People who send out First-Class Mail have become accustomed to paying over $0.50, but the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to jack up prices. They will rise from the current $0.63 to $0.66, which is another sign that the USPS is inefficient and outdated. (These companies control over half their industries.)
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CNBC pointed out that the increase will mean a 34% jump in the price of a First-Class stamp since 2018. The increase still has to be approved by the Postal Regulatory Service.
The USPS said the price increase is needed to “provide it with much-needed revenue.” The other option is to cut costs, which would make much more sense, particularly for the public.
The USPS still has just over 516,000 full-time workers. That is up from 496,000 two years ago. The USPS has 32,000 locations, which is a ridiculously large figure. Small towns with 3,000 people have a post office. People could travel to the next town over, often easily. Carriers could deliver to the next town, too.
The USPS seems to believe delivering mail six times a week is necessary. This is unnecessary, with email and electronic files as part of everyday American life. Bills that used to be delivered and paid by mail can virtually all be paid for online. The primary reason for physical delivery is junk mail, magazines and newspapers.
The USPS continues to order new vehicles. The most recent batch included some electric vehicles. The USPS should reduce its fleet as trucks go out of service. The USPS should not need them in the future.
Most of what the USPS does today is unnecessary. Even the shipping of packages can be handled effectively by UPS and FedEx. A higher price First-Class stamp is a temptation to waste more money.
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