USPS can’t keep rate increase forever, court rules

[mahatmakanejeeves]

USPS can’t keep rate increase forever, court rules

Federal Eye
By Lisa Rein June 6 at 8:00 AM
@Reinlwapo

The U.S. Postal Service will have to roll back a portion of its largest rate increase in 11 years after a federal court ruled that the higher postage prices in place since January 2014 can’t be permanent.

Postal regulators had agreed to a 3-cent emergency postage hike for first-class letters, to 49 cents from 46 cents, after the Postal Service said it needed to recoup billions of dollars it lost during the recession. The 4.3 percent increase came on top of the customary 1.7 percent postage prices have risen to adjust for inflation.

But regulators set a cap on the amount of revenue USPS could recoup with the higher prices. The cap will be reached this summer.
....

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the emergency rates should not become permanent. The aftereffects of the recession have become “the new normal,” the ruling said — and the Postal Service must adjust to that reality.

[HassleCat]

1. I support the Postal Service

I send my packages for about half what UPS and FedEx charge. My packages arrive quickly, just as fast as the "ground" service of the other carriers. Unlike, both Fed Ex and UPS, the Postal Service has never lost one of my packages.

[edhopper]

2. This has to be stated over and over

The Postal Offices problem is all due to the Repug Congress forcing them to hold enough pension money for 75 years. Which is unprecedented and the height of hypocrisy, considering this same Congress refused any kind of regulation on Corporate pension plans and has worked for 30 years to end pensions for working people.

[valerief]

3. Bingo. It's union killing, pure and simple. nt

[edhopper]

4. Actually

they wanted to kill the whole Postal Service to be replaced by a private, non-union service that was subsidized by our tax dollars.

[underpants]

5. Staples

The Staples near us has a huge banner stating that they do USOS services 7 days a week.

I told the manager about this well over a year ago when I bought a new computer. She had heard nothing about it.

[valerief]

7. So they want the postal service, which is not subsidized by our tax dollars, to

be replaced by a private, for-profit business to be subsidized by our tax dollars.

Yeah, that sounds Republican.

[NightWatcher]

6. Just make a stamp cost a dollar instead of going up a penny every year or so

Make the people who fill my box with junk mailers and unsolicited catalogs have to pay a dollar per mailer as well.