![Go[ing] Postal](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lRzt!,w_80,h_80,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e03b0b6-2100-4e6e-b2d7-7c6c009ef6c4_1280x1280.png)
Dear Postmaster General,
I’m not sure how into twentieth century conspiracies you are, but the soon-to-be-declassified JFK Files are bound to be a riveting read. It’s certainly nice to have some transparency in government, even if the files wind up being mundane to the likes of Oliver Stone. It’s a shame that the USPS isn’t similarly opting for transparency and declassification.
According to the USPS’ FOIA Annual Report for FY 2024, the agency fully denied an astounding 72 percent of all citizen requests for information. Compare that to around 49 percent for the Department of Justice, 50 percent for Amtrak, 51 percent for the Environmental Protection Agency, 54 percent for the Department of the Interior, and 69 percent for the Federal Reserve Board. That’s quite the smorgasbord of agencies, and each agency has its own confidences to keep. But, when the USPS is keeping more secrets than an agency (see DOJ) that is constantly in court dabbling in sensitive criminal and national security information, there’s a problem.
Even your “partial grants” leave little to be desired. For example, when the Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation (TPAF) asked the USPS for a list of types of law enforcement surveillance equipment audited by the Inspector General in its Feb. 13, 2024 report (Report Number 22-174-R24), TPAF got documents that were ... completely sharpied out. It’s almost like the USPS thought about fully denying the request but was getting self-conscious that FOIA denial figures were starting to approach CIA totals.
Louie, you and I both know the USPS can be doing a lot better in the transparency department. For starters, you could tell us how much it costs to purchase tires for mail trucks. Then we could move onto the slightly bigger stuff, like why the USPS has been illegally spying on Americans. As a low-budget sequel to the JFK Files, I’m really looking forward to the “Postal Papers.” Make it happen!
Your Pen Pal,
Ross