I didn't think people would get it until beer hit $20 a six-pack. Wrong. Here in Routt County, the Post Office did it. USPS HQ, DC (little federal speak there), wants to shut down the Phippsburg Post Office where about 144 folks have PO boxes. People are really mad about it.

Listen folks, while I have your attention. The federal government is bankrupt. They are spending one thousand, five hundred BILLION dollars a year MORE than we give them EVERY YEAR. Shutting down the Phippsburg Post Office is just the start of what is about to happen. It will happen. It must, or we will go the way of past great civilizations. Historically, the picture of what happens then isn't pretty. It usually involves dictators and mass graves. Well you say, this is different, we are Americans. Problem is, the federal government has worked overtime to destroy what made Americans great, the opportunity to succeed, or fail, without the government getting its grubby paws involved.

Before I go on, let me say that some of my best friends, literally, work for or have worked for the Post Office. Folks who left the Anglers Drive Branch to work downtown know my wife's name, and mine. I remember one Christmas when our delivery person down in Custer County left a package on the seat of my truck with a note "knew you'd want this tomorrow, hope you don't mind". These are good people.

But the fact is, the Post Office is broke. It can no longer serve folks in rural America. And this is just one snapshot of what is wrong today. The Founders created a federal monopoly, delivering mail. Then we allowed that monopoly to unionize. Americans paid the freight for union rules, and the Post Office refused to keep up with the times. Federal Express, UPS and others saw a market, deliver packages fast, and keep track of where they are all the time. They are making money. The Post Office is broke, again.

That is the way our federal government, and many States have been doing business. Create a monopoly whether it is train service, schools, police, welfare workers, whatever. Get elected and reelected by promising the employees sweet deals. Then force taxpayers to carry the freight, whether the monopoly works or not. The goose that has been laying the golden eggs is about dead. We need to elect a bunch of folks who will tell the truth and then knuckle down and make some really hard choices. Many of them won't be reelected, but that never stopped citizens from stepping up to serve in the past. At least not until Congress gave themselves automatic pay raises, special retirement and medical plans and exempted themselves from many of the laws they foist on us. Politicians love life in the fast lane way too much to leave of their own free will. So, nice as they may be and even if they are "trying their best," we have to fire them. Let's start with as many new faces as possible in 2012.

Keep the faith,

Bob McConnell

www.beawatchman.com