USPS Still Cheapest Letter Rate

Postal Unions, Start Your Engines

By Victor M Adamus

As a 30 year owner of my own business I’ve watched the postal service increase rates periodically and over this period still can’t complain because the letter rate is the most reasonable in the world.  The forty-four cents for a letter to get from Orlando to New York is delivered within two to three days, the more costly larger size envelope, different weights, we use for contract work used to cost .67 cents, now anywhere from $1.10 to $1.45.  Still reasonable because sent locally it’s often next day delivery and worth it when working with law firms.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is in crisis.  The Regulatory Commission has threatened to close mail facilities nationwide in the coming months, lay off thousands of union workers, and cancel Saturday delivery.  Not a good situation for business, workers, the USPS or customers who use the service to pay their bills by mail.

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Postal Unions are spending valuable dollars in an ad campaign to combat these decisions and in a big way they also represent the customers the USPS serves.  I see them on TV nightly and wonder if they are making any impact on the U.S. Congress, the final authority to revamping the laws that affect the very survival of a mail service millions of Americans count on daily for their business and personal deliveries.

The USPS has joined the competition for overnight delivery.  We have used the service many times and for about $10.00 less than FedX or UPS the delivery is always on time.  If it absolutely has to be there the next day, the USPS can get it there for less.  Even with the advent of the new overnight delivery, the USPS is running billions of dollars in the red.  So cuts or changes in the law to expand the service are on the bargaining table. 

I don’t know if raising the price of the letter rate would balance the books for the USPS.  I haven’t heard of what that magic number would be, but I have read about the majority of people who use the USPS would not want to give up Saturday delivery.  I know I wouldn’t. 

So the time to email, call or write your Congressional representative is at hand.  If you agree that Bills introduced to expand the USPS and allow it to increase its’ cash flows from reserve accounts then it’s worth it to take the time to let your Congressman or woman know how important it is for the Congress to save the postal service.  In this time of job growth we don’t need to lay off workers.  We need companies in the service area to hire more people and contribute to the economy.