THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602160019
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
Sixty years ago, a 3-cent first-class letter would take nearly 10 days to get to L.A. by train. The cost has increased to 32 cents, an increase of 1,066 percent, and the lion's share of letters will be there in three days. At the same time, a $25,000 auto is a 5,550 percent increase over the $450 Chevy of that era, and the 5-cent loaf of bread has increased by more than 2,400 percent. Thirty-two cents still sounds like a bargain.
Junk mail is not the fault of the U.S. Postal Service but your elected politicians who see to it that the post office delivers this trash at reduced rates.
I find it incredible how the post office handles the billions and billions of pieces of mail on a yearly basis in such a magnificent and efficient manner.
I am not and have not been connected with the U.S. Postal Service in any way. I just appreciate the job the workers do for me on a daily basis.
BILL WHITESIDE
Virginia Beach, Feb. 1, 1996 by CNB