[Hoot Gibson]

^ Unless it was in the 1800's, I don't think Congress has ever had anything to do with authorizing rate increases. In 1970 the Postal Rate Commission was created to review rate increases. The PRC was renamed to the Postal Regulatory Commission, but the premise has stated the same.

As for the rates being based on where you live would be extremely difficult to create. It's not the recipient, but the sender that would have to pay the higher fee. Why should the sender have to pay a premium to send the mailpiece?

The USPS is wanting to compete as a business today. It's why postage is only .44 cents. Since the are a non-profit entity, then it is fair to say that postage should be increased to cover cost. If it's a dollar, then it's a dollar. But that model has to be robust enough to change to a higher cost quickly. To increase postage expense will drive even more mail from the system. Today, Congress requires certain types of communications to be given to citizens. Unless the citizen opts for an electronic medium, then it must be in hardcopy form. Should Congress also dictate that citizens must be in a position to accept required mailings be accepted in electronic fashion?

I stand corrected, but the Postal Regulatory Commission is part of the federal government and politicians are not going to for the USPS to toe the line on costs. Everything that the federal government has its hand in costs more than it should.

You ask why the sender of a piece of mail should pay more money based on the destination. My answer is because I should not have to pay more than it costs to send a letter to a recipient a few blocks away. My example of a person living on a mountain top was not a good one. Whoever delivers the mail to such a person should have the right to refuse because of the cost involved.

Obviously, the recipient should not pay for receiving unsolicited mail but they could pay a premium to have items that are delivered to their home at their request.

The amount of mail delivered by the USPS will continue to decline, as it should. There is no reason to ignore the efficiency and costs that can be saved through electronic delivery. I agree with you that laws would need to be changed in many cases to allow certain types of mail to be delivered by an organization other that the USPS, but those laws should have been changed years ago.

I sympathize with the postal workers who would lose their jobs through privatization but competition works and right now, the USPS has no competition in some key areas and it needs some.