United States Postal Service Rate Increase

[sevfiv]

Quote

The U.S. Postal Service board of governors approved a rate increase that will boost the price of mailing a first-class letter to 39 cents from 37 cents starting Jan. 8.

Overall, rates will rise by 5.4 percent, the Postal Service said in a news release.

The rate increase, recommended by the Postal Rate Commission, is needed so that the Postal Service can establish a $3.1 billion escrow account required by law, the service said.

article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?nav=rss_nation

[MidtownCoog]

Good for them.

I'd like to see UPS or FedEx deliver a letter from 77002 to 77396 for 37 cents.

Edited November 16, 2005 by MidtownCoog

[skwatra]

And the fact that they send that letter without any taxpayer support. pretty impressive.

[editor]

Does the Postal Service get taxpayer support? I thought that was supposed to stop when they went from being the Post Office to being the Postal Service, and thus a private enterprise like Amtrak.

It's my understanding that junk mail is what keeps the cost of a stamp as low as it is.

I'd like to see a little more innovation from the ol' P.S. Did you know that in some parts of the country they have their own regional equivalent of FedEx? They have a map in the post office lobby showing a large area where the Postal Service will deliver your letters or packages overnight for a fee somewhere between regular mail and Express Mail. Like $3.00 for a letter or $5.00 for a package. It's not always useful, but it's at least interesting.

I wouldn't mind paying .50 for a stamp if we got mail delivered twice a day like in some other countries.

I would like to see FedEx and DHL and the others released from the restrictions placed on them with regards to handling regular mail. I know it's in the works, but I'd like to see it sooner.

On the other hand, I also understand that the Postal Service is operating under a heavy burden of legacy. Old union contracts they're obligated to keep even though times and the economy have changed. Old staffing formulas and promotion scales and such. It's the same thing that's partially responsible for stifling America's automobile industry. But sometimes you gotta deal.

[MidtownCoog]

Old staffing formulas and promotion scales and such.

Only the old guys (50+) still have this.

The new kids on the block have new contracts.

[Subdude]

Why do they price postage in odd amounts like .39 and .37? Why not just round up to the nearest 5 cents?

I wonder if postage costs affect as many people now. All I get in the mail now is magazines and junk mail, and I almost never have to use stamps to mail things. The bills I receive and pay online.

[RedScare]

On the other hand, I also understand that the Postal Service is operating under a heavy burden of legacy. Old union contracts they're obligated to keep even though times and the economy have changed. Old staffing formulas and promotion scales and such. It's the same thing that's partially responsible for stifling America's automobile industry. But sometimes you gotta deal.

You know, the first 3 posts on this thread were impressed that the mail can still be delivered for under 40 cents a piece. Then the 4th post wants to take the few middle class working guys left in the country and drop them into the working poor.

I swear, some people won't be satisfied until we have 4,000 billionaire CEOs, and 160 million people making $5.15 an hour. Then, maybe, just maybe, we'll start bitching about the working guy making enough money to feed his family.

Lighten up on the middle class, will ya! I think the post office does a fine job for a low price, and I'm glad SOMEBODY doesn't have to get food stamps in addition to his paycheck.

Jesus!

[editor]

Not everything in America is about race or class. It's a lesson politicians in New York learned last week. Fascinating article about it in the New York Times. If you haven't read it, it's worth the time:

Voter Profiles for Bloomberg Went Beyond Ethnic Labels

In a nutshell: Democrats and liberals like to pigeonhole people into rich or poor, democrat or republican, liberal or conservative, white or not white. But the world doesn't work like that and hasn't for decades. Now national political consultants and the campaigns they advise are mesuring people in ways that more accurately reflect how people think, and not the traditional and convenient labels placed upon them.

[RedScare]

Not everything in America is about race or class. It's a lesson politicians in New York learned last week. Fascinating article about it in the New York Times. If you haven't read it, it's worth the time:

Voter Profiles for Bloomberg Went Beyond Ethnic Labels

In a nutshell: Democrats and liberals like to pigeonhole people into rich or poor, democrat or republican, liberal or conservative, white or not white. But the world doesn't work like that and hasn't for decades. Now national political consultants and the campaigns they advise are mesuring people in ways that more accurately reflect how people think, and not the traditional and convenient labels placed upon them.

Interesting that you decry pigeonholing, whil pigeonholing me as a Democrat or a liberal, neither of which describes my views. Also interesting that you brought up race, which was nowhere in my post, explicit or implied. My post may have been about class, if you consider the systematic dismantling of a comfortable middle class lifestyle a class issue.

