Stamp prices are on the rise
Posted by The Skyliner on April 21st, 2010Kari Weaver
Staff Photographer
The time when the price of stamps will go up again is unknown, but it will be in the near future. To some, the rising stamp price is a nuisance; others realize that it is a necessity.
According to usps.com, the United States Post Office is an independent federal agency. The organization operates without tax dollars. It relies solely on the profit it makes through its shipping and other services.
With the growth of Internet services, more and more people are tending to send things via e-mail rather than snail mail.
Shannon Duncan, senior history, said, “I don’t really mail things, but if I did I wouldn’t enjoy the [rising] prices.”
Matt Sprinkle, junior youth ministry, opposes this view. He said, “It doesn’t really bother me.”
Some people think that as stamp prices continue to rise, people will stop using snail mail. Michelle Higdon, sophomore history, said, “That is crazy. They cost enough already. Just one more reason people will stop sending things [by] snail mail.”
Postal worker P.R. Horvat, however, said that it is crazy for people to complain about a penny or two every couple of years.
She said, “There is no charge for the carriers to go to the houses. That’s why prices are so cheap. Compared to UPS, our prices are very reasonable. Everything costs money.”
According to UPS.com, the cost to ship a letter is more than the price the United States Post Office charges to ship a letter. UPS charges for delivery to the home.
The United States Post Office is not expected to lose business as the price of stamps rise gradually. Packages will continue to need to be shipped. The next price rise is expected to occur closer to summer. Even with price changes, people will still find the use of the postal system a necessity.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 12