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Ben Briscoe's 2 Cents: USPS needs some love

A problem with a package highlights why we need to rethink the postal service.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The following is an opinion from WFMY News 2's Ben Briscoe:

I know something like this has probably happened to you, because everyone I've talked with a similar story. The other day I ordered a few gifts online, and I got excited for the delivery notification.

But then I looked at the zipcode. They went to 27455. I live in 27408. The package was missing.

I tried calling the help line only to spend 30 minutes pressing numbers and saying, "agent, speak with agent, real person please." Listen if I had hair left, I would have pulled it out!

Finally, I got to a place to have someone call you back. Three days went by with no call back.

So this morning I went to one post office, which referred me to another post office across town who finally said: someone pressed the wrong button on the scanner. The package wasn't delivered, and it might show up today or tomorrow.

Before I go any further, I want to stress how much I love our postal workers. They are heroes here for us in the rain, sleet and snow. But this story could be a sign of bigger issues. And that worries me because in the next couple of weeks, the shipment of the decade is about to go out. The coronavirus vaccine has to be delivered across the nation, so we can start to get our lives back to normal.

In a country like the United States, you would think our Postal Service would be able to step up and handle that with flying colors. In reality, the plan is to rely heavily on private companies like FedEx to help get the shots out to you.

As much as I appreciate our postal service, it's not what it used to be. And that's Congress's fault. In 1970, lawmakers decided the USPS should be a self-sustaining, business-like agency. It would run off profits it makes. But Pew Research found the Postal Service hasn't turned a profit since 2006. And the Government Accountability Office labels the postal service as High Risk. Our mail system is struggling.

We don't ask the Department of Defense or Education to turn a profit. Maybe lawmakers should rethink the way the Postal Service is funded.

I get that's a tall task for DC these days. So for the time being, it's up to us to help out. Buy some stamps. I got my Christmas themed ones today. And if you have the choice of mailing something with a private company or the Postal Service, chose the one that we really need to be there in a pinch. That's my 2 cents.

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