Mulling over Daryl Stout to Steve Asher 14 Dec 2004

SA>I don't know about the USA, but Australian Christmas stamps are
  >usually cheaper than normal, as there was a big outcry about 20
  >years ago over a large increase in the price of postage, & Aust.
  >Post issued "card stamps" for 5 cents less than letter stamps,
  >for use when sending Christmas cards, marked "Card Only".

 DS>   While they have special commemorative stamps in the USA, the
 DS> price for a first class stamp is no different. And, the Postal
 DS> Service here is talking (again) about raising first class postage
 DS> up from 37 cents to 41 cents...blaming it on "people going to email
 DS> and other means". Well, if their service weren't so lousy around
 DS> here, they might still have folks using it.

The normal letter stamp is 50 cents, probably similar value to the US
one, & not too bad given the distances involved. Most mail is delivered
within a day or two, but the days when there were 2 deliveries on week
days & 1 on saturday are long gone ... it is mostly bills that I get
by post now.

 DS>   I've had some bill payments lost in the mail...just going across
 DS> town...and some across town mailings took almost 2 weeks to arrive
 DS> at their destination. I've gotten now where I call people and do an
 DS> "over the phone payment"...that way, I talk to someone, and I know
 DS> it gets done.

I pay quite a few bills at the post office these days, & get a receipt.
I don't recall ever losing a payment in the post, but I find it easy
enough to go to the P.O. to pay utility bills etc. I'm not looking
forward to being "educated" [forced] to do payments on-line, with all 
the hassles about authentication etc.

Cheers, Steve..

---