We need Congress to put a check on runaway stamp hikes now. And unless Congress takes action, stamp prices will continue to rise twice a year!
Stamp prices just increased in January from 66 cents to 68 cents, after going from 63 cents to 66 cents in July 2023. All charities and other nonprofits, magazines, your community newspapers, and catalogs are facing even bigger postage hikes, which stand to drive some out of business. Businesses generate 90% of USPS revenue, so less mail in the system means prices will eventually keep going up, no matter what.
The “price adjustments” included letters, domestic postcards, International Postcards, International Letters, Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.
Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a “10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.”
“The mail is a critical public service. It’s the only courier able to reach every community across the nation. Unnecessary postage increases are essentially a tax that hurts every American’s ability to stay connected and productive.” - KeepUS Posted
Keep US Posted is a nonprofit advocacy group of consumers - all united in the belief that a reliable, affordable U.S. Postal Service is essential to our way of life and should be protected. Keep US Posted supports alternatives to current and future efforts to slow the mail and increase postage rates. To learn more about the organization and to get involved, visit www.KeepUSPosted.org.
TO AVOID escalating postal costs, it’s been suggested several times we should use newspaper carriers. The following letter is from the State of California, Dept. of Industrial Relations:
“Dear Newspaper Publisher or Distributor:
As a result of Assembly Bill 1506 (stats. of 2021), on or before March 1, 2022, March 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024, every newspaper publisher or distributor that hires or directly contracts with newspaper carriers shall submit to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, in a manner prescribed by the agency and in conformity with existing law, information related to their workforce for the current year.
“The Labor and Workforce Development Agency has delegated the responsibility to collect this information to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). This information includes the following:
“The number of carriers for which the publisher or distributor paid payroll taxes in the previous year and the number of carriers for which the publisher did not pay payroll taxes in the previous year;
“The average wage rate paid to carriers classified as independent contractors and as employees;
“The carrier wage claims filed, if any, with the Labor Commissioner or in a court of law.
“Information submitted will only be disclosed in accordance with subdivision (k) of Section 6254 of the Government Code, relating to trade secrets or other proprietary business information.”
Fortunately, we have never had newspaper carriers although it would be nice to provide good jobs to our youth. We don’t need more paperwork, taxes and headache!!
Stamp prices just increased in January from 66 cents to 68 cents, after going from 63 cents to 66 cents in July 2023. All charities and other nonprofits, magazines, your community newspapers, and catalogs are facing even bigger postage hikes, which stand to drive some out of business. Businesses generate 90% of USPS revenue, so less mail in the system means prices will eventually keep going up, no matter what.
The “price adjustments” included letters, domestic postcards, International Postcards, International Letters, Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.
Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a “10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.”
“The mail is a critical public service. It’s the only courier able to reach every community across the nation. Unnecessary postage increases are essentially a tax that hurts every American’s ability to stay connected and productive.” - KeepUS Posted
Keep US Posted is a nonprofit advocacy group of consumers - all united in the belief that a reliable, affordable U.S. Postal Service is essential to our way of life and should be protected. Keep US Posted supports alternatives to current and future efforts to slow the mail and increase postage rates. To learn more about the organization and to get involved, visit www.KeepUSPosted.org.
TO AVOID escalating postal costs, it’s been suggested several times we should use newspaper carriers. The following letter is from the State of California, Dept. of Industrial Relations:
“Dear Newspaper Publisher or Distributor:
As a result of Assembly Bill 1506 (stats. of 2021), on or before March 1, 2022, March 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024, every newspaper publisher or distributor that hires or directly contracts with newspaper carriers shall submit to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, in a manner prescribed by the agency and in conformity with existing law, information related to their workforce for the current year.
“The Labor and Workforce Development Agency has delegated the responsibility to collect this information to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). This information includes the following:
“The number of carriers for which the publisher or distributor paid payroll taxes in the previous year and the number of carriers for which the publisher did not pay payroll taxes in the previous year;
“The average wage rate paid to carriers classified as independent contractors and as employees;
“The carrier wage claims filed, if any, with the Labor Commissioner or in a court of law.
“Information submitted will only be disclosed in accordance with subdivision (k) of Section 6254 of the Government Code, relating to trade secrets or other proprietary business information.”
Fortunately, we have never had newspaper carriers although it would be nice to provide good jobs to our youth. We don’t need more paperwork, taxes and headache!!
