I think it's OK too, and see those things as investments.
We all benefit from the higher availability of liquid dollars present in the majority of spenders. Demand backed by liquid dollars is a resource. Demand not backed is a cost.
It's cheaper to live overall. People can take risks, etc...
It's worth noting the Post Office does not operate on tax dollars. It's self funded, and could serve as a model for non profit public services. There are political reasons why the Post presents financial difficulty right now. They aren't rooted in any realities, just agendas seeking to marginalize it to favor for profit works.
Normally, the Post does turn some profit, which can go into the general budget. That didn't really effect the overall benefit and value to people.
This suggests we could do public works, non profit in the sense of some one or entity accumulating money somewhere, to pay down other debt, and do so in an equitable, low impact way.
Public works can be broken down into two types:
Infrastructure. These works provide new opportunity for everyone to benefit economically. The Interstate Highway Project, for example, returned many times it's initial investment. As a nation, those greater efficiencies allow us to compete better. All good, except when tolling them is discussed. That idea turns a clear benefit into a cost, and it hurts our ability to compete.
The other type is services. This is the Post Office model.
I often wonder how health care, basic banking, might be improved and actually pay us all nationally using the Post Office model.