It just feels like UPS and FedEx are based in the real world and have to act like a normal company, concerned with costs and regulations, whereas USPS is based on an idea we want to be true and it does whatever it needs to in order to keep that nostalgic dream alive. How is this old-fashioned postal service viable in the digital age? Who cares, let's keep it around anyways.
Fun fact(s). Since 1971 USPS has been an independent agency of the US Government and hadn't, until very recently required any major taxpayer funding. In the last 5 or so years a combination of a bad economy, changing culture (internet) and a new requirement to pre-fund 75 years of healthcare for retirees..
Interesting. It appears that it was a GOP house at the time tooUSPS will default at midnight because it cannot pay $5.5 billion to retiree health benefits. Back in 2006, the Republican-dominated Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which mandated the USPS to “prefund all of its retirees’ health benefits” for the next 75 years. Naturally, they couldn’t afford to meet the requirement, and now find themselves in default six years later.