The Direct Marketing Association sent out the following to its members:
On November 8, 2011, the Senate Homeland security and Government Reform Committee voted to send the “21st Century Postal Service Act” to the Senate floor. When this bipartisan bill was introduced last week, it failed to properly protect catalog products from steep and immediate postage increases. DMA worked with key leaders in the Senate to create a provision that safeguards catalogs appropriately before the bill was passed out of the Committee.
Dear DMA Member:
Your Business is Being Threatened.
On Monday, the United States Postal Service (USPS) told the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that it will pursue its request for exigent – above inflation – postage increases. These increases would be above and beyond the already scheduled 2.1 percent increase set to take effect on January 22, 2012.
DMA believes that the future of the US Mail depends upon forward thinking. Rather than digging up the past, USPS should be looking forward and right-sizing its network, transportation, and employee complement. DMA immediately urged the PRC to reject the USPS’ plan, which relies upon old data and failed logic to support driving postage higher. This is not the time to drive more mail from the system.
On your behalf, DMA has already fought – and won – this battle once in 2010. Now we’re gearing up to win it for you once again. DMA successfully opposed the previous exigent case on the grounds that the circumstances didn’t warrant an exigent rate hike and that such a hike would in fact drive more mail out of the system at a time when USPS should be removing excess capacity.
Every step of the way, DMA has kept its members up to speed on the fast-moving postal debate. Our very own Direct from Washington e-newsletter delivers comprehensive information weekly. You have also had the opportunity to speak directly with postal policymakers through our “Postal Perspectives” Webinar Series, which focuses on the tough decisions and significant changes that must be made to improve the fiscal health of the USPS. These informal conversations with the policymakers at the center of the postal debate give you the opportunity to hear exactly what the experts are thinking about the future of USPS.
In addition to fighting rate increases at the PRC, DMA has been working hard to make sure that postal legislation in Congress safeguards the interests of all DMA members. We continue to work closely with key policymakers – on both sides of Capitol Hill, and both sides of the political aisle – and our efforts are really paying off.
- Just yesterday afternoon, the Senate Homeland security and Government Reform Committee voted to send the “21st Century Postal Service Act” to the Senate floor. When this bipartisan bill was introduced last week, it failed to properly protect catalog products from steep and immediate postage increases. DMA worked with key leaders in the Senate to create a provision that safeguards catalogs appropriately before the bill was passed out of the Committee.
- DMA was also successful in fighting two proposed amendments that would have required USPS to create a national “Do Not Mail” program. Because of our efforts, these amendments were not even considered by the Committee.
- We are also fighting to defend the lifeblood of nonprofit mailers. DMA was able to keep a harmful provision that would have slashed the nonprofit rate preference from being introduced in the Senate. We are also fighting hard to have a similar provision removed from legislation being considered in the House.
We are not resting on our laurels. Instead, we will take to Capitol Hill next week for a special DMA Postal Hill Day on November 17 in Washington, DC. A host of DMA catalogers and DMANF nonprofit mailers will join DMA’s Government Affairs team in meetings with senior Congressional staff leading the way on postal reform in Congress.
We encourage you to join the hundreds of DMA members that have already taken “DMAAction” to support our efforts in Washington. Explore our DMAAction website today to learn how you can tell Congress to safeguard the interests of the mailing community!
Sincerely,
Linda Woolley
EVP, Washington Operations
Direct Marketing Association
Yea but soon the new low $ and zip benefits network employees will come to find out?
“USPS should be looking forward and right-sizing its network, transportation, and employee complement.”
It seems thats what they are trying to do. You want to step up and help them?
The Direct Marketing Association members? are you AKA as the shareholders?
Well as a shareholder comes sharing?
When you go to Capitol Hill next week for your special DMA Postal Hill Day on November 17 in Washington, DC. Let them know you want to help them out with their right-sizing network and employee complement plan.
State your members wish to add another $25K to match Congress $25K per empolyee buyout.
Taking on a temporary rate hike to your members to cover this cost. As soon as its been paid your rates go back down to even lower rates to help you recoup your cost . After all unloading 220 thousands high cost employees is a huge savings and as so called shareholders? The savings over the long run could be Big?
Transportation this is where the Big Oil Boys come save saturday delivery.
Free gas on saturday to all postal service delivery trucks.
TV commericals, butter it up big too We at such an such care about helping save the delivery to every American household and business on saturdays by letting postal truck fill up free on saturdays…..Temp of course till they get there network down with the help of the Direct Marketing Association members.
To help get their cost back and maybe even make a profit out of it? they could throw in, So fill up at such and such while helping save the postal services saturday delivery at such an such 🙂
FYI, its not even 35 cents.
Most bulk mailers benefit from all sorts of discounts for various preparatory steps that are long obsolete due to automation.
I’d be surprised if the average “standard mail “letter paid more than 5 cents in postage.
The PO would be better processing half the mail at double the price, than continuing to allow this class of mail to pay FAR LESS than the cost to process and deliver it.
Forty Four cents: Go to USPS.com, scroll down to “Form and Publications”, find a form, look for the 3602-R under standard forms. Weight and drop ship discounts are built into the per piece + pound postage if applicable but it gives the numbers.
If i want to use the postal service to mail something to another persons mailbox im charged 44 cents.
For you mass mailers what is your cost to put your stuff on that same ride to that same mail box?
Is it forty cents? thirty five? you are asking Congress to safeguard the interests of the mailing community! What is their cost to take that ride?
Would love to hear from The Direct Marketing Association Members Just what are your nonprofit rates, presorted standard rates and junk mail rates to get on that same ride my forty four cents pays to that same persons mailbox?