Why Are the Postal Service’s Financial Problems Such a Surprise?

The U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) financial problems have, of course, been big news lately, but they should hardly be a surprise. It didn’t take a genius to see this coming; here’s what appeared in Dead Tree Edition almost two years ago:

“Although the Postal Service is on track to become insolvent within a couple of years, Congress has shown no appetite for wrestling with the problems that vex the USPS. The Postal Service’s requests to stem the financial tide—by eliminating Saturday delivery and eliminating the prepaid retiree-benefit requirement, for example—will inevitably lead to a Congressional discussion of whether postal rates should