Give Them Authority

Former New Zealand cabinet minister and member of parliament, Maurice McTigue, who is currently vice president of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia, comments on changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) in The New York Times’ ‘Room for Debate’ series. McTigue, who assisted in overhauling New Zealand’s own postal service, argues: “In attempts to keep its failing business afloat, the United States Postal Service has announced plans to eliminate next-day delivery for first-class mail and shut down half of its mail-processing centres. No customer-service business can succeed by reducing the quality of its service to its customers. Congress needs to get out of determining how the organization operates and allow it to act like a real business.” McTigue is originally from Methven. In 1999, the Queen awarded McTigue the Queen’s Service Order, in recognition of his public service.