10 Remedies for an Ailing Postal Service

Community Centers

Just as broadband access could better integrate post offices with their local community, a whole range of other services could position them as an adjunct to town halls and community centers.

Especially in rural areas, the post office is often a gathering place and a focal point of neighborhood activity. Using locations for such municipal tasks as voting, license renewals and fee collection would drive traffic to its doors and ease the burden on cash-strapped municipalities.

To go in a more capitalistic approach, post offices could also make money by selling goods and services that are not necessarily postal in nature.

Over the years, due to successful lobbying by concerned businesses, regulations have stripped the Postal Service of engaging in any business that wasn't mail related. Lifting the ban could open up opportunities for revenue.