ShareThisWASHINGTON - That birthday card from Grandma with the $20 bill tucked inside could be a thing of the past, thanks to your government.
It seems that the U.S. Postal Service raises the cost of a postage stamp every few weeks. That means fewer people are using the mails. That means the Postal Service can't meet its budget, so it raises the cost of the regular-mail stamp again. There's something wrong with this scenario.
Earlier this summer, the service (hah!) proposed the 46-cent stamp, up from 44 cents. The 50-cent stamp can't be far behind, and that's a psychological barrier that is going to stymie those folks in Washington even more.
My little neighborhood post office asked for and received a reduction in its rent, from $31,680 a year to $27,000. Officials complied because they didn't want to lose the local gathering spot and have to drive miles to the nearest post office.
Many of us have an affectionate bond with our mail carrier, who, after all, knows a lot about us even though he/she does seem to deliver an incredible amount of useless mail along with Grandma's birthday card.
Most of us feel powerless as a 50-cent stamp looms, although we know we won't be buying as many stamps anymore. (This is coming at us just as the FBI claims it has the authority to compel companies to turn over records of our Internet activity such as e-mails without court orders, and as there is new talk of taxing sales through the Internet.)
We consumers may not have the clout to block stamp increases -- just as we don't seem to be able to make the government stop wasting billions of dollars in Afghanistan and Iraq -- but the bulk-mail people are mustering outrage.
The Washington Post reports that the Affordable Mail Alliance (Yes! There is such a thing!) has gone into full lobbying mode, hiring former aides to President Barack Obama to try to stop the relentless increases in postage, such as a whopping 8 percent increase in magazine postage, for example. The alliance may even take the Postal Service to court to try to block the increases, although it's hard to see how the mailers could win even if they do argue that the service is illegally raising rates higher than the rate of inflation.
Our neighborhood mail carrier is a gem, beloved by everyone. And we like the fact that he works on Saturdays. That could end soon if the postmaster general, a man named Potter (wasn't that the name of the villain in "It's a Wonderful Life"?), has his way. He wants to end Saturday mail delivery, saying that's the only way to keep the service functioning.
The Senate, which has to approve a cutback to five-day deliveries, is not so certain such a move would save enough money to prevent the Postal Service from losing $7 billion a year, as it contends it will do this fiscal year. Rural-state senators say the end of six-day mail delivery would be hard on constituents.
With fewer people, sadly, writing actual letters, the mail delivery increasingly seems to bring junk and bills. But we all depend on the mail service more than we realize. If we could choose, I'd rather have five-day service than 50-cent stamps, although the Postal Service seems to be determined to give us both.
There is growing talk that our grandchildren won't have a Postal Service. The technology to replace it is not here yet, but it certainly could be within a short time. There are undoubtedly people who would cheer the end of the advertising fliers, the community newspapers, the direct-mail catalogs, the political brochures. Not me. I would miss that daily packet that flops through the mail slot fastened together with a rubber band. Not to mention Grandma's birthday cards.
Competitors such as FedEx and UPS seem to be able to stay in business quite profitably without constantly raising rates. Why can't the huge Postal Service?
(Scripps Howard columnist Ann McFeatters has covered the White House and national politics since 1986. E-mail amcfeatters(at)nationalpress.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
WHITE HOUSE WATCH
50 cent stamp
Ms. McFeatters obviously does not reseach before she writes. 50 cent stamps someday? Of course. Eventually they will be a dollar. Please name me an item of something that has went down in price. Our local newspaper was 25 cents 10 years ago...today it is 75 cents. Milk, bread, gasoline...pick anything...all have increased. Postage increases have been well below the rate of inflation since 1970. An increase every few weeks? The last was 15 months ago. Please check FedEx and UPS, as they have raised their rates more often. Yes, look at their profits. USPS is not allowed to make a profit. Please, go online and visit UPS, FedEx, USPS...research how much it costs to mail something overnight, 2 days, whatever...do your research
Just so you know Fedex and
Just so you know Fedex and UPS are raising rates in January just like every year. Did you research at all. Also Fedex and UPS continue to make money because they are increasing their use of the Postal Service to delivery parcels for them. UPS Basic and Fedex Samrtpost. I'm sure you at least googled it? Thats when they turn over parcels to the Post for delivery. Here is how it works. UPS hum we can pay our driver, use gas, and drive up that road OR.... We can drop it off at the Post Office and pay them $3.00 to deliver it for us.
Why so cheap?
If a few cents will keep someone from sending a greeting card or gift cross country, I would have to question the sincerity of the sentiment anyway....Please, by any reckoning the Postal Service is a bargain. I can't believe howmany people say the have stopped sending holiday cards because it is too expensive...Right, it is the least expensive way to tangibly say, "I'm thinking of you at this time" around. Get real!
We have the right to freedom
We have the right to freedom of speak in America but please ..... do your research before you print such nonsense. The total impact per person with a 2 cent increase is less than 5 dollars per year. How much has everything else gone up?
You finalize the article with "Why can't the huge USPS"? I'll sum it up with the two primary reasons. 1) The USPS recieves no funding from the government yet they are subject to regulations and rules that only Congress (who understands nothing about the industry) can amend or repeal. 2) The UNIONS are KILLING the post office just like they ruined the auto industry. Millions are spent each year on incredibly stupid grievances. Recently I saw a grievance filed because one employee did not like the cologne another employee was wearing...subsequently employee #2 filed against #1 for discrimination...The USPS needs to get rid of these types of employees however they are protected by the unions and file over and over each month thereby supporting the burgeoning union management.
