For Immediate Release Release No. 07-1

March 23, 2007 www.mailers.org

Contact: Robert E. McLean bmclean@mailers.org 703-418-0390

Mailers Council Calls on USPS Board of Governors to Avoid Another Rate Case Under 1970 Statute

WASHINGTON, DC, March 23, 2007— Mailers Council Executive Director Robert E. McLean today released the following statement regarding postage rate cases filed by the United States Postal Service:

“Recently PRC Chairman Dan Blair suggested that the Postal Service should look to the future regarding postage rate increases, asking, ‘… does it make sense to litigate an omnibus rate case at the same time everyone is trying to develop a new system?’ We believe it does not make sense and strongly encourage the Postal Service to avoid another rate case under a statute approved in 1970. A rate case filed during or immediately after the current rate case will give many mailers an incentive to leave a postal system that is continually changes its prices and rules—often with inadequate time to prepare for them.”

“Last December Congress passed and President Bush signed into law HR 6407, now Public Law 109-435, postal reform legislation that created a new system for raising postage rates. Although the bill and the many new rules it includes is now in effect, it allows the Postal Service to file one more rate case under the system established in the now outdated legislation implemented 35 years ago. We encourage the Postal Service’s Board of Governors to avoid such a costly and difficult rate case and to publicly state its intention to raise rates going forward only under the new process.

“The need for this new rate-setting process was the reason why the Mailers Council, whose members represent more than 70% of all mail in this country, began encouraging passage of postal reform legislation more than a decade ago. It is also a fundamental reason why Congress and the White House approved PL 109-435. Today we have a new process that can achieve reasonable, more predictable rate increases, without spending hundreds of millions of dollars in litigation as mailers did under the old process.”

The Mailers Council is a coalition of corporations, nonprofit organizations, and major mailing associations. Collectively the Council accounts for 70 percent of the nation's mail volume. The Mailers Council believes that the USPS can be operated more efficiently, supports efforts aimed at lowering postal costs, and has the ultimate objective of containing postal rates without compromising service.

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Bob McLean, CAE

Executive Director

Mailers Council

2001 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1004

Arlington, VA 22201-3617

P 703-418-0390

F 703-416-0014

bmclean@mailers.org