. The administration seeks to monetize federal agencies. It does not value service.
The Postal Service is enshrined in the Constitution and is older than the nation. This July it celebrates its 250th anniversary and is consistently ranked by the public as one of the most popular federal agencies.
In 1970, Congress passed the Postal Reorganization Act, establishing the U.S. Postal Service as an independent agency with congressional oversight. The executive branch does not have the legal authority to privatize the Postal Service. It would require an act of Congress. It is not part of the federal budget and is self-funded by the sale of postage and services.
There are 73,000 veterans among the 640,000 employees who deliver 376 million pieces of mail to nearly 169 million delivery points six and sometimes seven days a week, maintaining its mandate for delivery and pricing. The Postal Service is the center of a $1.92 trillion mailing industry that employs 7.9 million people. The Postal Service delivers half the world’s mail and charges less than 26 out of 30 countries, including those that have privatized their postal services.
Privatizing the U.S. Postal Service would have dire consequences for the country — raising shipping costs and driving inflation higher for businesses and consumers. Private delivery companies would cherry pick the most profitable areas, leaving 51.1 million rural households and businesses with reduced and more expensive service.
Letter carriers are the eyes of the community and are often the first to report fires and crimes in a neighborhood. Every year there are reports of letter carriers saving lives on their routes. Letter carriers give back to their communities by sponsoring the Help Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, collecting food for local food banks and being the first corporate sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Don’t let this cherished institution be privatized by greedy individuals who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Sonoma County letter carriers are hosting a rally at 11 a.m. Sunday at Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa.
Jeff Parr is a letter carrier and chairman of the board of trustees of National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 183 and a delegate to the North Bay Labor Council. He lives in Santa Rosa.