EXCERPTS:
"The federal government's mail transport and delivery agency this week said it will roll out a line of apparel and accessories it plans to sell in department and specialty stores.
"The "Rain Heat & Snow" brand of clothing, named after the Postal Service's motto trumpeting its carriers' determination to overcome whatever Mother Nature can throw at them, would put USPS in the "cutting edge of functional fashion," it said.
"The idea is to blend in with the younger audiences as well as the more educated consumer," said Roy Betts, a spokesman for the Postal Service.
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"The mail carrier lost about $16 billion last year and expects to run out of money by October if legislation isn't passed soon.
"Because of its dire financial situation, Geddes said, lawmakers need to free the Postal Service to operate more like a commercial business, with the leeway to try out innovative new ways to create revenue and stay relevant.
QUESTIONS:
- I think it would be a good idea to have the Postal Service operate like a commercial business.What does a commercial business do when it loses money year after year with no end in sight?
- When a private business decides to provide a new product it is because its owners believe this will be profitable. They willingly risk their own money, knowing that if they are wrong the company will lose money and their own wealth will suffer. When the Postal Service, whose area of expertise is in delivering mail, decides to add a new product line (apparel and accessories), whose money are they risking? Who will bear the cost if it turns out that the people who deliver mail don't have any special expertise in designing clothing?
