The United States Postmaster General, John E. Potter, gave his annual state of the business address yesterday. The state has not changed much in recent years - the post office continues to bleed red ink despite spending cuts that have saved the office $6 billion in 2009 alone. The agency was also ranked the third Most Trusted Company for Privacy in 2009 by the Ponemon Institute, led only by eBay and Verizon.
The General notes that USPS does not receive tax dollars for its operating expenses, relying instead on its sales of - well we all know what the post office sells.
The interesting thing here was his reference (again) to other products the post office could offer. While he did not expound on the idea this time around, we could read a bit into his statement to a Senate subcommittee a few weeks ago: "Other national postal administrations complement their traditional offerings with banking, cellphone, logistics and other services to generate the income necessary to offset the costs of their universal service obligation -- costs that cannot be met solely by the price of postage."
So we could end up sending a letter, making a deposit, and shopping for smartphone data plans all at the same place! If there's a General in charge, I'm willing to give it a shot.
And a side note as we head into the waning days of summer: Bogle Vineyards is a winery in Clarksburg, California, just south of Sacramento. They make a number of high-value wines, particularly ancient vine zinfandels. I recommend you head out within the next month or so to get a bottle or two of their annual Phantom offering, a knock-your-socks-off blend of zinfandel and petite sirah (with a little mourvedre for added spice and structure). While they produce thousands of cases each year (with a September release), it quickly becomes difficult to find. You'll thank me as you enjoy it with hearty soups this fall.
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