Dear Editor
The most egregious incident was in January. I had ordered prescription drugs which, according to United States Postal Service (USPS) tracking, was supposed to be delivered by January 9th. For several days, it then showed it sitting in St. louis on the 10th. It still does. Express Scripts notified me that the package was returned to them, in a damaged condition, which they, subsequently, destroyed. They sent me an early refill and, later, a replacement package (90 days) of the prescribed medicine).
I’m going to share with you my most recent email, from February 26th, sent to Debbie Colyott. She is the field representative/ constituent services specialist for U.S. Congressman Jason Smith. If you agree with me, I ask you to send here an email as well. I’ll give you the email address after what I’d like for you to read.
“On February 25th, I received my TV Guide with listings beginning on Monday, February 23rd. According to a call to TV Guide, on Monday, February 23rd, I should have received this issue on February 11th. They extended my subscription, as they always do, when my issue was missing or had not arrived on or before a date which would have given me access to all the listings on or before the date that they aired.
More on USPS
So, you see, this is not only a disservice to me, but also a liability to TV Guide. Here is what I would like to share with Congressman Smith:
The USPS is a self-supported agency. It takes a great deal of money to run this agency. They have the purchase or leasing of facilities as well as the utilities and upkeep of same. They must purchase vehicles, buy their fuel, and pay for their maintenance. They must pay their employees, ensure their healthcare and provide for their pensions. And they accomplish all this by selling stamps, service fees, and some packaging. This is a poor business model. You can’t do this without investors and subsidies. Our president had considered privatizing the USPS. You do that, and it becomes a for-profit entity. The customer loses their expected services because of the ebb and flow of income. Lately he has proposed making the USPS the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. I don’t like that because they come under the Executive Branch.
The USPS should be a Cabinet position. As such, it would come under the control Congress, who could oversee them and see to it that receive sufficient funding. The USPS would have hundreds of thousands of investors. They are called taxpayers. It may require a tax increase but aren’t most of us willing to pay more for a better productor pay for a new product because the one we were using was broken?
I ask the Congressman Smith to consider this and, if he agrees with this common-sense idea, that he propose it as a bill or, at least, a study.
End of email to Debbie Colyott
Readers, if you agree with me, please add your emails to mine, to convince the congressman that he should pursue this. Just write something like “I agree. The USPS should become a Cabinet position” (it was before the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970) or add your own thoughts and words to your email. Email to Debbie Colyot@mail.house. gov.
Troy J. Kiefer, Perryville
