You’ve got mail

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, the US Postal Service will lose about $1,500. It loses an absurd $17,361 a minute — or $25 million a day.

Even the Yankees don't throw away that much money on old and broken things.

But the Steinbrenners have nothing on Congress, which this week thwarted the Postal Service's plans to end Saturday mail delivery — a move that would save the USPS a stunning $2 billion a year.

When the postmaster general announced his plan to end the 150-year-old weekend service back in February, Congress said he couldn't make a move without its approval. This week, the USPS governing board agreed, so Saturday service will continue and the Postal Service will keep burning your money. It lost nearly $16 billion last year.

AP

A mail carrier

But pity the postman: Congress governs the service's most basic decisions but doesn't pay for what it requires. In other words, the 535 most fiscally irresponsible people in Washington are running an agency with 500,000 employees.

Handcuffed this way, the USPS doesn't have many options left to cut costs. It plans to ask postal unions to renegotiate contracts (good luck!). And it might try raising the price of stamps again. But higher costs for consumers will only drive business away and hasten the demise of daily mail.

The reasons for its decline are many — the Internet and text messages, not to mention competition from private companies such as FedEx. In this new and more competitive world, Republicans and Democrats pretend they're keeping alive a vital service when in fact they are only underwriting America's largest patronage program.

How far gone is the Postal Service?

Just try imagining ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner mailing photos of his groin to college girls. Not even Weiner is that nuts.

Have an opinion on this Post editorial? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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