Preserving the People's Post Office

Book Description: Preserving the People's Post Office by Christopher W. Shaw exposes how numerous forces are intent on undermining an essential government agency's public service commitment. "The book demonstrates the crucial importance of the Postal Service's historic role as the one universal means of communication," said Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader. "The Postal Service also fulfills other functions vital to our society," Nader added.^ Christopher Shaw, the book's author said, "Through preferential postage rates for nonprofits the Postal Service facilitates civic involvement and a healthy democracy." Nader also noted, "Postal employees are fairly remunerated in an increasingly low-wage, low benefit 'Wal-Mart' economy." According to Nader, "Post offices serve as the heart of community life in neighborhoods and towns nationwide and the presence of postal workers on community streets make them safer, as the many beneficiaries of their frequently heroic efforts attest." "The lack of citizen-consumers' involvement in the recently passed postal reform legislation has highlighted the need for a public dialogue about the future of our postal system. The book provides a starting point for that conversation," stated Nader.^ Nader said, "Instead of focusing on new ways for our government to serve its citizens through the Postal Service, service reductions - such as closing post offices, removing collection boxes, and ending door delivery - have shifted emphasis to business practices that fracture public service policies of equity and fair cost allocations." "The Postal Service is further threatened by promoters of a corporate postal system who would ultimately like to steal the Postal Service from its owners, the American people," he added. Nader and Shaw want to provide residential postal patrons with a mechanism to facilitate the organized and skilled consumer participation required to protect their Postal Service. Shaw said, "An independent nonprofit Post Office Consumer Act.