Columnist Ann McFeatters doesn’t let the facts get in the way of anti-postal rant
TweetThe column by Scripps Howard “White House reporter” Ann McFeatters (no, I’ve never heard of her before, either) starts ominously: “That birthday card from Grandma with the $20 bill tucked inside could be a thing of the past, thanks to your government.”
And what evil agency is going to stop Grandma? You guessed it:
“It seems that the U.S. Postal Service raises the cost of a postage stamp every few weeks.”
Now I realize that as we age time seems to go by faster and faster, but is Ms. McFeatters so old that a year and a half seems like a few weeks? The USPS last raised first class postage rates in May of 2009. The proposed two cent increase would go into effect in January 2011, 19 months later. I can’t really think of too many services that go that long between price adjustments.
Ms. McFeatters can, though! She says “Competitors such as FedEx and UPS seem to be able to stay in business quite profitably without constantly raising rates. Why can’t the huge Postal Service?”
Ann apparently doesn’t actually use either FedEx or UPS, or she might be aware of the fact that both companies raise their rates every year, in January. You might think that McFeatters would have checked her facts, but apparently Scripps Howard doesn’t feel the need for columns to be factual. After all, if she had bothered to actually verify what she was writing, she wouldn’t have had much of a column left!
The ignorance of postal and private rate history almost distracts you from the underlying premise of the column- that poor Grandmas across the country who can afford to send out $20 bills as gifts will somehow be unable to come up with 2 cents more to do so. I may be going out on a limb here, but let me just toss out a thought: maybe send a check for $19.98?
Fortunately, the readers of poor Anne’s column have been helpfully pointing out her errors- here are some samples:
We have the right to freedom of speak in America but please ….. do your research before you print such nonsense. The total impact per person with a 2 cent increase is less than 5 dollars per year. How much has everything else gone up?
If a few cents will keep someone from sending a greeting card or gift cross country, I would have to question the sincerity of the sentiment anyway….Please, by any reckoning the Postal Service is a bargain. I can’t believe howmany people say the have stopped sending holiday cards because it is too expensive…Right, it is the least expensive way to tangibly say, “I’m thinking of you at this time” around. Get real!
Ms. McFeatters obviously does not reseach before she writes. 50 cent stamps someday? Of course. Eventually they will be a dollar. Please name me an item of something that has went down in price. Our local newspaper was 25 cents 10 years ago…today it is 75 cents. Milk, bread, gasoline…pick anything…all have increased. Postage increases have been well below the rate of inflation since 1970. An increase every few weeks? The last was 15 months ago. Please check FedEx and UPS, as they have raised their rates more often. Yes, look at their profits. USPS is not allowed to make a profit. Please, go online and visit UPS, FedEx, USPS…research how much it costs to mail something overnight, 2 days, whatever…do your research
Just so you know Fedex and UPS are raising rates in January just like every year. Did you research at all.
via Watch: The 50-cent postage stamp can’t be far off | ScrippsNews.
July 30th, 2010 12:57
Wow Ms Mcfeatters surely does not let the facts interfere with her column. When I wrote for a high school newspaper in the dark ages we had to verify our facts before we wrote a column. How journalism has changed! Perhaps she needs to contemplate a carrier change. There are enough personalities out in the public spinning their own stories to tailor their own agendas.I am glad I do not rely on her organization for my news.
July 30th, 2010 14:45
No, the price of a stamp doesn’t go up every few weeks and the wait in a postal line is not eternity. Let’s try to stay real here.
If anything the price of the card you’re sending has gone up faster and higher than the stamp.
Does the Post Office have problems? Yes they do. But let’s not assume problems where there are none.
July 31st, 2010 22:44
Lets be honest even though she is blowing smoke up her readers you know what. We as an organization must grab a hold of reality. he days of the mail man are numbered. We all have heard the comparison to the milk man. It’s true mail is dead if the Ppost office is to survive we must attack the parcel business. I’m so sick and tired of the unions playing their role in this mess. They know that mail delivery is coming to a screching halt but they keep breathing false hope into our lungs. Our mail vol has fallen so much it’s nuts. I wonder how I am getting a check at times to be honest. Management is spending billions on mail processing and flat sorting equipment why?
August 10th, 2010 21:44
Ms. McFeatters,
Your comments about the post office made me think about some points you don’t mention. You are jumping to conclusions without investigating what the real problems are. First the .50 stamp seem high but what do you get for the .50? You get a letter or card that can go from your small Post Office to anywhere in the U.S. in 1-2 days and deliver it to the house or address you want very accurately. Your Mail Carrier is the only person some of the people even see, but before they raise the price there are some things that could be done
1) Make non profit and official mailer who mail below cost have their rate increased. Watch your mail you will be surprised at the .05, .08, .09 letters being sent everyday. For example, your non-profit groups such as Ed Meese, George Bush’s Library and others get very cheap postage, but pay their executives very large salaries.
2) Close the very small post office, they were needed at one time but now are obsolete.
3) Advertise on postal vehicles about stamps, package delivery, post office hours, etc.
4) Use the system they have in place to deliver more packages. Post Office package delivery is cheaper than Fed Ex and UPS. Why do you think they use the Post Office to delivery packages that are out of the way?
If they go to the 5 day a week delivery it will be the end of the Postal Service as you know it. After it goes to 5 days, then 4 then 3, then out of business. At the 5 day deliver over 32,000 letter carriers will lose their job, not counting clerks – mail handlers – supervisors etc. When the postal service is gone the .50 stamp will be considered cheap (you don’t see Fed Ed or UPS delivering a letter for .50)
Thank you
Randy Yates
September 2nd, 2010 21:01
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