By Chris Webb/reporter

Last week, Postmaster General John Potter went to Congress to bring the troubling economic plight of the U.S. Postal Service to light. Potter asked Congress to remove the requirement that the Postal Service deliver mail six days a week to continue receiving funding. Potter aided his request with heavy numbers that evoke even heavier worries.

The Postal Service was $2.8 billion short of any kind of profit margin last year, and Potter warned that without changes, that number could be as high as $6 billion next year. One might assume Saturday the natural day to close since the businesses it delivers to are likewise closed, but considering Monday is the Postal Service’s busiest day, closing on Saturday could do more harm than benefit.

Potter proposed Tuesday as the most sensible day to cease operation based on volume but added that other options are under consideration to avoid this.

With the exception of avid Netflix users forced into receiving new releases on Wednesday rather than Tuesday, most of America doesn’t seem concerned by the prospect of one of our nation’s original institutions limping along. Unfortunately, bad news for the Postal Service arrives on the tip of a dangerously long spear with far more piercing repercussions behind it.

The Postal Service is the third-largest employer in the U.S. and has become deeply integrated into our lives. If it’s in trouble, we shouldn’t worry about empty mailboxes as much as empty wallets. Many recall a time when mail came only five days a week, but for those of us who don’t recall before 1983, the year Congress added the six days of delivery rule, the idea of a five-day mail week is about as familiar as receiving weekly ice blocks.

If this is the only way the USPS can stay afloat, I absolutely support it. But closing an extra day could lead to layoffs. And with the national unemployment rate rising from 6.8 to 7.2 in December, our nation may not be able to afford this.

The USPS is more than a delivery service. It symbolizes American determination and spirit. Our lawmakers have a responsibility to leave that reputation untarnished even if they have to travel through snow, rain, heat and gloom to do so.