So, the USPS slowing down is real

[MichaelR]

I think the USPS is one of the great government services especially for the rural public and I fear its privatization is on the way which will bring MUCH higher prices. It is a service which is why they must go to congress for funds and raise prices as a last resort. They have been hobbled as already mentioned by mandates requiting them to fund pensions for employs that haven't been born yet in an effort to privatize them and kill there union for years now. Everyone will regret its loss should wall-street get there hands on it.

[Gear_Junky]

It HAS TO cost more - that'll stop all the vapid junk mail (where the companies are taking advantage of the artificially low prices to send their crap to us). When something doesn't cost enough, it becomes unsustainable. Or in this case - an invisible drain on resources. It's like a memory leak in software - small at first, but eventually the whole system just freezes up. Yes, I'm the miser who hates to pay for shipping and I try to "avoid" it whenever I can. But I prefer market-set prices throughout. Something that is artificially low is ALWAYS at the cost of SOMETHING ELSE that is higher than it needs to be (in this case your taxes, not that you'd see them lowered if mail went private).