In this topsy-turvy world, one welcome sign of normalcy has been the daily rattle of our mailbox. Mail delivery has been a connection to the outside world and a sign that things will return to normal one of these days.
Here's some bad news. Without an infusion of cash, the post office could run out of money by the end of September. This is ridiculous. We're in the middle of a pandemic and we need the post office for so much -- census forms, medications and yes, letters. Many will want to take advantage of mail-in ballots for the fall election to avoid the painfully long lines we've seen during the primaries.
The post office has become a lightning rod for the political right who view mail-in voting with hostility, despite much evidence that the process is safe from fraud. The President stokes fear about it with lies. The Republicans want to privatize it, which could bring to an end universal delivery to every single address in the country.
Congress tried to provide help in the April bill but was blocked by the executive branch. Early this month, the House passed the Heroes Bill, which includes post office funding, but that bill’s stalled in the Senate. That's where we can get involved. Get the word out in the community, contact Republican Senators who are blocking the Heroes Bill, remind them that democracy is at stake -- and that now more than ever, in this topsy-turvy world, we need the post office.
I'm Deborah Booth and that's my perspective.
