Since its inception 233 years ago, the U.S. Postal Service has faced competition. First it was the Pony Express, then the telephone, private delivery services and fax machines.
Today, with the increasing use of the Internet, the USPS is facing its biggest challenge yet. As consumers switch to paying bills and other services online, the volume of first-class mailings, the Postal Service's most profitable, is shrinking fast. Postal officials are expecting an operating deficit of $1 billion this year.
So the Postal Service will make up the revenue the way it always has: by raising the price of a first-class stamp by a penny in May. But it may be time for a change that has been discussed for decades: five-day delivery.
From the beginning, the Postal Service has served everyone, and done it with a universal rate. Most private delivery services have five-day delivery. Ending Saturday mail deliveries was considered in 2001 but was rejected after the public, bulk mailers and Congress protested.
But how does the public feel about yearly increases in first-class stamps? Better yet, Americans should take a close look at the mail they receive today and ask if there is anything there that could not have waited until Monday.
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