Reflections from a Birmingham Post Office

I studied the processes of government for three years in Washington, but I never imagined that one of the most insightful examples of the current state of affairs could be uncovered at a post office here in Birmingham. All those who purchase stamps likely heard news of the new proposed increase to 46 cents in early July. I always knew that the Postal Service could provide insight into the way government does 'business,' but I was surprised to learn that it also showed something about resilience and change within the American body politic.

It was a sweltering summer afternoon, and I waited in line almost half an hour to mail a simple manila envelope to an address only several miles from where I lived. Over a dozen other people were waiting in line for a single attendant, and minds were clearly growing increasingly frazzled. Walk into any private business today--a UPS or FedEx store, a bank, or even a Wal-Mart--and these lines would be non-existent. I have shipped packages across the country from a private carrier far more quickly than simply mailing a large envelope across town at the Post Office.

Thus, from the Post Office, we learn about how the government does business. Although there is technical accountability in terms of law, there is no 'real' accountability. Government agencies do not have to play by real rules of supply and demand. Regulations prevent the Postmaster from handling actual money, making it impossible for him to alleviate the line. The 'manager' is basically a machine, controlled so heavily by regulations that he cannot actually see a need and address it on his own. 'Customer service' has gone out the window in the new era of the bland, faceless government employee who has typically both a union and all sorts of regulations to protect his job, regardless of performance. There is a perverse structure which allows the Post Office to actually raise prices in times of diminished demand. Imagine the irrationality of that; for doing a bad job with customer service or the product they produce, the government can simply raise prices for the consumer. Anyone who thinks that government can do big things well should walk into a post office more often. Perhaps if President Obama had done so, he would have thought twice about healthcare.

On this particular afternoon, I also learned something about the American people. For once, the individuals in line did not take this situation sitting down. A man ultimately asked to speak with a manager, and the manager eventually surfaced from 'the back' (for us to learn that he couldn't handle money). A local business owner was clearly furious, describing how he knew his business from the ground up and would expect the government to know the same. It was at this point that I learned something about speaking up, and I also learned something about the benefits of local business leadership.

This business leader was proud of his craft and his ability to solve problems on his own. He noted that he knew his business from the ground up and could typically solve any problem himself. It was an air of independence which gave him the confidence and knowledge to speak on behalf of others. Local communities have long benefited from these pools of talents and suffer now that so much talent is clustered in the form of mid-level corporate executives in major cities. Unlike BP CEO Tony Hayward who seemed to never actually participate in the decisions of his company, this gentleman took pride in his craft and his ability to solve problems.

Of course, the most telling lesson was the end, when the business owner asked who he could call to make a complaint about the postal service itself. The Postmaster's response: "It won't do no good." As the Obama administration prepares to spend even more on elaborate government programs meant to provide services to taxpayers, that is all Americans really need to know when it comes to accountability. For the individual taxpayer, it 'don't make no difference' what we think.