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Guest Column: Congress just delivered major postal reform legislation, so why is the US Postal Service ignoring it?

By KEVIN YODER, Keep US Posted
After the massive mail slowdowns and postage hikes of 2021, Congress took action to financially stabilize the U.S. Postal Service by passing a historic, bipartisan postal reform bill. The bill freed the Postal Service from an unreasonable 2006 law demanding that it pre-fund retiree health benefits 75 years in advance—a requirement that put billions of dollars on the Postal Service’s balance sheet each year and motivated it to keep hiking postage rates while reducing services. 

Delivering for America: An analysis of the U.S. Postal Service’s 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence

The following is a brief summary, with comments, of a 55-page document. The U.S. Postal Service understands it is not financially sustainable in its current form. It admits to being unable to provide dependable service, and is in need of major capital investment. Their network is described as broken. 
The USPS document provides, with numerous charts and exhibits, a 10-year plan to financial sustainability and reliable service. The plan depends on a series of changes and improvements to be successful. 

2021 postage rates for local newspapers mostly same as 2020, plus long-sought flats tray discount granted

Community newspapers got some sorely needed good news when the Postal Service filed its 2021 rate case Oct. 9. 
The new rates are effective Jan. 24, 2021.
Newspapers were truly winners, thanks in part to policies long promoted by NNA that reward best practices in sortation and entry point.

Electronic paid/requester subscriptions can count as valuable add-ons in certain circumstances

The ability to count electronic subscriptions on the annual postal Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation, PS Form 3526, has been established since 2012. I have not revisited the subject since then, when a third page was added to the form to make counting possible.
Newspapers selling e-subs, as commonly abbreviated, wanted to be able to count them on their sworn statement as legitimate proof to advertisers of the additional circulation. NNA worked for three years through various channels to make it happen.

Postal Q & A: Subscriptions in arrears, sacks vs. trays, etc.

Here are some recent questions and answers, without identities, to the NNA postal hotline, shared for their interest to publishers and circulation managers.

BMEU full-service mailers have transitioned to participate in Seamless Parallel

On May 8, the U.S. Postal Service published a final notice in the Federal Register notifying the mailing community that required mailers that enter full-service mailings at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) to participate in Seamless Parallel by June 1. In addition, the Postal Service provides advance notice of its intent: To require all mailers with an authorized Detached Mail Unit to enroll in the Seamless Acceptance Program by May 1, 2021; and to verify all BMEU-entered full-service mailings using only automated sampling and verification processes beginning July 1, 2021.

Postal Q & A: Value of IMb? Sampling problems

We are recapping recent questions to the NNA postal hotline shared for the benefit of others without identifying the newspaper( s) involved. 

Coronavirus issues affecting publications

Recap: I'm summarizing questions to the NNA Postal Hotline of interest to members.
The identity of the questioner and location is withheld.

Q:  I have a question about our periodical permit. All of our advertisers have pulled their ads until at least the first of May. We cannot make it as a small newspaper without these major advertisers. If we take a short recess from publishing for about 3-4 weeks, will we lose our permit? What do we need to do in order to do this? This is crucial for us to stay in business.

Previews of new USPS programs, procedures

A big part of NNA’s participation in the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) is getting a preview of new programs and procedures proposed by the Postal Service. The theory is that the representatives from the mailing industry will provide feedback to the Postal Service on the workability of these changes, and we do see where sometimes USPS modifies a proposal based on comments.
Some of the items of interest to NNA members from the most recent MTAC meeting in late January follow.

By MATT PAXTON,
National Newspaper Association

Mail volume to fall 18%, deliveries up 5%

The Postal Service’s updated five-year plan predicts mail volume will fall 18% during that period, while delivery points will grow by 5%, or 6.9 million. That, in turn, means revenue per delivery point (household or business) will decline 4%.
Those two projections, combined with ad dollars shifting to electronic channels, means trouble ahead for the Postal Service and its customers, including community newspapers. While privatization is not mentioned, that doesn’t mean forces in other parts of the government won’t be pushing in that direction.

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