Cost of Stamps To Raise Again For Third Straight Year
Posted: Saturday, May 09, 2009
by Asher Ricard
Even the U.S. Postal Service is suffering in the plummeting economy. Like most Americans the Postal service is finding it difficult to pay the bills.
Starting Monday, it will cost 44 cents to mail a letter. Other changes include: The postcard stamp increases by a penny to 28 cents; the first ounce of a large envelope increases 5 cents to 88 cents; the first ounce of a parcel increases 5 cents to $1.22 and New international postcard and letter prices are, for one ounce, 75 cents to Canada; 79 cents to Mexico; and 98 cents elsewhere.
With the technology of internet, the mail volume of the postal service has been steadily declining. Honestly, the only reason I use the mail for these days is to send Christmas cards. Even those could be sent through email and a lot faster. I pay most bills online or by phone. I rarely receive anything besides advertisements and a few bills that do not email. Sounds exciting?
Anyhow, the postal service is not making it financially. They are already asking Congress to go down to a five-day work week. It is reported that they are offering early retirement to workers, realigning carrier routes, halting construction of new facilities, freezing officer and executive salaries at 2008 pay levels, and reducing travel budgets.
They are expected to run out of money before the end of the year.
Raising the rates on the stamp is not even expected to solve the problem.
Why, then, should the postal service continue operating as it does now? Why not only deliver mail three days a week? Is it necessary in today's technological age to deliver mail as often?
Should a weaning off process be started? Should the government consider closing down the postal service for good? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to hear them.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Great article. I for one am shocked how the price of stamps have gone up in the last few years. Maybe I'm just cheap but to pay almost 50 cents to mail a letter is nuts!Your article brings up the very real need for change and I agree. I feel it is too soon to pack the Post Office up and away as way too many people still use snail mail (me included--as well as the Internet). Scaling back their days of operation probably seems like the best option I guess, but then aren't we talking about eliminating more jobs? Boy, I'm glad there are much smarter people in the world than me to solve these problems! Anyway, great article.
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