Replies

(Full disclosure: I’m a postal worker)

>>I just paid $4.00 per gallon for REGULAR gas.

Think of all the postal vehicles out there, trucks, jeeps,
etc. Think of how much gas has gone up. That has to affect
the price of postage. Of course things like postal salaries and the _mandated pre-funding of retirement and health care
decades into the future, in a short time frame_ is another reason.

Yes, fewer people are mailing but there’s still quite a bit of mail to be processed. Facilities are being cut in half.
My big sorting center already is jammed with mail and soon
when another center closes down, even more mail and some
employees from that center (the ones who won’t be taking
early retirement) will be coming in. Our pay is frozen
(only the military among govt. workers don’t have their pay frozen). Eliminating Sat. delivery, getting rid of the
pre-funding mandate (only govt. agency to be forced to do so), and a small postage increase (50 cents won’t break your bank) will help.

$1.45—price of 20 oz. Pepsi in a vending machine at work.
For less than that (45 cents per), you can send three
letters 3,000 miles away.

When costs increase, they have to be passed along. Yes a lot of people say “make everything go by e-mail”. But there’s still a need for:
—birthday cards (non e-cards, physical ones)
—wedding invitations
—tax forms
—advertising mail
—Valentines, Christmas cards, etc.
—etc.

We need a streamlined and effective postal service. Cuts are
being made to weed out the fat.
I suppose it would be nice if a stamp cost a quarter
but see the prices of things around you; factor in
gas, electricity, etc. Eventually stamps do need to go
up but they’re still affordable. It’s not like we charge
$1.50.