Postal Service proposes 3-cent rate hike for stamps
Gary Strauss, USA TODAY
First-class postage stamps could rise to 49 cents starting in 2014 under a Wednesday proposal by the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service. The increase would raise about $2 billion in additional revenue a year.
Under the plan, first-class mail postage would rise 3 cents, or 6.5%. Pricing for other mail, including postcards and packages, would also rise on Jan. 26.
The Postal Service’s governing board said the increases are needed due to the “precarious financial condition” of the Postal Service, which is under congressional mandate to fund billions in future retirement benefits of postal workers.
“Of the options currently available to the Postal Service to align costs and revenue, increasing postage prices is a last resort that reflects extreme financial challenges,” Board of Governors Chairman Mickey Barnett said.
Another moronic move by the Post office. The price increase will never offset the business that will be lost. Years ago, rather than paying individual bills for many places, I combined my purchases on a credit card that gives me cash back. It eliminated writing about 20 checks per month, and 20 stamps. 19 fewer letters mailed per month. I’m sure many businesses will be doing the same.
I can’t wait until UPS or Fedex offers a competive service
Make it an even dollar. Shit, $2. Who cares? All but two of my bills are paperless. I mail two checks a quarter and talk to my friends and family so much that I don’t need to send birthday cards. Christmas is already so expensive that the extra cost of cards won’t matter to me. Alternatively, sell “Holiday Stamps” at a discounted rate and honor them through December only.
The higher the price of a stamp, the less junk mail I need to de-itentify and throw away. Force people to decide if the cost of a stamp is worth what they want to deliver.
The Post Office will rightsize and become less unprofitable.
Wrong deliveries been rampant this year. Houses getting other peoples mail. Getting tired of redelivering to neighbors houses and them likewise. Either its a sorting problem in PO, or mail carrier not paying attention. The long time regular carrier we had, was reassigned another route. Now we got subs and part timers.
Funny how the junk mail always finds its way to our mailboxes, but never the important stuff like bills. Through no fault of our own we had our health insurance cancelled one year, our car insurance another. These bills were never delivered! We’ve been fined by our credit card companies when their bills weren’t delivered on time – or at all. And when we complained about all this, the Ridgewood Post Office offered no apology or concern. And now the USPS wants to charge more for this aggravation?