November 24, 2015

The Nonprofit Times–Postal Rates To Stay The Same, Might Even Drop, By Andy Segedin – November 19, 2015:  “The United States Postal Service’s (USPS) leadership has publicly committed to having no general price increases for letter and flat mail in 2016. An overall price decrease for such mailings is possible for later in the year.

The news follows an announcement earlier this year that USPS will begin increasing costs for shipping services, which are priced separately from flat and letter mail, by an average of 9.5 percent in January, according to Stephen M. Kearney, executive director of the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers (ANM) in Washington, D.C. Potential savings might come down the pike in the form of a rolled back 4.3 percent exigent surcharge that all mailers have been paying for the past year and a half, Kearney said.”

The Washington Post–Ordinary Americans can show Congress how to save the U.S. Postal Service, By Steven Kull – November 22, 2015: “There is a financial crisis facing the U.S. Postal Service. In fiscal 2015, it lost $5.1 billion, even though its revenues were up. Yet, as dire as its financial picture may be, Congress has done little to fix the Postal Service.

So what would ordinary Americans say should be done, if they were in Congress’ shoes? Would they do any better at finding bipartisan agreement on solutions?

In a new survey (pdf), a representative group of 2,256 registered voters — called a “Citizen Cabinet” — went through an online simulation in which they were briefed on the issues, presented with the various options Congress is considering, and then made recommendations on what they would do to fix the Postal Service.”

The Washington Post– A body at rest: Congress planning a light schedule for next year, By Mike DeBonis, November 23, 2015: “The approaching holidays have many Americans counting the days until they can kick back, relax and celebrate with their families and friends.

For members of Congress, that count is especially short.

Both the House and the Senate are away for their customary Thanksgiving recess this week, and the House plans only 12 more days of business this year.

The long trend toward shorter stints in Washington and longer “district work periods” back home has continued in the 114th Congress, and next year looks to be even more relaxed: Congressional calendars released earlier this month show that the Senate plans to spend no more than 143 days legislating next year, with the House planning only 111 days in Washington.”

The USPS Office of Inspector General—Getting Real, November 23, 2015: “Like wreaths and garlands decorating your favorite retail store, the U.S. Postal Service’s holiday ads let you know the holiday season has officially started.

The ads – television, radio, and direct mail – focus on reliable package delivery. No surprise there as the Postal Service expects to deliver about 600 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, a 10.5 percent increase over the 2014 holiday season. This year, however, the ads also tout some of the bells and whistles the Postal Service has added to package delivery to enhance the customer experience.”