U.S. Postal Service Raises Prices and Plans Post Office Closings—Is Yours on the List?

As we reported to you back in October, the time is here: The First-Class Mail Stamp price will increase to $0.45 on January 22, 2012.

It seems we better start getting use the dictator's answers to solving all their incompetent decision making blunders, "LET THEM EAT CAKE." The United States Postal Service announced back on October 18, 2011 that it will be implementing a price change on January 22, 2012 to address the urgency of their current financial challenges and to coincide with the price changes for  Mailing & Shipping Services. The price change will be  for First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services (Single-Piece Parcel Post, Bound Printed Matter, and Media Mail/Library Mail), First-Class Mail International, and Extra Services — a broad category including many products such as Money Orders and Return Receipt and services such as insurance and Collect on Delivery (COD).

First-Class Mail letters will increase $0.01, to $0.45 (additional ounces remain at $0.20)

First-Class Mail postcard will increase $0.03 to $0.32
Return receipt (showing to whom delivered, signature, date of delivery, and addressee's address) requested at the time of mailing and received by mail is increasing by $0.05

Talk about a monopoly! The USPS is the only mailing service is this country, with no allowable competition price hikes are just a matter of paperwork. The USPS which has been in existence since 1775 has not directly received taxpayer-dollars since the early 1980s with the minor exception of subsidies for costs associated with the disabled and overseas voters.

Along with these price hikes be prepared for impending closing of a few local area offices.

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The overall plan of the Post Master General seems to be a 4 chop plan:

1. End Saturday Delivery to save hopefully $4 Billion per year

2. Closing Post Offices to save hopefully $1 Billion per year

3. Changing health care benefits for worker to save hopefully $5 Billion per year

4. Raising rates to generate hopefully $15 Billion per year

These numbers look great as a spread sheet formula but no where do we here or see the consumer in the picture and it still boils down to reduced service - increased prices. This sounds so familiar as with every large cooperation as of lately (MTA). Realistically in the Post Office's  defense there's not much they can do otherwise. With the growing rate of speed of technology like many businesses it is a victim of a revolution in how and how fast people communicate.

Away We Go Postal, mailing and shipping center will be ready for the increase. Offering the complete line of USPS services and alternative shipping methods such as Fedex, UPS, and DHL.