Stamps increase one penny

By Vanessa Overholser - Staff Writer

May 02, 2008 12:04 pm

— A penny doesn’t sound like much but when fuel prices are high, a penny means a lot. Next Monday, May 12, the price for First Class Stamps is going up one penny.
“It is mainly for energy cost,” said Morehead Post Office Postmaster Gayle Shimfessel. “For every penny they increase in gas, it costs postal mail carriers anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 a day.”
The local mail carriers run ten routes and they travel 700 miles a day on rural routes alone. Also there are city mail carriers that travel 50 to 55 miles a day to deliver mail. There are many stops and starts. So the gas mileage for rural and city mail carriers is not very good, according to Shimfessel.
Postal carriers use their own vehicles for their jobs. The postal service reimburses them for the gas used during their routes. The gas hikes have been a terrible burden on the postal service.
“Right now it's kind of tough on us to keep up with the gas prices,” he said.” People do not realize that diesel is about $4.00 a gallon.”
Everything in this country is moved by truck if you stop and think about it. They could bring this country to its knees if they really wanted to, Shimfessel said.
“A penny in stamp cost is not going to cover the fuel cost,” he said.
Shimfessel said the price of bulk mail would increase. It depends on how much bulk mail is being sent that will determine the cost for each individual. The post office did not have more information on that subject at press time. However, Shimfessel did say that when he received the information it would be passed on to postal customers.

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