In 1989, a first-class stamp cost 25 cents and a semester of in-state tuition at the University of Kansas was $578. If the cost of the former had risen as fast as the cost of the latter, notes Topeka Capital-Journal columnist Ric Anderson, the stamp would go for $1.32 today rather than 44 cents. (An incoming KU freshman will pay $3,645 per semester this fall, as of tuition increases approved last week.)
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18 Comments
Rhonda, I’m confused, do you want more money for education or not?
You’ve posted several topics in the last few weeks BEGGING for more Government money for Education.
Don’t you care about the cheeeeeelderon?
A dollar-thirty-two is a bargain for slipping in a few petals from the rosebush outside her bedroom into an envelope and sending it to a researcher friend who’s summering north of the Arctic Circle.
And, even though the government participates in the business, UPS and FedEx seem to be doing okay.
(That, by the way, is a lesson to consider when the health care coverage issue gets around to Public Option. Even with private enterprise competing, those rose petals get to Alaska for 44 cents.)
The researcher is there under the aegis of the University of Kansas. Your tax-dollars at work, CONs. (And just so you CONs don’t jump to conclusions — she’s there exploring potential natural gas fields; she’s not up there hugging polar bears and baby seals.)
She tends to crank the electric blanket up to Broil when she visits. Maybe she’s storing it up for this summer. Maybe that’s why she’s so hot.
Ahhhhh….the Great Efficiency of the Postal Service.
I knew a Lib would think that!
You know, if they just raised the price of health care, we’d get better service too.
USPS Reports $2.8 Billion Year-End Loss — Declining Mail Volume Cited
The Postal Service concluded fiscal year 2008 with a net loss of $2.8 billion as the national economic slowdown lowered mail volume and as the Postal Service bore additional costs mandated by the Postal Act of 2006.
The loss occurred despite more than $2 billion in cost-cutting measures that included the use of 50 million fewer work hours compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the on-time delivery of First-Class mail reached record levels for FY 08. The year-end results were presented during today’s meeting of the Postal Service Board of Governors.
Mail volume in FY 08 totaled 202.7 billion pieces, a decline of 9.5 billion pieces, or 4.5 percent, compared to the previous fiscal year. Declining mail volume was a symptom of the worsening national economy, particularly related to the financial and housing industries and to trends toward the use of electronic mail.
Total revenue in FY 08 was $75 billion, unchanged from last year. Expenses totaled $77.8 billion, including the $5.6 billion payment required by the Postal Act of 2006 to pre-fund retiree health benefits.
http://www.usps.com/financials/#H2
So Government Regulation mandating the USPS to pre-fund retiree health benefits caused the loss.
That’s funny, the Government telling the USPS to pre-fund retiree health benefits, when the Government can’t even fund, much less pre-fund, its own retiree health benefits – Medicare!
USPS saw in 2008:
1. A decline in volume
So the business should do what? Sell more? Cut costs or put their hands out for a Government Bailout or postage increase?
2. Fuel costs dropped drastically
So the business takes credit for cutting costs? Right!
We have entered the Socialist Zone where time, space, and humans all become extremely warped.
“JimJohnson” gives us –
“Ahhhhh….the Great Efficiency of the Postal Service.
I knew a Lib would think that!”
And I knew a CON would have no refutation.
Here, “JimJohnson” –
This is a one-ounce envelope and here’s 44-cents.
YOU get it to a farm outside Hollyhock, West Virginia in a couple of days by yourself.
Keep the change.
Monkeybrain seems to think every letter gets an individual first class seat on an airplane.
I bet Monkeybrain marvels at the thermos too. The greatest invention ever made. It keeps hot stuff hot, and cold stuff cold. But, how do it know?
Monkeyhawk,
It cost 44 cents PLUS the cost of the tax money taken from you to keep the business operational. Heck, any money the USPS ever made was with our money. So it really cost me more than 44 cents to send something using USPS. Just wanted to clarify that for you.
Monkeyhawk,
It cost 44 cents PLUS the cost of the tax money taken from you to keep the business operational. Heck, any money the USPS ever made was with our money. So it really cost me more than 44 cents to send something using USPS. Just wanted to clarify that for you.
Sorry for the DP
Why does University of Kansas hate our children?
Austrian – not to mention the unfunded liabilities included in federal employee’s pensions. It’s something north of $5.8T according to USA Today a couple months ago (total includes unfunded military pensions as well). Wonder how long UPS/Fedex would get to stay in business carrying losses/unfunded liabilities like that….
DFB
Posted June 30, 2009 at 8:35 am | Permalink
Austrian – not to mention the unfunded liabilities included in federal employee’s pensions. It’s something north of $5.8T according to USA Today a couple months ago (total includes unfunded military pensions as well). Wonder how long UPS/Fedex would get to stay in business carrying losses/unfunded liabilities like that….
———————
Ahhh, but Government says:
Do as I say, not as I do.
In addition, isn’t it true that the USPS has a gauranteed monoploy on first class mail?
Yup LJ.
Another Gov’t run program, with zero choice.
Nationalized education – libs love the cost.
Gee, I thought it was bad when my tuition at KU went from $125 to $145 a semester!