Letter: Legislation works against USPS

Returning from a two-month tour of France, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Switzerland, I was reminded of the U.S. race to Third World status.

In every village, hamlet and town, no matter how remote, Europeans had the postal service. Delivery was in every neighborhood of Paris, Hamburg, Kiel and all the other major cities.

Here in this country, the United States Postal Service, the only institution whose services, besides the military and branches of government, are authorized by the Constitution, is in serious trouble.

Why you may ask? Because Republicans passed an 11th-hour bill as President George W. Bush left town requiring the postal service to fully fund all employee retirement for the next 75 years, and to start doing it now.

I believe this was clearly designed to break the postal union, and privatize this constitutionally created institution.

Ah, yes, your Congress … working for the people. This is a disgrace, and it is furthermore a disgrace that people don’t rise up and say enough is enough.

Ask your senator and representative what they are going to do about this.

Chris Thompson

Vancouver