A Pitch for Smart Postal Stamps

Wired ^ | 19 Dec 2001 | Julia Scheeres

[white trash redneck]

In an effort to eliminate terrorist threats such as anthrax that are delivered by mail, the U.S. Postal Service is considering the implementation of "smart stamps" that would trace mail and identify senders.

Among the suggestions proposed by the Committee on Government Reform, which oversees the USPS, is one that would require postal customers to show identification before buying stamps, making it nearly impossible to send anonymous letters.

[white trash redneck]

Next it will be cash.

[ScreamingFist]

I feel safer already. /sarcasm

[ScreamingFist]

"The USPS responded to the anthrax attacks by irradiating mail"

In Washington D.C., so our mighty leaders are safe. The rest of us peeons are no safer from anthrax than we were before 9/11.

[mconder]

is one that would require postal customers to show identification before buying stamps, making it nearly impossible to send anonymous letters.

Some how I don't see how requiring postal customers to show ID would make it nearly impossible to send anonymously. Mabey it would be better if they had facial recognition at every mailbox and kept a database of all people approved to use mailboxes. They could make it so the mailbox won't open if a felon or deadbeat dad try to use it. We should have facial recognition everywhere...we could couple this technology with emp pulse guns that kill peoples vehicles as they drive by. What the hell...while we are at it we couple put cameras into peoples homes to see if people abuse their children or smoke cigarettes.

[mconder]

"In Washington D.C., so our mighty leaders are safe. The rest of us peeons are no safer from anthrax than we were before 9/11"

If you feel unsafe because of the Anthrax scare, your bainwashing should be complete before long. Gezzz....what is it with you people. A whole 3 or 4 people have died. More people die from paper cuts on a dailey basis in this country. Pleazzzzze...and you people call me the alarmist for always suspecting the government first.

[ScreamingFist]

"If you feel unsafe because of the Anthrax scare, your bainwashing should be complete before long."

My point was that the elite in government don't have the slightest prob spending money to keep themselves safe while doing not one thing for the actual safety of the normal citizen.

"Gezzz....what is it with you people. A whole 3 or 4 people have died. More people die from paper cuts on a dailey basis in this country. Pleazzzzze...and you people call me the alarmist for always suspecting the government first."

Get a clue oh brain dead one. Those 3 or 4 people died by cross contamination from just 3 letters in the postal system. Think several thousand letters being sent at once. No prob for the washington elite though, they irradiate their mail. Are we learning yet?

[Sandy]

Break out your bump lists!

[rockfish59]

how about some smart postal workers instead???

i sent a letter to my nephew in belize with 2 34 cent stamps.
it was returned yesterday saying it was 12 cents short!
ok, fine! the problem is they POSTMARKED the stamps so now it will cost me $1.48 to send it.

first 2 stamps: $.68
2 more stamps: $.68
extra 12 cents: $.12
.....................$1.48

and they want ANOTHER rate hike??? @$$holes!!

[Demidog]

So much for the constitution.

[sheltonmac]

I live in Minneapolis. If I buy my stationery in St. Paul, my pencils in Bloomington, my envelopes in Wayzata, my stamps in Red Wing, my anthrax in Rochester, and drop my letters off at a corner mailbox in New Prague, will they be able to trace me?

[x]

If you make having envelopes a crime, then only criminals will have envelopes.

...

They'll only get my envelopes when they peel them off my big wet tongue.

[sheltonmac]

It's right there in black and white. Article I, Section 8, Clause 7: "To establish Post Offices and post Roads and mandate the use of high-tech tracking stamps so that no one has the ability to mail a letter, package, or cardboard tube with anonymity."

What's that, Mr. Postmaster General? You want me to use smart stamps? Well, lick this!

[x]

Waxman is proposing the implementation of a two-dimensional barcode "stamp" that would contain the sender's identity as well as the date, time and place the postage was paid.

This is scary.

BTW, what does Waxman tell the ACLU? Are his constituents really that brain dead? Or does it only become wrong when a Republican proposes it.

But I can't resist ...

How many more must die before these cursed envelopes are banned?

[Fred Mertz]

This country's going to he** in a hand basket and fast.

[Wild Game]

What about a pitch for smart postal workers first?

[Alan Chapman]

The Post Office is a government created monopoly and another failure in a long list of big-government socialist programs. It should be auctioned off to the highest bidder and all laws preventing competition to it should be repealed.

Did you know that Lysander Spooner formed the American Letter Mail Company in early 1844 to compete with the United States Post Office? He and his post carriers were summarily harrased by government, sued by government, and he eventually had to close his business.