Community Chat

[Catch71]

Doesn't surprise me; I rarely buy stamps anymore. I used to buy them regularly before online banking.

[bikerbabe]

I think 78 cents is still cheap.

[willdob3]

I very rarely mail anything. I forever stamps that are several years old if I need one. 

[KatieB]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I can't believe 78 cents to mail a letter.  Outrageous!  I don't mail anything anymore. 

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I can't believe people are complaining about it.  Where else can you get anything delivered for $.78?  I don't know of a place.

[sabatini]

Sure, we all mail that occasional birthday card, but gone are the days when important things came to us through the mail.

Most of us pay our bills online, and our checks are directly deposited into our accounts.

On a daily basis, hard working mail carriers have been reduced to delivering us junk; catalogues that we don't want and will never order from, coupons for businesses we don't patronize, and ads we'll never read.

There've been rumblings about privatization for years now.

Here's a snippet from The Cato Institute:

From its inception, the USPS was intended to be a public good, not a profit-making entity. Indeed, in 1958, federal law declared it “clearly not a business enterprise conducted for profit.” But non-profits should not be financial black holes, and universal service should not require billions in annual losses, as demonstrated by private providers.

At present, the USPS is a failing monopoly. Title 39 of the US Code hinders private carriers’ ability to compete by requiring weight minimums and USPS approval for packages. Additionally, only USPS may use mailboxes. The USPS also receives substantial financial aid from taxpayers: $120 billion since 2020. Despite this legal and fiscal aid, USPS has run a deficit every year since 2007, accumulating a total loss of $108 billion. And service quality continues to decline—between 2022 and 2024, the percentage of packages delivered on time fell substantially.

A possible response to these financial difficulties is the removal of rules that make the USPS less profitable. The USPS must offer reduced postage rates for certain users, such as non-profits, and its uniform rate requirement means serving remote areas at the same price as cities. Repealing these restrictions would allow USPS to be more competitive.

An even better response is to privatize the USPS. This would eliminate its uniform price and service mandate and allow it to close unprofitable locations. Privatizing would also eliminate restrictions on private carriers’ activity, enhancing their efficiency.

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Ultimately, the case for privatization is one of efficiency, competition, and fiscal responsibility. By privatizing the USPS, the US could foster a competitive, market-driven postal industry that better serves consumers and taxpayers alike.

[beckyb1012]

I pay all my bills via the mail so I am not happy with the increase but it is what it is.   Just picked up six greeting cards yesterday for mailing out for the upcoming holiday, so I will continue using the mail daily. 

[JoyFilled Warrior]

@lynnie61   THANK YOU for initiating this "heads up"  ALERT. Helps a lot!  Curious where this is coming from, esp just as we're losing/lost the US Postmaster General also.

[ROMARY]

I don't know why 'they' can't offer a plain stamp at a substantial reduced rate.  

Just mark the stamp:  'STAMP'  

Let the others who love to have beautiful stamps pay the higher rate.  

Makes more sense (to me, anyway).

[lynnie61]

@JoyFilled Warrior   You're welcome.  I probably send 80-100 Christmas cards, but rarely send a bill.  I do pay my bills online or autopay.  One dermatology office wanted a $4.50 convenience fee to pay online.  I did mail that one.  $4.50 to get your payment instantly.  Well, I don't think so......just my opinion.  

Yes, it was just a heads up, for those interested.  

[JoyFilled Warrior]

@sabatini 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU   

 ....  and for additionally providing your quotes & SOURCE. 

Helps me a lot!! (Even aside from the fact it demonstrates *your* INTEGRITY in sourcing your Info).

      And,  esp since it's a topic, that I want to follow up, & dig even more deeply as to what is going on behind all this same (& addt'l info (esp since it involves MY MONEY,  MY Tax Dollars, & MY Out-of-Pocket expenses)!!    Even more now, ordinarily than usual.