The United States Postal Service (USPS) handles cards, letters, and packages sent from sea to shining sea. The USPS delivers more than 213 billion pieces of mail a year to some 146 million addresses in the US and its territories. The independent government agency relies on postage and fees to fund operations. Though it has a monopoly on delivering the mail, the USPS faces competition for services such as package delivery. The US president appoints nine of the 11 members of the board that oversee the USPS. The presidential appointees select the postmaster general, who, along with the deputy postmaster general, is a board member.

Criticism

Environmental

• Junk Mail: Unsolicited Advertising that Pollutes Our Planet and Invades Our Privacy: “The environmental impact of junk mail is substantial. In 1991, 62 million trees were cut for junk mail. Over 74,000 acres of trees were cut just for catalogs. In 1989, 63.7 billion pieces were sent, including 55 billion catalogs. This represents 7.4 billion pounds of junk mail. Pulp processing to produce paper for junk mail requires 25 billion gallons of water.(1) “

Political Influence

• Scandal: Postal Exec Caught Using USPS Budget to Unseat GOP Senator (Tim Hutchinson): “The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today reacted with outrage to reports that a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) executive has been forced to resign amidst allegations that she attempted to manipulate postal service resources to punish a candidate for the U.S. Senate who had been critical of the mismanaged government mail system. “

Business Ethics

• CFO in USPS Relocation Scandal Retiring: “A little over a week ago a storm erupted around Porras and John Ward, vice president, finance, when published reports revealed that the USPS last year spent nearly $250,000 last year to move the two men into new homes in order to cut their commuting time to work.”
• For Ex-Postal Service Official, Summer Scandal Heats Up: “All summer, federal-dom has been abuzz over a steamy U.S. Postal Service Inspector General’s report accusing the agency’s former public affairs chief of heavy drinking, expense account chicanery and sexual harassment. But who knew that the subject of the report, Azeezaly S. Jaffer, has spent the season on vacation, courtesy of the Postal Service?”
• USPS Retail Operations Grossly Mismanaged : “Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today publicized the results of an audit by the United States Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (IG) on operations at its approximately 1,400 postal retail operations. The report was obtained by CAGW despite being unavailable on the USPS’ IG website. . . “This report demonstrates that the USPS has no business being in any competitive businesses,” said CAGW Special Projects Director Leslie Paige. “If the postal service can’t even adhere to basic accounting standards or determine the financial viability of its retail stores, it should not be permitted to compete freely in the private sector in other commercial activities.””
• USPS Sells Out on Zip Code: “As entertaining and potentially beneficial as it may be to have a personalized zip code, this appears to be yet another ill-advised attempt by the Postal Service to masquerade as a corporate entity — wheeling and dealing in the private sector — when, in reality, it remains a government-owned operation. “

Consumers can reduce junk mail

• How To Reduce unwanted Postal Mail