Exactly how do government functions run?

From reader Mark......

For those in the world who think the socialization of the economy is the way to go, have them look at this. The USPS is a guaranteed monopoly that, like the federal government itself is allowed to go into open-ended debt. Yet, service is poor and often unreliable. When they aren't gunning down innocent people, post office personnel otherwise look at customers as a hinderance to their day. As a private business, the USPS would have gone out of business 20 years ago. But the federal government has made it illegal for them to go out of business. And still they are losing billions and laying off thousands. What will be the answer? 10 to 1 odds it will involve a taxpayer bailout funded in part by tax on profits from USPS competitors, UPS and FedEx. Then they will raise the price of a stamp for good measure. Exactly the opposite of what happens in the private sector, where the prices are lower, service is better and faster, and your package arrives on time or you can freely take your business elsewhere.

Think of the USPS as a laboratory of socialism. The same article will be written about the Universal US Health Care Service in 10 years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_go_ot/postal_woes

Let me just add that I never been to a grocery store that fails to have milk on an ongoing basis.

Unlike my local post office who never seems to have the postage stamps I need.