How the Post Office could solve its budget shortfall

A story posted earlier today reported the dire situation of the U.S. Postal Service. Increasing costs, particularly fuel, and declining revenue from mail advertising has resulted in a $2.8 billion shortfall last year, with more expected in 2009. As the Postmaster General noses around D.C. looking for a bailout and threatening a cutback in service, I wondered what other alternatives it might have.

1. In an era where more cars are registered in the U.S. than there are drivers, could we function without home delivery? What if the Post Office created convenient drive-through pickup sites where we could receive our mail each day, or less often if we so choose? And perhaps get a soft drink and some fries?

In such a scenario, home delivery could remain an extra-cost option, with vouchers to pay for this service for the housebound. Perhaps mail delivery and newspaper delivery could even be bundled.