Why does the USPS need to be profitable?

[IAmNotSpartacus]

We can add the FCC to the list. They make a decent sized deposit to the Treasury each year. Though that mostly comes from the auction of wireless spectrum

[Hail_Ants]

@Gagundathar

Yes. I was unaware of the postal strike of 1970 and its effects.
This place rocks!

The 70s legislation also changed the name to the United States Postal Service (USPS). Before that in was the United States Post Office (USPO).

[Tim_T-Bonham.net]

@JohnT

The current issue is that Congress mandated that the USPS fully fund its pension plan (something that every company and entity should strive towards), but…

1. The USPS is getting hit by sharply declining usage from mainstays like print advertisers, people writing letters, and now, monthly bills and statements.

2. The USPS must petition Congress to raise rates, and as voter-friendly a measure making sure pensions are fully funded is, a measure raising postal rates is more unfriendly to those same voters. Therefore, the USPS spends months, years arguing it out with Congress, with the rates being approved to no ones satisfaction. And, with the time spent negotiating, by the time rates are raised market conditions have changed and the new rates are, again, out of phase with the market.

Also:
3. Anytime the Post Office proposes closing down a barely-used PO in some tiny village, they are hit with a barrage of complaints from the residents .. and their Congressperson, and Senator. Other businesses can open & close offices at will, based on demand. Not the USPO.

[Tom_Tildrum]

@Alley_Dweller

United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC)

Well, of course we’d expect them to be self-supporting.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

I think it was Dennis Miller who said, “I have no complaints about the Postal Service. Ever try walking up to someone in Times Square and saying, ‘I’ll give you 45 cents to take this envelope to San Francisco for me’?”

[Blakeyrat]

@Alley_Dweller

A small sampling of self-supporting federal agencies:

USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Office

If only the USPTO could strive to meet the speed and reliability of the USPS…