I was just a child in 1970, but I remember over the decades how Republicans have argued that running the postal service like a business is the answer to inefficiencies. Making the postal service self-sufficient was supposed to make it better. That was the whole point of the act. I’ve seen people take it as a matter of faith that market forces are the answer to just about any problem.

I think it’s plain now, however, that treating the postal service like a for-profit business has hurt it not helped it.

We’ve asked a question. Can effectively turning the postal service over to the private sector make it operate efficiently and effectively at the same time? I think it’s pretty clear we have an answer. No.

We can’t provide fast, low-cost service to everyone and make a profit at the same time. So let’s get back to an ethos of an excellent mail service as a necessary government service.