USPS

While doing some research for this rant, I ran across this gem:

Q: Why do we need a Postal Service if it is only going to be delivering junk mail?

That is the question.

A: It’s only junk if it ends up in a landfill. We prefer the term advertising mail. Americans and American businesses rely on the mail and will continue to do so in the future given that it is measureable and that it works. There is value in mail. Trillions of dollars in transactions are completed through the mail. The Postal Service is the most affordable gateway to international markets for many small businesses. As we continue to build on a strong foundation of technological innovation, we’ll become more accessible to more Americans, making it even easier to do business with us. We will remain a vital, vibrant part of the American fabric.

Deëmphasis mine.

Wrong! It is also junk if it is wasting our time. It is also junk if it drowns out the actual important mail.

I like snail mail†, and there are things I would still prefer to get that way. But it is broken. It is broken because the USPS sees junk mail as revenue instead of junk. I’ve jumped through the hoops to eliminate as much junk as I can, but you can’t eliminate it all. So, I’m shifting as much as possible away from it, which simply exacerbates their problem. But it’s the only choice they give me. As much as I’d like to see it survive, if they can’t fix it, I’d rather they shut it down.

†I could write another rant on “snail mail” not being automatically derogatory.