'Congress should get out of USPS way' and more letters to the editors

Friday, January 1, 1904

Congress should get out of USPS way

I find the recent "Drew's View" article about the post office very misleading and an insult to all hard-working postal employees. First of all, the post office is an independent agency and gets no tax dollars for it's day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control. Congress owes the post office billions from overpayment for employees' insurance that Congress forced upon the post office to pay in advance. Congress has stymied closing of smaller post offices and has just now approved they can stop Saturday delivery.

The post office delivers FedEx packages where FedEx does not want to go. I bet not many know about that. I doubt you will find another company that will be cheaper, faster and not involve taxpayers' money.

Another company will be allowed to do what it wants and charge want it wants and not be under congressional control. Congress needs to step aside and stop interfering with the post office, as the post office knows what is best for itself. Congress sure doesn't; just look at our country.

JANET MINNIEAR, Hixson


Gays not to blame for population decline

A letter in the Feb. 9 Times Free Press "Homosexuality not normal nor natural," claims "the collapse of great civilizations has been preceded by the disintegration of the family and the rise of homosexuality. America is approaching zero population growth, Russia is already there."

While it is true that a Google search will show you that these population growths are true, homosexuality has nothing to do with it. The writer admits that it is only a small minority, at only a few percent (how about an actual number; let us say 2 percent). Six million Americans are not stopping the rest of us 307 million or so from procreating. In fact, some of those 6 million care for the babies that people put up for adoption every day.

Your use of population growth is a scapegoat to make your point that gays are bad. Population growth is in decline in this country because of the changing work environment and the need for a two-income family in the United States. The population decline can be attributed to being unable to live and grow a family because of lower wages when compared to higher prices in the market. It is not because a minority of people are homosexual. It is because people cannot afford to have the babies.

PHILIP HETZLER