By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Before I share new thoughts, be aware that the Dec. 18 edition of the Carter County Times didn’t reach my mailbox in Morehead for 23 days.
That’s a distance of 35 highway miles on I-64, from Mile Markers 172 to 137. But some genius planner in the U. S. Postal Service also made that newspaper travel to and from Charleston, West Va., adding 160 miles.
I’m waiting for someone to explain how it makes sense for westbound mail from Kentucky to go to and from West Virginia in the opposite direction.
You readers who follow my commentaries know that I have suggested twice in recent months that the once reliable Post Office Department (it’s old name in history) has been mismanaged into a bureaucratic disaster.
However, recent comments by President-elect Donald Trump have given me hope that help might be on the way. He said last week that it could be time to “privatize” the postal service.
I hope that means the mission of the USPS will be outsourced to a company like UPS or FedEx, both of which are highly profitable corporations in the delivery business. Or that the USPS can be managed like those companies.
To further illustrate that drastic change is needed, here are some examples of what we postal patrons can expect in 2025 if the USPS trudges on in its current structure.
As it continues to lose billions of dollars annually and its once-efficient delivery service basically has gone to hell, here’s what the USPS is planning to do to us this year.
Prices will be increased on most, if not all services, including Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select.
The “Forever” stamps for first class mail went up twice last year and nine times in the last eight years to reach today’s price of 73 cents. That figure, however, could change after July 1. In 2007, those stamps cost 41 cents.
Official delivery time goals have been restated so waiting for our mail likely will take longer.
Finally, I hope you discover this commentary in your mailbox before Easter.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.
