Rising government costs: a way of life?
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 | UncategorizedStamps are going up again. Postage managed to stay the same cost (3 cents or less) for almost 100 years. That tripled between the 1950s and 1970s, and tripled again by 1991. 2009 sets a record, though, as we now have had 4 consecutive years of postage increases for the first time in American history.
Still not helping, though, since the Post Office lost 28 Billion Dollars last year, and is poised to lose even more next year (source AP).
Which brings us to a few questions. Why can’t the post office balance its own budget? Is 44 cents below market pricing, and should it be increased to the real cost of delivering the service?
Or is it efficiency problems that are blocked by a postal union that opposes any move to cut costs?
It strikes me as odd that in an age where more and more correspondence is electronic that the mail can’t be more efficient. You’d think the volume of mail would become more manageable, not less.
Budget shortfalls like the ones every government is facing prompt big questions that need to be asked. Look at libraries. Years ago, libraries had probably the largest collections of books one could hope to find.
Today, a decent Barnes & Noble makes most libraries look small, and the internet makes every book a click and a credit card away. Libraries are less a center for books and more a place people can get on the internet.
In fact, nowadays you can go to the library, and when they don’t have the book you want, go online on their computer and order it from Barnes & Noble.
Retailers are changing, too. Shopping seasons are slowly changing from “long lines to find out the store doesn’t have what you’re looking for” to “point-click-UPS.”
And if I want to write my mom a letter, it’s an email away.
Home phones are phasing out since everyone has a phone in their pocket. Remember when home answering machines were a must-have? Now, days can pass before I even bother to look for messages on them.
Perhaps the conversations should begin about what government services that can’t begin to balance the budget are government services that should even be provided anymore.
Peter Drucker (one of my personal gods, by the way) used to give this test to businesses and governments – “If we weren’t doing this already, would we start now?”
In the age of email, would we start a post office, and what would it do, and what would it cost?
If there was no such thing as a library, and we were starting the very first one, would we, and what would its purpose be?
There’s been a lot of talk about rethinking government. Maybe now is about time we start doing it.
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
Comments
8 Responses to "Rising government costs: a way of life?"
Now Now Brian we are not supposed to be smart enough as the serfs in the new kingdom to assert such analysis. This is the example that the GOP should throw up every time the Dems talk about Universal Healthcare. Do you really want to trust the government to run anything thats not defense oriented? I fail to see the example that they can point to and hold up as the promise of competence; oh yeah Fannie and Freddie what was I thinking.
There’d be no love lost for me if the USPS went out of business altogether.
Whatever the case may be, the USPS is not downsizing to match the reduction of mail it’s carrying. <a href=”http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090209/APC0602/902090419″9 billion fewer pieces of mail went through the service last year than the year previous. This equates to a $2.3 billion loss.
I think it’s time to plan to cut federal ties with the USPS. Just like analog television, their days should be numbered. They need to be allowed to compete and fail.
you still use stamps? A little snark but seriously I might use maybe 5 a year. Get some of those forever stamps and problem solved
Dont mess with my libraries. I think it would be fair to start charing a fee for usage. Say I dunno 30 bucks a year for starters.
Still all of this is a drop in the bucket
Locally its education
Statewide I don’t really know what the biggest area of spending is
Nationally its defense and intel
Enough drops can drown you.
Joel, I’m always pleasantly amazed with you. Party-line Democrat you are not.
We still in a USPS as we still send letters – but, the question is what form it should take b/c we obviously use it less. I like the idea of dropping Tuesday and Thursday service/ no mail delivery on those days. We could employ fewer delivery people – and by closing the counters two days a week, we could also employ fewer counter/ sorting folk.
People would gripe for a while, but eventually they would settle into the new system.
Mark, I wouldn’t oppose that proposal at all. Let’s get Obama on it!
Change!
See, change can be good!
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