Obama: Postal Privatization a ‘Bad Idea’
February 5, 2010
President Obama said in an interview posted on YouTube on Feb. 1 that privatization of the USPS would be a “bad idea.” He made the comment during a round of quick answers to questions posed by citizens.
When asked if he would consider allowing the private sector to buy and run troubled federal agencies such as the Postal Service, Obama said privatization is a “bad idea most of the time.”
Regarding the Postal Service, he said, “Everybody would love to have that high-end part of the business,” such as business-to-business delivery. But private companies would not want responsibility for the other services that the Postal Service provides, such as delivering a postcard to a remote area.
The USPS provides universal service, the president said, and private companies would not.
Watch the White House interview with President Obama here.