Postage going up with gas
by MCL staff writer

Anyone using the U.S. Postal Service in this country will findthat they are paying a one cent increase on postage, plus.

According to one postal service official, this is the first rate increase in two years at the United States Postal Service, one of the largest employers in the country. One postal officialstated that postal employees are the highest paid, non-professional people in the U.S.A.

Another postal officialstated that high gasoline prices are a major cost problem for the postal service. Each time gas prices rise one cent, it costs the postal service an extra $15 million across the fleet. So grounding the delivery trucks would certainly provide a savings, he continued.

According to the history of Postage rates in the U.S., there have been increases each year for the past three years. Since September 14, 1975, first class postage has gone up more than four times. It was 10¢ per ounce then. It had more than tripled, to 33¢ per ounce by January 10, 1999, had two increases in 2001 to 34¢ per ounce, went to 37¢ on June 30, 2006. On January 8, 2006, it went to 39¢, then to 41¢ on May 14, 2007, and to 42¢ on May 12, 2008. Along with first class, the other classes have increased regularly.

People who already have 41 cent stamps will still be able to use their stamps. Supplemental stamps ranging from one to fivecents and 10 cents can be added to stamps to raise them to the new cost of 42 cents.

Also, the forever stamps the postal service has been selling are guaranteed to always be good for mailing a regular piece of first-class mail without adding more postage. Forever stamps also went up to 42 cents. Buyers may want to stock up anyway, looking ahead to next May, 2009, when prices are expected to be adjusted again if not before.

Everything did not increase, but mailing your local newspapers is not one of them. It will cost more to mail periodicals (newspapers, magazines, etc.) which will mean there will be additional costs for subscriptions in the near future.

The cost of mailing affects everyone since the cost of doing business is directly proportioned to the U.S. Mail and their costs.

For more information, visit the United States Postal Service at www.usps.com.