Postage Protest

In response to the USPS proposed raising the cost of first-class stamps from 44 cents to 46 cents, a coalition of associations, non-profits and businesses called the Affordable Mail Alliance has been formed according to the Association and Non-Profit BisNow website.

The group, which has 630 members, includes the Magazine Publishers Association , Direct Marketing Association and PostCom, the association for Postal Commerce.

Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers executive director, and spokeperson for the group, Tony Conway is quoted as saying, "Our people are outraged. It's unprecedented, right now with the economy the way it is, the damage it's going to do."

He goes on to say this is the first time the USPS has argued for a rate increase on the basis of immediate financial concern. Tony, who worked for USPS for 34 years, says proposed increase would be about ten times the rate of inflation.

The article points out that Consumers Union, the non-profit which publishes Consumer Reports, estimates that it would have a $2.5 million increase in postage if the proposal goes through. A small Catholic charity providing human services in Illinois says that a 5% increase in postage would cost it $56K. The non-profit gets 85% of its income from direct mail, and the group estimated that cutting back one or two mailings could result in lost income of $250K to $500K.

Shown above, Tony Conway and 32-cent philanthropy stamp issued by the U.S. in 1998.

To read the entire piece, click here.