Potential sale of Downtown Berkeley Post Office sparks public rally

The United States Postal Service is struggling to stay in business. One of the ways it’s trying to make money is to sell off properties. More than 600 buildings have been targeted for disposal, including the main post office in downtown Berkeley. Altogether, the properties have a projected value of more than $2 billion. The sales could pay off in raising short-term capital, but the long-term consequences bother many people, including Gray Brechin, a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley.

Brechin founded the Living New Deal Project, which looks at the public works built in an effort to help lift the country out of the Great Depression. I sat down with Brechin to discuss the significance of the Post Office properties

Click the audio player above to listen to the interview.

The USPS is holding a public meeting in the old City Council Chambers at 7pm. A rally is planned in front of Council Chambers before the meeting. Local actor Josh Kornbluth will play the part of Benjamin Franklin, discussing the role of the public domain in America.