Trash, DAMNED trash, and )%^&*#&$@$&*%^$! junkmail

[unixronin]

I have decided that I want junkmail to be a crime.  Conservation violation.  $1 per offense.

Each separate item mailed to each separate address to be considered a separate offense.

...Well, OK, no.  I'm not really serious about making it a crime.  But I DO want junk mail to be tariffed at a surcharged rate, not a discounted rate, and I want the US Post Office to be required to set up a means for any postal recipient to file a preference that says "Do not EVER deliver any mail to this address that is not individually addressed by name to a current resident", and then abide by it.  We just came within one semi-chance comment of losing a $450 unemployment check that got accidentally trashed because it was interleaved with a sheaf of ()%*)(@*&$(*&^()#%*&@%_)*@$^%$!! grocery-store circulars and advertising postcards.

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[fruitylips.livejournal.com]

As USPS points out, it is discounted because you're doing some of the work for them.

http://pe.usps.com/businessmail101/getstarted/bulkMail.htm

What would actually happen if Bulk Mail and First Class rates were the same is that the USPS would see costs go way up because no one would do the presorting work for them. Revenue would go up about enough to cover that and then we'd be back here talking about how USPS is dying.

USPS is in trouble because 1st class delivery is down 22% cos who in the hell uses USPS for anything important anymore? During that same period, USPS has basically stayed the same size.

What used to happen is that massive 1st class postal usage in urban areas subsidized rural delivery. The fact that USPS charges the same fee for a 1st class letter from me to go to the house next door as to my cousin up in Seward, Alaska is a big chunk of their problem.

Heck, the bulk mail rates are one of the few things that the USPS does right...they actually charge customers the rates based on what it costs them to fulfill the requested service.