MTA slow to start

[Tyler Smith <tyler.smith@mail.mcgill.ca>]

During boot up it takes about 30 seconds for MTA to start for my Etch 
install. With Sarge on the same box this takes less than a second. Can I 
fix this somehow? I'm running a single desktop computer, connected via 
an NIC through a router to highspeed DSL, and I get all my mail from pop 
accounts with Thunderbird. Do I even need an MTA?

Thanks,

Tyler