[Vision2020] Idaho Post Offices Proposed to be Closed

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Wednesday, July 27, 2011 11:24:39 AM Tom Hansen wrote:
> I have a PO box at the campus post office.  Mail addressed to that PO box
> uses the zip 83843. 
> Although, when mail is addressed to a UI office, the zip used is 83844.

The University post office provides post office box service to many more people 
than the number of post office boxes installed in the physical location because 
many of the fraternity and sorority houses obtain and maintain their postal 
service through that USPS branch location. It is not at all uncommon to see 
one or two students carrying a plastic tub filled with various sizes of mail to 
and from the University post office location. Discontinuing service at that 
location would not only be inconvenient, it likely would be counter-productive 
(no pun intended) for both the Postal Service and its local patrons.

On a merely tangential note, the University of Idaho bookstore, located in the 
western end of the same building as the University post office branch, is 
remodeling its portion of the building to add a Starbucks coffee shop in 
addition to their Vandal logo item sales, and their books and computers store 
operations. One might note that book sales at very high margin prices are 
declining due to competitive alternatives, thus the VandalStore's switch to 
coffee sales as an alternative revenue source. On the other hand, there are 
many fewer competitive alternatives to United States Postal Service 
operations, so, book store and postal operations are not comparable.

In terms of timing, this news is a little unusual in that it comes at the 
beginning of a school year rather than the end, when such less desirable 
changes are often initiated. So, there may be some better opportunity for 
students and others to organize and to deliver their opinions, discussions, 
and arguments relative to the merits of changing service levels or closing the 
University branch of the USPS.

And, just for fun, don't forget the short story "Why I Live at the P.O." by 
Eudora Welty, 1941.


Ken