Well it is actually a news-worthy story, because it illuminates our government’s complete lack of inventiveness when it comes to dealing with a problem. A private business would have:
1. Used a Sharpie to black out the number.
2. Stuck a piece of white tape over the number.
3. Bought a package of labels for the printer in each office, and printed up a small label with the right number.
4. Cut the section with the number off the card.
5. Bought a bunch of rubber stamps with the right number.
or any of a number of other possible solutions that didn’t involve spending a fortune to print up new cards and stamps.
Admitedly, the proposed solutions would have involved some additional work for the federal employees distributing the stamps, but... huh? Oh. Never mind.
6. Buy out the phone number.