It is not surprising that you would link to a political polling piece by a billionaire Republican to change the subject. My post was expressing my annoyance at the corporate propaganda against any negotiating power that workers may have. This "divide and conquer" strategy paints unions as against management, and tries to convince other workers that they are management themselves. Therefore, the workers who the unions protect rebel against the union, leaving the worker alone to be used and discarded by the corporation. The company can then water down benefits and wages without any organized opposition by the worker.

The postal service is one of the few remaining comfortable middle class jobs left. The auto makers try to cover their ineptitude in the corner offices by blaming health care and unions. Interestingly, Japenese manufacturers turn out quality vehicles with the same American workers. Every year, more Americans work under the poverty line and lose insurance, while profits grow.

I thought you might link to Bloomberg's much praised plan to INCREASE the pay of unionized municipal workers by tying it to efficiency gains. But, instead, you pigeonholed my post, and me, with anyone who disagrees with you, by calling me a Democrat and a liberal.

[MidtownCoog]

The guys at the Post Office earn every cent.

Like I said, lets see FedEx or UPS do it cheaper. And to tell you the truth, I don't trust either those two with my mail.

[uncertaintraveler]

Perhaps a postal rate increase would be easier to accept if the USPS didn't spend so many millions of dollars supporting Lance Armstrong in years past on his bicycle rides. They have a monopoly (protected by statute, no less) and still, for some reason, feel the need to squander millions to advertise their product! I think that's crazy....if they had used their money more wisely, there probably would not be any need for a postal rate increase...

[editor]

Interesting that you decry pigeonholing, whil pigeonholing me as a Democrat or a liberal, neither of which describes my views. Also interesting that you brought up race, which was nowhere in my post, explicit or implied. My post may have been about class, if you consider the systematic dismantling of a comfortable middle class lifestyle a class issue.

It is not surprising that you would link to a political polling piece by a billionaire Republican to change the subject. My post was expressing my annoyance at the corporate propaganda against any negotiating power that workers may have. This "divide and conquer" strategy paints unions as against management, and tries to convince other workers that they are management themselves. Therefore, the workers who the unions protect rebel against the union, leaving the worker alone to be used and discarded by the corporation. The company can then water down benefits and wages without any organized opposition by the worker.

The postal service is one of the few remaining comfortable middle class jobs left. The auto makers try to cover their ineptitude in the corner offices by blaming health care and unions. Interestingly, Japenese manufacturers turn out quality vehicles with the same American workers. Every year, more Americans work under the poverty line and lose insurance, while profits grow.

I thought you might link to Bloomberg's much praised plan to INCREASE the pay of unionized municipal workers by tying it to efficiency gains. But, instead, you pigeonholed my post, and me, with anyone who disagrees with you, by calling me a Democrat and a liberal.

I didn't bring up race, or pigeonhole you as a Democrat. I took your statement about the rich and the poor and pointed out an article that had an interesting development on that. You're the one who made it racial, not me. You're also the one who called yourself a Democrat, not me.

As for the unions -- Yes, I have a fair ammount of annoyance with unions. But that's a topic for another thread. This one is already getting too off course.

[RedScare]

Please reread my original post. It was ONLY about unions and the demonizing of them for the purpose of lowering wages and benefits. The rest was your off-topic pontificating.

[MidtownCoog]

They no longer sponsor Armstrong.

And when they did, it was for Express Mail. Express Mail competes directly with FedEx and UPS.

Express Mail is not your regular mail.

Edited November 17, 2005 by MidtownCoog

[uncertaintraveler]

They no longer sponsor Armstrong.

And when they did, it was for Express Mail. Express Mail competes directly with FedEx and UPS.

Express Mail is not your regular mail.

That's why I said "in years past."

And, I believe Armstrong's team was called the "USPS pro cycling team" or "team USPS." Nowhere was it explicitly stated that only the Express Mail division of USPS was sponsoring Armstrong, et al.

In any event, I note that the price of express mail is increasing too. So, even if Express Mail was the actual sponsor of Armstrong, et al (a contention I disagree with...), clearly their outlandish advertising costs has some connection with the increased postal rates. It is somewhat naive to argue otherwise...

[MidtownCoog]

Still, it's a bargain.

Sending a post card from one side of London to the other costs 43p (about 86 cents US).

You can do that in Houston for 23 cents.

[editor]

Still, it's a bargain.

Sending a post card from one side of London to the other costs 43p (about 86 cents US).

You can do that in Houston for 23 cents.

But in London if you mail it in the morning, there's a chance it will get there in the afternoon.

Don't they still have twice-a-day mail delivery in England?