USPS
An open letter to Ann McFeathers: Ms McFeathers, I read your article from July 29 and I must say I am surprised at your lack of understanding on the USPS. First you stated that the USPS raises rates every few weeks. Really? This will be the first increase in 2 years. How many other goods and services have had the same price for the last 2 years? Not many I assure you! You made the statement that the 50 cent stamp can’t be far behind. Well do you expect that unlike EVERYTHING else in our society that Postal rates should go down? In your article you stated that people were buying less stamps because rates were going up. Do people buy less gasoline when the price of a gallon goes up? Not really, look at the record profits of oil companies. Rates are going up BECAUSE fewer people buy stamps. In times gone by people wrote letters to each other. I remember how exciting it was ‘back in the day’ when you’d get a personal letter from someone! Electronic media has all but eliminated that form of communication. Primarily what you find in the mail today are advertisements, bills and bill payments. With more and more people paying bills online, the amount of bill payments in the mail have reduced dramatically. You mentioned Jack Potter in reference to the Potter in ‘It’s a wonderful life”, is that the best you have to offer the reader? You cannot provide actual evidence of wrong doing so you just compare him to a movie villain? Jack Potter has one of the hardest jobs in the country right now. He is facing a company loosing money and trying to maintain universal service at a reasonable rate. A balancing act I have no doubt you cannot even comprehend. Finally I’d like to address one other point. You stated in your article: “Competitors such as FedEx and UPS seem to be able to stay in business quite profitably without constantly raising rates. Why can't the huge Postal Service?” Let me ask are you being paid by one of these two companies or are you just that dumb. First of all when one of these two private companies needs or wants to raise rates they do not have to go to an independent agency like the Postal Rate Commission they just raise them. No media coverage no press release. The fact of the matter is both FedEx and UPS have raised rates several times in the past few years. In fact many of their rate increases are disguised as “Fuel Surcharges.” Which by the way, the USPS does not charge. Even though when gasoline increases 1 cent it has a tenfold impact upon the Postal Service that it has on either competitor. So yes ma’am, FedEx and UPS DO have price increases. Do you know any service industry where rates have gotten cheaper or remained the same in the last 20 years. Each year the Postal Service delivers less mail to MORE addresses. Adding about a million delivery points each year while volume continues to decline. How many other business would even still be around with a model like that?
typo
Ms McFeatters I apologize for misspelling your name. I assure you it was only a typo on my part and no offence was intended. Regardless of the fact that you didn’t seem concerned with facts when you wrote your article.
I thought her name was
I thought her name was McFatters.
An informed consumer
Please research your material before writing. I would suggest spending a little time, because it won't take too long to do, and compare how many deliveries the USPS makes per day versus UPS and FEDEX combined. Then research the prices of packages between the USPS, FEDEX and UPS. Further, compare the price of a first class stamp here in the United States versus all other industrialized nations, several of whom are more expensive AND recieve subsidies from their governments, as the USPS is wholly funded by postage with zero taxpayer funding. Lastly, research Netflix's delivery data on how quick their product is delivered to and from their customers. Then when your research is done write another article on this subject because your readers would be interested in what you find. Thank you
opinion
Too bad your opinion colors your journalistic search for the facts. A lie is still a lie no matter times you tell it. Next time do your research, unless you want to remain a liar.
Yellow Journalism at its Worst
Ms. McFeatters - WE live in a wonderful country where everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You are not, however, entitled to your own facts. Your article criticizing the USPS is filled with inaccuracies and is also slanted by your negative opinion.
1) "the service (hah!) proposed" - Why would you include "(hah!)"? It is childish and unprofessional. Your mocking of the service level of the USPS clearly taints the remainder of the piece.
2) The USPS "Service raises the cost of a postage stamp every few week" - Not true. The last increase was 15 months ago and the proposed increase won;t go into effect until January 2011.
3) "FedEx and UPS seem to be able to stay in business quite profitably without constantly raising rates." - Wrong. both companies raise rates every year and have already announced price increase for January 2011.
You lament the possibility of a 50 cents stamp, but do you realize that even at 50 cents the cost to mail a letter is the USA would still be the cheapest in the world?
Are familiar with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006? Are you aware that this law saddled the USPS with yearly payments in excess of $5 billion into the retiree health benefit fund? Are you aware that no other company or agency is required to make these payments? Are you aware that, without these payments, the USPS would have shown a profit in 2008 and 2009?
It's easy to jump on the band wagon and beat on the USPS. They are an easy target, but please limit your criticism to accurate reporting.
USPS RATES
Ms McFeatters, the previous posters pretty much summed up your lack of research for your article. Now I'm going to complain about your's and other journalist's inability to write a factual article. I have read so many internet and newspaper articles on the USPS that are totally nonfactual, that it seems to be a reflection on the poor investigative skills of today's media. Before you start hammering the USPS, you should probably go back to Journalism 101. When the reader knows that the information you write is false, you lose all credibility and therefore why would the reader ever believe anything you write? Worst thing going is a writer who opines on a subject without stating the facts.