First-class stamps to cost 49 cents as of Jan. 26
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 25, 2013, 10:34 AM
BY BRADLEY KLAPPER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mailing a letter is about to get a little more expensive.
Regulators on Tuesday approved a temporary price hike of 3 cents for a first-class stamp, bringing the charge to 49 cents a letter in an effort to help the Postal Service recover from severe mail decreases brought on by the 2008 economic downturn.
Many consumers won’t feel the price increase immediately. Forever stamps, good for first-class postage whatever the future rate, can be purchased at the lower price until the new rate is effective Jan. 26.
The higher rate will last no more than two years, allowing the Postal Service to recoup $2.8 billion in losses. By a 2-1 vote, the independent Postal Regulatory Commission rejected a request to make the price hike permanent, though inflation over the next 24 months may make it so.
The surcharge “will last just long enough to recover the loss,” Commission Chairman Ruth Y. Goldway said.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/national/First-class_stamps_to_cost_49_cents_as_of_Jan_26.html#sthash.hF1f6QpT.dpuf
Typical government can’t run a business.
By raising the price again, they just eliminate the first class stamp buyers.
I’ll be finally resisting the change and convert to online banking so they basically lose my business.
They should raise prices for junk mailers since they don’t have a choice.
Raising the price for “junk mailers” will affect consumer product marketers, their agencies, vendors and employees since they so have a choice to mail less.
#1 the government does not run the post office,next time try a little research.
Thanks James, a little research and fairness in commenting is appreciated.
The story is a good one…..
Its a government agency,. YOU do your research
Still cheap. What else can you get for 49 cents?
The post office is an independent government agency and is not subsidized by the government (at this time anyway). Besides the decline in mail volume, congress has mandated outrageous pension funding requirements that the private sector does not have to adhere to as well as the inability to close branches. postal management has their hands tied by congress. Government does not run the service but congress makes demands that would sink any private enterprise.
And here are 2 specifics that no other business in the US has to adhere to: “$5.5 billion per year to be paid into an account to pre-fund retiree health-care, 75 years into the future” and “USPS is legally obligated to serve all Americans, regardless of geography, at uniform price and quality”.
So ‘Paul Smith’ must be a union voice for the post office employees.
The ‘outrageous’ pension funding is a result of ‘outrageous’ union contracts.
Let UPS or FedEx have a go at it.
“#9”, “Paul Smith” (my real name) isn’t a union hack. Congress imposed those conditions, which are crazy. Do you think UPS and Fed Ex would take these conditions on? Single pricing regardless of distance? And no private company has to prefund pensions in advance to this degree. In terms of union contracts, show some facts for all to see. Since 1987 they actually pay into their retirement plans with a matching amount by the postal service.
and who keeps the roads open around the post office, o yes the d p w. they sweep, salt, plow snow, remove snow, keep it safe, parks clean up the walks,
right.
That’s part of the job description. Or are you just another civil servant anointing himself a ‘hero’ for doing the job you applied for?
DPW works pretty hard from what I see.
And the make a lot more in salary, benefits and pensions than the private sector too. Its not a mystery why the department staffing level is below historically high numbers. There just isn’t enough money left to pay these generous union negotiated packages.
I suppose the current workers and management could take a pay cut (like those in the private sector are accustomed to, while performing adding tasks) so that there would be money available to pay more workers.
Same for any department, but it won’t happen with the unions.
DPW? Don’t think so- The G-Man and snow plow guys aren’t breaking the bank- How much do you think they are making?