3 chapters across the catalog
Benjamin Franklin First Postmaster General, Postal History Trivia
On the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal Service, it is noted that the Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. The appointment occurred around the same time as the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Austin Postal Service Issues, Cul-de-sac Mailbox Dispute
A host describes a bureaucratic nightmare with the United States Postal Service at a new home in Southeast Austin. The local post office failed to provide mailbox keys, eventually gave the host a neighbor's key, and claimed the address did not exist in their system. The conflict involves a "cluster box" system where the builder and the post office disagree on who is responsible for expanding capacity for new residents.
U.S. Postal Service Constitutionality, Privatization Concerns
The U.S. Constitution explicitly authorizes the Postal Service to facilitate interstate communication and generate revenue. Concerns are raised that Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe is overseeing a managed decline of the agency to facilitate privatization. Critics argue that moving the mail service out of federal control would remove constitutional protections for private communication and eliminate federal mail fraud statutes used to prosecute fraudulent billing.
