[toomuchtodo]

Public goods must be protected. USPS does pretty well IMHO, as a similar example. No reason to recapitalize with public shareholders if you don’t need them. The Fed doesn’t have them (their shares are unique and essentially non transferable).

[totalZero]

USPS lost $8.8 billion in fiscal year 2019.

[toomuchtodo]

Public goods don’t have to break even or generate a profit. They still deliver my mail like clockwork, and we’ll cover any pension obligations with taxes if there’s a shortfall because of Congressional action (which is why USPS loses money, due to Congress having unreasonable pension funding requirements specifically for USPS).

If you require a bailout, you had your chance as a for profit concern. Entirely reasonable to run services at a loss as a government entity. Some services are simply expenses.

[AnthonyMouse]

> They still deliver my mail like clockwork

"Makes the trains run on time" is a pretty weak argument when the alternative (e.g. UPS) has a demonstrated ability to do the same thing without losing billions of dollars.

> If you require a bailout, you had your chance as a for profit concern. Entirely reasonable to run services at a loss as a government entity.

Isn't this a double standard? A private entity loses money and requires a taxpayer bailout once, they've had their chance. A government entity loses money and requires a taxpayer bailout every year, cost of doing business?

[toomuchtodo]

We have bailed banks and airlines out repeatedly, not once. UPS is not mandated to deliver to every address in the United States six days a week, such that USPS is.