Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Saving the United States Postal Service
Key background: This is not the start of the USPS’ troubles. Although the Postal Service is allowed to act as a monopoly, it does not receive tax dollars and is self-funded through postage. It has substantial debt resulting from the requirement that it pre-fund retiree health benefits. Still, coronavirus is a fresh new challenge that could reduce delivery volume by 60%. 
Fearing that the Postal Service’s demise would make voting more difficult and destroy the livelihood of its workers, supporters of the agency got hashtags including #SaveTheUSPS and #BuyStamps were trending over the weekend.
I would certainly prefer to vote by mail, especially during this pandemic--which will still be dangerous for months to come.  I love writing letters to friends and family, but have been refraining for about 5 weeks now.  Although I already buy a lot of stamps, I find it difficult to resist the new ones and have pre-ordered two sets of stamps and one set that I can receive right away.

So...I'm am writing postcards and letters again.  I love getting real mail and am willing to apply some Lysol and keep mail in quarantine for a while.  As I continue to practice precautions, I appreciate the mail that does arrive.  #SaveTheUSPS

There are still groups requesting letters for seniors like From the Heart and nursing homes are also requesting letters.  My guess is that they give incoming mail a spray of Lysol and put mail in isolation for at least 3 days.  Some teachers are using letter writing to connect with students--I love this idea.  

I have received a few letters (the personal kind) lately and will be answering them after their quarantine in the garage ends.  A letter to my daughter went out yesterday and some postcards will join today's mail.



9 comments:

  1. One of my greatest memories from childhood days is, "going to get the mail." When we were out of school for summer vacation, two or three friends and I wrote back and forth. What fun! One of our favorite guys ever is our current mail carrier, who just happens to be one of my former students.

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    1. :) A former student, huh? It is always nice to know what our former students are doing. I came out of a store in another town several years ago and this good looking young State Police officer came up to me--another former student! It makes me smile to think about it. The ones I know about make me very proud.

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  2. You are so right-mail carriers are heroes.

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    1. I'm grateful for our mail carriers--and all of those who are doing their jobs in this crisis. :)

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  3. I am so mad I could scream about EVERYTHING going on in that white house. I am sending mail and buying stamps. I always vote by mail and have many years before we retired. I can't believe how quickly this guy has torn up our country I just can't put it into words.
    xx, Carol

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    1. Voting by mail is certainly good for most people. Avoiding illness from CV-19 or the flu would be good for everyone, but mail in ballots for people with disabilities or whose polling places are distant from their homes would also be beneficial.

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  4. Yes, definitely key workers!

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  5. All key workers deserve our appreciation. The things we took for granted such a short time ago...

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  6. Thank you so much for posting the links for the seniors! I have got to send some mail. I worked for a nursing home several years ago and I just know how much something as small as this can mean the world to them.
    And, yes, a big shout-out to the mail carriers!

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Good to hear from you!