Bob McClure
Not another price increase
By BOB MCCLURE
| Article published on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 |
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First it was the price of real estate.
Then it was the cost of homeowners insurance. After that property taxes went sky-high and now we’re trying to catch our breath from a daily increase in gasoline prices.
Just when we believe it can’t get any worse under our farcical Republican leadership, there comes yet another wrinkle.
Brace yourselves, folks. Next Monday the price of postage stamps is going up ... again.
Fortunately, for most of us, this is one increase we can handle. In case you didn’t get the memo, the cost of sending a first-class letter (under 1 ounce) will increase from 41-cents to 42-cents on May 12.
But the question is why.
Since a majority of Americans now pay their bills online and communicate with Aunt Mary via e-mail, the need for using the U.S. Postal Service has decreased immensely in recent years.
So, if volume is down why does the price of a stamp continue to go up?
I guess all we need to do is look at history to get the answer.
The price of a stamp wavered between 2 cents and 3 cents for a standard letter from 1863 to 1958 when the price jumped to a whopping 4 cents.
Five years later it jumped to 5 cents and in 1968 it surged to 6 cents. We all talked about it, but basically gave it little attention.
Since then, over the last 40 years, there have been 17 price upgrades on stamps for a 600 percent increase. Too bad my house and other investments didn’t go up at the same rate.
This latest increase affects the price of your common letter to the editor, it impacts periodicals, package services and special services, whatever they are.
The Postal Service says the average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
They’re right. Next week’s increase will be 2.4 percent over the current 41-cent rate and the most recent Consumer Price Index figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics show a 4 percent increase in inflation over a year ago.
But take heart. Remember those innovative Forever stamps the Postal Service began offering a year ago? You know, the ones where you buy at today’s price but they’re good forever.
They’re still available ... forever.
Now, if only the oil companies could come up with a similar concept.
Bob McClure is editor of the Seminole Beacon.
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Article published on Tuesday, May 6, 2008
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