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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner
From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Stamp-out the Post Office
Message-ID: <36200176@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Jan-85 09:59:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.36200176
Posted: Tue Jan 22 09:59:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Jan-85 06:44:44 EST
References: <3267@ucla-cs.UUCP>
Lines: 27
Nf-ID: #R:ucla-cs:-326700:uiucdcs:36200176:000:1354
Nf-From: uiucdcs!renner    Jan 22 08:59:00 1985

>  Yes, 22 cents is too much.  However, until you're willing to
>  deliver my mail anywhere in the US in 3 days for less, I think I'll
>  deal with the post office.  -- Chris (stassen@spp2)

You'll have to; no choice about it.  The Post Office has a state-enforced 
monopoly on first-class mail.  It is illegal to compete with them.

Without this law, there would be plenty of companies willing to provide
better service at a lower price.  Just look at package mail.  UPS is
faster and cheaper.  UPS acts like they *want* your business, not like
they're doing you a big favor by taking your package.

The usual argument against private mail is that people in rural areas
would pay more for service.  This doesn't bother me, because their mail
costs more to deliver.  But some folks think that they are entitled to
subsidized, equal mail rates.  There are two ways to do this in a free
market.  One is to do nothing.  The private mail carriers will "skim off"
the low-cost mail and leave the Post Office with the rest.  The amount of
money the Post Office loses would be the subsidy.  The other way is to give
the subsidy money to the private carriers, letting them compete for the
subsidized mail service to Podunk, Alabama or the South Bronx.

We don't need the Post Office.  But we're stuck with it for now.

Scott Renner
{pur-ee,ihnp4}!uiucdcs!renner