Posted on 01/14/2011 3:56:13 PM PST by FromLori
The U.S. Postal Service announced plans to hike postage rates on several different types of mail in April, but the cost of sending Mother's Day cards in May will stay the same.
The postal service said the cost of a stamp for a basic letter will remain 44 cents, but the price to send larger envelopes, periodicals, parcels, international mail, advertisements and postcards will go up on April 17.
"While changing prices is always a difficult decision, we have made every effort to keep the impact minimal for consumers and customers doing business with us at retail lobbies," Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe said in a statement.
Despite cutting more than 100,000 jobs and other services in recent years, the U.S. Postal Service continues to bleed cash. Last year, it recorded losses of $8.5 billion. The USPS does not receive tax dollars and has been hurt by the growing use of email and the Internet for correspondence and other services. Netflix, which helped boost business for awhile, has also become a declining source of revenue as users begin to stream movies and TV shows over their computers rather than wait for the company's trademark red envelopes to arrive in their mailboxes.
The Postal Service is allowed to raise rates as long as the increase doesn't exceed the inflation rate of 1.7%. Last summer, it sought an increase that would have exceeded inflation, citing the unusual business conditions of the recession but the proposed hike was rejected by the independent Postal Regulatory Commission.
(Excerpt) Read more at walletpop.com ...
All first class stamps sold are FOREVER stamps now.
What B.S. wording. He means increasing prices of course.
Meanwhile we continue to bail out and fund all of Obama’s long-eared friends.
The Atlanta, Georgia has been slammed by a snow/ice storm that paralyzed business, closed schools and affected millions of lives. We are getting back to normal after a week. The only thing not back to normal are schools and the mail, which wasn’t delivered all week.
Not to mention that Jan 1st the shipping rates went up
Banana republic.
A private company allowed to compete with the USPS would have rates as low as 8 cents for first class mail (instead of the current ridiculous 44 cents)...I’m convinced of that.
They really need to just close up shop and let private enterprise take over.
And put all of those leeches out of jobs? I could live with that.
The pine cone Christmas Forever stamp could be a symbol of any season, just a regular nature stamp. This is a good marketing ploy.
Hi, long time no see.
I was going to say that it might be more cost effective to simply drive the letter to where it needs to go, but with the arrival of $100-a-barrel, I guess not.
They have a fatally flawed business model. The cheapest PO box available at the local facility is $96 a year; they will carry it from there to my house and leave it here for free. It should be the other way around - local delivery should be an extra cost item (perhaps with daily, twice a week and weekly price points) or free delivery to a box in their building.
But that would upset the unions, so they can’t even consider a sensible solution.
...along with the EPA, OSHA, NEA, NLRB, HEW and other alphabet agencies that waste our resources and stifle free enterprise.
Split it up and sell it, close down the inserts and bulk mail BS.
For one reason and one reason only: unions.
The USPS has the same ridiculous business plan when it comes to the union as GM had.
Prediction: if the USPS does not do something to get their union expenses under control in the next couple of years, there will be some sort of bailout. Bankruptcy would be preferable, assuming that is not illegal. And if it is, perhaps the law could be changed.
I sure as hell don't want my tax dollars bailing out the USPS. That would be the height of lunacy.
The USPS desperately needs to change their business plan to keep up with changing technology. I doubt they will. To many union thugs, too many fat cat bureaucrats, too many Peter Principle examples.
Full disclosure: In Feb, 2010, after a year of frustration with the USPS losing my mail, I dumped them and got a private mailbox at a UPS store. No problems since.
They exist because their existence is mandated by the US Constitution. That’s why.
Who gets paid more and has better retirement plans, USPS, FEDEX, or UPS(unionized), which by the way, drops off a large amount of their parcels at the local PO for final delivery. Wonder why that is.
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