Letters: The U.S. Postal Service can still be first-class despite money problems

THE EDITORIAL about the Postal Service woes was an excellent article . . . as far as it went. If you do the math contained in the article, you will see that the $12 billion that the Postal Service lost between 2007 and 2009 was due totally to the $15.3 billion that the Postal Service paid for the pre-funding of future health benefits for people who will work for the Postal Service

who aren't even born yet

!

No other company in America is required to do this. If not for this prepayment mandate, the Postal Service would have made a profit during that time period, despite the "20 percent decline in mail" that is cited.

The article mentions that the "overpayment of $5 billion into one such account sparked its current problems." This is only partially true. The Postal Service and its employees, like myself, overpaid into our retirement account to the tune of $50 billion to $75 billion. Currently, there is a bill in the House of Representatives, HR 1351, which would allow the Postal Service to use this money to fulfill the prefunding requirement. This, in turn, would make the Postal Service solvent and let it continue to be the great institution that it has been since being founded by Benjamin Franklin. It also would not require a single taxpayer dollar.

There are currently more than 250 (more than half) bipartisan co-sponsors of this bill in the House of Representatives (how often do you see that?). However, the bill that was brought to a vote on the floor, HR 2309, had only two co-sponsors and it would destroy the Postal Service. This bill would result in what is stated in the article - privatization of the Postal Service, with these companies skimming the profitable portions and leaving the Postal Service with the rest.

One last point: Of course the labor costs are 80 percent of its operating budget. There are more than 200,000 letter carriers delivering the mail six days a week to every household in America (as it should be). How would there be savings there . . . deliver with robots?

Russell J. Olive Jr.

Delanco, N.J.

Vento-ing frustration

Meyer Krain's letter gave me my morning chuckle, as it appears this erudite writer has issues with people speaking languages other than English in specified settings.

He relishes the opportunity to eavesdrop on them, as they do us. Really? You, my friend, are a rare and special kind of stupid, to jump onto the Joey Vento bandwagon as you have and continue to beat that dead horse.

I spent 10 fantastic years teaching in a predominantly Spanish-speaking school, where I was blessed to learn another language (I'm a Jew from Philly who can't even speak his own Hebrew language) to the point where I am fairly fluent. Everyone around me spoke another language, so, instead of getting offended, I learned their language. That, in my opinion, makes a person much more versatile in many aspects of life.

Instead of sitting on your couch and bitching about not being able to understand someone different from you, perhaps you may want to rethink your options. I hear Rosetta Stone makes a great Christmas present - you may want to write Santa early this year.

Terry Saskin

Bensalem

Obama bombed

In recent days President Obama has asked the Arab world to accept and give gays and lesbians equal rights. He has followed that up by denying the use of the morning-after pill to teenagers who have no prescriptions.

Clearly, the first request will backfire, for it is contrary to the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. Denying the use of the morning-after pill is an attempt to curry favor with Catholic voters.

In some 80 years of viewing politics, I've never witnessed such cheap tactics.

Ephraim Levin

Philadelphia

Overstating matters

President Obama identifies with the lower and middle class? I don't know many in either "class" who have taken 69 days of vacation, played 88 rounds of golf and have jetted all over our 57 states.

This man is a hypocrite. Now he is going on a 17-day vacation. Let us hope that in November 2012 he goes on a very long vacation.

Pat Dougherty

Philadelphia

Jet-setting

Deep in December, it's nice to remember that September 2011 issue of GQ magazine.

Now, with the Eagles' season record at five wins and seven losses, while the Jets record is eight wins and five losses, my Eagles anticipation level escalates.

I'm amazed by the two feature articles on the NFL's most spectacular quarterbacks, who both exhibit the highest GQ (gentleman quality).

I really didn't need to read the magazine to know that both Michael Vick and Mark Sanchez lead their team rosters with individual styles of their very own.

Since September, I've been looking forward to the actual face-off between Vick and Sanchez.

Yes, even as a die-hard Eagles fan, I wept all season. But their dazzling abilities to soar both on and off the playing field is astounding.

We'll see.

Wayne E. Williams

Camden