Each morning, our postal carrier picks up our letters and carefully places our mail in the box outside. I have enjoyed this service for more than four decades and am heartened to see how one of the most important public services continues to be here for the public. The Postal Service, established by the U.S. Constitution in 1788, has, for more than two centuries, been part of the glue that holds this country together, through good times and bad. All this for a service that requires no federal tax dollars.

Who would attack something that works so well? Folks can learn the intentions of the current administration from its 132-page June 2018 Office of Management and Budget report, which proposes “to restructure our Postal System … to move it from a government agency to a privately-held corporation.” A December 2018 Treasury Department report suggests ending “unprofitable” mail routes, reducing deliveries in the name of “efficiency” and praises the virtues of privatization.

So the first step is to make the Postal Service look like a failure. The second step is to give it away.

Who is behind that? It looks to me like some very greedy people are looking to make money at the cost of hurting community services.

I will never understand those who seem intent on destroying local communities by attacking public employees, postal workers, public officers, city clerks and all the other wonderful people who work so hard to connect and protect the public. We are so lucky to have them.

David Haines, Auburn

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