The U.S. Postal Service said it will raise rates on postage for letters, postcards and other mail services this summer as part of Postmaster Louis DeJoy's 10-year plan to overhaul the agency's flailing finances. The cost of a stamp for first-class mail will increase to 58 cents from its current 55 cents.
DeJoy, whose tenure has been marked by controversy over his operational changes at the service, earlier this year unveiled a 10-year plan to overhaul the USPS. He said the changes are necessary to stanch billions of dollars in losses and put the agency on the path to profitability — and on Friday he said raising postage rates are part of the effort to boost revenue.
Single-piece first-class mail volume, such as letters that have postages stamps, has declined 47% during the past 10 years, the USPS said Friday.
This is called the business death spiral: You're not selling enough of your shit, so you raise your price so that people will end up buying less of your shit.
Make no mistake about it, DeJoy and the Republicans aren't trying to save the Postal Service, they're trying to bury it. The Postal Service is one of the few constitutionally-mandated functions of the Federal government. But the party of corporatism has this fantasy that government services should make money, instead of serving the people.
The evilness of DeJoy and his party should never be understimated and cannot be overstated.
Why is this fifth columnist Trumpite traitor still in power after a failed nazi coup attempt? These dead end fascist sabateurs must be ousted and their crimes and thefts prosecuted. No Democracy without justice and accountability. DeJoy out! And tried and incarcerated.
ReplyDeleteLast I heard interfering with the mail if a Federal Offense.
ReplyDeleteHard-time, might get six months off for good time ...
My feeling is this whole “private enterprise can do it cheaper and better than the government” started way back in 1980 with Saint Ronnie. It started with cutting federal spending, which affected services, which which were picked up by the states, which then ran out of cash, which raised the perception that government could do nothing right. Then more cuts, recycle, rinse, repeat. Then the Trickle-down Economics theory was embraced by those of less cognizant thinking ability (think pre-MAGAts). The rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and the middle class was getting shafted. Add in ‘think’ tanks like the Heritage Foundation, and soon every federal office was tasked with providing justification for remaining in the government.
ReplyDeleteFlight Service is one prime example of privatization gone bad. Used to have FSS stations scattered around the country, where the staff knew intimately about local weather, airports, and operations. Getting a briefing back then was a phone call away, and you didn’t have to go thru a menu of departure state, IFR clearance, color of underwear, etc. Beginning in the 80’s many of these stations were consolidated to save $$$, but at the expense of knowledge and convenience. As the service deteriorated, the calls for privatization increased until Lockheed Martin purchased the “problem” with a vow to keep and restore the historical service. We all see where that promise fell. The only ones to make out were the stockholders. The users suffered, the employees suffered, and the services suffered. Just try to call them on 122.2 and see how long it takes to talk to them, if ever.
There are things that the government can do that a private company will not do because of cost. The Post Office is one of those entities. But I fear Comrade is correct, that raising rates will lower usage thereby keeping things the same with no real impact toward aiding the operation.
Dale
Well, the third nominee to the board of governors was confirmed, so perhaps DeJoy might not get all of his way with the dismantling of USPS.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there was legislation proposed that would eliminate the goddamn "prefunding" law that is why USPS isn't operating in the black, one more reason to kill the goddamn filibuster.
USPS is a union shop and employs many minority citizens at living wages, so of course the Republicans hate it.
I am ambivalent about the rate increase. Yes, it will turn off some potential customers, but really, where else are you gonna give someone an envelope and sixty cents and and be confident that it will get delivered to New York, Florida, Texas, or Washington?
-Doug in Sugar Pine
On the other hand, our rates are too low...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2020/08/us-postal-rates-versus-other-countries/
USPS goes places FedEx and the others can't or don't. Cheaper generally and with a better reputation- at least until the DeJoy/trump sabotage. The post office works so well our 1%er owners have always hated it, denigrated it and tried their best to destroy it. If trump had won (or wins again) it will be killed.
ReplyDeleteTo provide the post is basically the only thing the constitution in fact mandates. If read in originalism that could mean the roads as well as postal service, and some have argued even a basic education, all of which is moot in the generally accepted vernacular: the constitution simply states "to provide the post".
ReplyDeleteI laugh when I see these in-breds wrapped in a flag packin' a cross out to destroy the postal service: so much for their "love of the constitution" ...
They're wiping their asses with it