Postal issues are understandably top of mind for today's direct mailers and keeping up with changes is important to being compliant and getting the most for postal dollars. In an effort to continually improve our service, Harte-Hanks provides the Postology Report. This monthly report is designed to keep you informed of the latest postal happenings and the impact of these changes on your business.

If you'd like to see a specific topic covered, or want to express an opinion on something shared here, please contact Charley Howard, Vice President of Postal Affairs, at charley_howard@harte-hanks.com.

Thanks for your continued interest!

In this Issue:

Issues on People's Minds

From the Postmaster General:
Many of you have expressed concerns regarding mailing costs for 2010. The tough economic climate has presented significant challenges to all of us and pessimistic speculation has suggested that postal prices could increase by as much as 10 percent...

Incentive Programs There is a new Incentive Program being offered by the United States Postal Service (USPS) called the "First-Class Mail Fall Incentive." This new program will provide mail owners of qualifying incremental cards, letters, and flats volume a 20 percent reduction

Service Performance

Not many people in the mailing industry realize that the USPS is required to report regularly on its service performance for all classes of mail. And, in fact, the USPS has indeed been reporting on its performance. It has targets to achieve and has plans to achieve them. But, as Pat Donahoe, COO of the USPS, reported during the last Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meeting, the most recent results are disappointing...

Here is a sampling of industry news from across the nation:

Postmaster General Jack Potter told U.S. News & World Report that "advertising mail is what allows us to finance universal service. If you eliminated advertising mail, then stamp prices would be much, much higher because we do make a profit on that mail...

Crienglish has reported that "Cuba expressed on Thursday its satisfaction with the result of the first round of talks with the United States to normalize the postal mail...

Ethanol Producer Magazine has reported that "The U.S. Postal Service announced it will add 1,000 E85 flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) to its fleet...

The Postmaster General has told a National PCC Day audience that the Postal Service is "working closely with Congress and the Administration on initiatives that are critical to the future of our business. We are seeking legislation in three key areas...