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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW State, miners headed for showdown over dredging ... Jacksonville to add downtown parking spots ... New Klamath Community College board member blasts alleged negativity ... State, miners headed for showdown over dredging ... Jacksonville to add downtown parking spots ... New Klamath Community College board member blasts alleged negativity ... OUR VIEW Our View: Small post offices no longer practical Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Dec. 24, 2014 at 8:57 AM Posted Dec. 24, 2014 at 8:57 AM » Social News It's easy to sympathize with the residents of Harbor, next door to Brookings, who are about to lose their local post office. But at some point, reality must set in. The U.S. Postal Service has been losing money for years, and Congress has been unwilling to help it. In fact, Congress has contributed to the problem by requiring the agency to pre-pay health benefits it owes to future retirees at a cost of billions. The Postal Service receives no government funding and hasn't for three decades; it pays for the services it provides with the money it collects in postage. The Postal Service does have to pay those retiree benefits at some point, and that likely will mean a bailout by taxpayers. Getting Congress to agree won't be easy, however. Rep. Peter DeFazio says he will back a bill in the next Congress to stop post office closures and block the Postal Service from ending Saturday deliveries, something that has been considered as a money-saving measure. But without congressional action to allow the Postal Service to manage its own finances, more closures are inevitable, as is the eventual demise of the postal system. Fewer and fewer Americans rely on what has come to be known as "snail mail" for truly essential communication. Bill paying and personal messages have largely moved online. Package delivery has been a small bright spot for the Postal Service as online purchasing and the resultant shipping of goods has increased. Maintaining small-town post offices simply makes less and less sense in the Internet age. Even in Harbor, where about 1,000 people have post office boxes, most boxholders apparently are opting to switch to home delivery rather than move to the Brookings Post Office. Brookings does have the capacity to absorb those boxholders if necessary. Even Saturday delivery is something most of us could live without. Postal Service officials want to eliminate it but keep delivering packages; Congress has resisted that move. A Harbor resident upset by the planned post office closure collected 500 signatures from people opposing the move. But if the money isn't there to keep it and others like it open, and Congress and the Postal Service cannot settle their differences, many rural residents likely will have to get used to doing without their local post office.       MailTribune.com Writer Posted Dec. 24, 2014 at 8:57 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501