Nearly 50,000 one-cent stamps have been sold recently at the Lihu’e Post Office, and many people are also buying rolls and sheets of the new 34-cent stamps as Kaua’ians adapt to higher postage that’s now just three days away, reports
Nearly 50,000 one-cent stamps have been sold recently at the Lihu’e Post
Office, and many people are also buying rolls and sheets of the new 34-cent
stamps as Kaua’ians adapt to higher postage that’s now just three days away,
reports Wayne Wakumoto, Lihu’e postmaster.
The cost to mail a one-ounce
letter via first-class mail moves from 33 cents to 34 cents this Sunday. And
just as many people waited until the last minute to mail Christmas packages
over the holidays, Wakumoto fears a last-minute rush on the new stamps and
one-cent stamps as the rate hike nears.
Signs have been posted at all the
island’s post offices about the increase. Wakumoto said friendly reminders from
his staff during the holiday mailing season will help, but he still envisions
long lines at the Lihu’e Post Office through this weekend.
“Next time
you’re nearby, pick up some new-rate stamps,” he said.
They’re on sale in
post office lobby vending machines and at the service counters. The new stamps
and the one-centers are also available by calling toll-free 1-800-STAMP24
(1-800-782-6724), asking your carrier for an order form, or on-line through
www.usps.com.
There is about an even mix of business and personal letters
mailed via first-class mail, Wakumoto estimated.
The rate for postcards
remains 20 cents. But several other services will cost customers more,
effective this Sunday. The cost of a one-pound priority mail package will
become $3.50, and the cost for a priority mail package between one and two
pounds will move from $3.20 to $3.95.
“Our goal is to make each class pay
for its own way – the true cost,” said Felice Broglio, U.S. Postal Service
spokeswoman in Honolulu.
Inflation and rising fuel costs are the reasons
for the rate increases, she said. The Postal Service is mandated by Congress to
run a break-even operation, and for the federal fiscal year ended Sept. 30,
2000, the service lost $199 million.
For a multi-billion-dollar business,
that’s not that much of a loss, said Broglio, explaining the cyclical nature of
Postal Service financial reports: In the first year after a rate increase, the
service makes money. In the second year, it breaks even. In the third year, it
loses money.
Broglio was awaiting word Wednesday from Postal Service
supervisors in Washington, D.C. about whether a one-day grace period would be
allowed for people who forget about the rate increase and mailed letters with
just 33 cents of postage attached.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be
reached at pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
