The small-town post office

In March the U.S. Postal Service will begin examining which small-town post offices to close. There are supposed to be 2,000 that will be disappearing:

The prospect of losing a post office is alarming people in small towns everywhere. The post office gives area residents a reason to come to town — and patronize other businesses there — and provides a service they count on and believe their government owes them.

The Postal Service, a self-supporting agency that gets no tax dollars, has no choice but to reduce its offices, stations and branches, which now total 31,871, spokeswoman Sue Brennan says. It loses $23 million a day and ended fiscal year 2010 with an $8.5 billion shortfall.