elaine kamarck: one last question, this lady appear. >> my name is elaine mittleman. i got involved in postal issues in the post office by myself was closed even though it was profitable to tysons corner -- by tysons corner. i'm in favor of post offices. i don't understand. it is like you want to start from scratch ever tend this doesn't exist. but that is not where we are at. one thing that troubled me was the pre-funding requirement. the reporters talk about the postal service is bleeding billions of dollars. they don't understand the concept of operating revenue and income. the 5 billion requirement makes it look like it is a dysfunctional business when, as you pointed out, the last mile of delivery is vital to the economy. many people rely on the post office. everyone has a reason to be there. they are not just buying stamps. it is an important part of our infrastructure. elaine kamarck: robert, do you want to take that? robert: what everyone thinks of the pre-funding requirement, we have to deal with the fact it is the law of the land. hence, the cost that they a

elaine kamarck: we will have to close this. we have come to the end of our time. thank you, very much for opening this issue to us. we hope that congress is listening. [applause] >> arbor book -- barbara bush joins other young adults to discuss issues that motivate their generation. they explore ways that millennials are engaging their communities. >> what is the one issue that will be important for young people in 2016? >> many. well, i think this gets back to the millennial. it is not a one word and -- one word answer. we all issues that are important to us. every issue is connected. figuring out how to have a bigger lens, solving each issue. my last thing to copy your question, i never really understand why older people are saying they don't understand millennials. you can ask people what they are interested in. how they want to communicate and how they would want to partner with you. instead of categorizing one group as this elusive group we all have the power to make relationships with people. >> that discussion concerning the issues that motivate their gener

the spread of advanced technology, information and communications technology as elaine kamarck noted is only intensified that competition since internet communications have displaced the monopoly of most postal systems which is the monopoly over the near universal delivery of letters mailed. we all stood -- we use to get our bills in the mail and not so often anymore. this draw the lot of attention all of you who showed up today, because most people in most businesses still need dependable postal service, mail service and providing that service on a universal basis costs of lot of money. when a public or semi public entity receive subsidies for providing a public service, there is a danger of those subsidies being leveraged into a competitive market one of the singular characteristics of the postal service is that it exists simultaneously in a monopoly market where no one can compete. in a competitive market with competition. before addressing those issues i recently studied the subsidies themselves which the postal service receives and in the context of the costs that congress oppos

i am elaine kamarck director of the center for effective public management here at brookings and we're gathered here today to talk about a very large and very important into the, the united states postal service. one of the perhaps oldest on with united states army organization in the u.s. government, and about which there has been much written and even a movie or two or 30. and the post office is at a particular crossroads. ..