[press release]
Santa’s post office getting busier and busier!
Thousands of letters already received; Santa expected to answer more than 1.5 million this season from children all over the world

NORTH POLE, Canada, Nov. 5, 2014 /CNW/ – Each year, the holiday season puts a spotlight on popular toys and new exciting trends, but one timeless holiday tradition is still going strong for children all over the world. Already, Santa’s post office is reporting letters are pouring in – with the first one received in July, reminding Santa to eat well and exercise in anticipation of a very busy holiday season.

Santa’s Chief Postal Elf Holly T. Elf is reporting that already some 10,000 letters have come in, keeping postal elves busy. An increase of about 10% in letters is expected this year, meaning that Santa’s post office could answer over 1.5 million letters this season in more than 30 languages, including Braille. Santa and his 6,000 postal elves will ensure that each and every letter will get a response in time for Christmas.

“I encourage all the girls and boys to send their letter to Santa soon,” says Holly T. Elf, who started working at the North Pole post office more than 30 years ago. “And don’t forget to include your return address. While Santa knows where your house is, the postal elf team needs your address to ensure your letter will be delivered on time.”
All letters to Santa should be mailed before December 16 to give Santa enough time to send a letter back. Postage is not required for letters to Santa – but encouraging proper addressing is a good learning experience for all. Santa’s address is:

Santa Claus
North Pole
Canada HOH OHOK

About Santa’s post office
Canada Post’s national Santa Letter-writing Program officially began 33 years ago, though local programs began even earlier. For the past 13 years, the program has averaged one million letters or more a year and in total answered more than 23.2 million letters. The program could not exist without the help of current and retired employees of Canada Post who volunteer their time to ensure each letter is answered. The company extends its sincere thanks to all volunteers. To learn more about Santa’s post office please visit canadapost.ca/santa or view Santa’s video message here.

Update October 14th: Susan McGowan is still head of Stamp Services; she is on a detail with the “sales group.” “We expect her to return,” USPS spokesman Mark Saunders told The Virtual Stamp Club.

The decision to replace Susan McGowan as manager of USPS Stamp Services was reported by Bill McAllister of Linn’s Stamp News less than a day before what is supposed to be the Postal Service’s “blockbuster issue” was released, Batman. No reason was given.

McGowan had a rocky relationship with stamp collectors. With the stamp collecting press, too. Jay Bigalke of Linn’s Stamp News (shown interviewing McGowan at the National Postal Museum last September) first met McGowan when she chewed him out at AmeriStamp Expo 2013. Bigalke had reported on upcoming issues for 2013, which Stamp Services had not yet announced.

McGowan will be replaced, at least on an interim basis, by Cindy Tackett (left), a long-time staffer in Stamp Services who has often worked directly with stamp collectors.

More details are on the Linn’s website. You can leave your comments right here. Some of Lloyd’s thoughts are in his radio feature.

To replace Benjamin Bailar and fill other vacancies, the USPS is appointing the following four people to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee: Carolyn Gallagher, former USPS Governor; Katherine Tobin, past member of CSAC; Peter Argentine, documentary film producer, works closely with museums; and Justin Bua, artist, author, speaker and entrepreneur, “Distorted Urban Realism,” host, producer of “Street Art Throwdown” which debuts in January on the Oxygen Network.

Their terms are three years, and run from October 2014 to January 2017 (?).

The USPS press release:

Postmaster General Appoints New Members to Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe appointed noteworthy individuals to his committee that evaluates 40,000 stamp proposals annually before submitting approximately 25 to 30 stamp recommendations for his review and approval. The new members are Peter Argentine, Justin Bua, Carolyn Lewis and Katherine Tobin.

The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), created in 1957, evaluates all stamp proposals received by the Postal Service. Committee members, appointed by the Postmaster General, provide expertise on history, science and technology, art, education, sports and other subjects of public interest.

“We are truly grateful and honored to have these accomplished individuals serve on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Their diverse backgrounds, perspectives and extraordinary talents support our goal to broaden interest in stamp collecting to more audiences and enhance our world-class stamp program that remains second to none,” said Donahoe.

“Every time a new member joins CSAC the energy level goes up a notch and the stamp program benefits,” said CSAC Chairwoman Janet Klug who also serves as immediate past president of the American Philatelic Society Board of Directors and serves as chair of the New Initiatives Committee on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. Klug is an author and columnist for several stamp collecting publications. “I am delighted to welcome these outstanding individuals to the committee and look forward to the creative energy they will bring,” she said.

Peter Argentine is founder of Argentine Productions, Inc., a company specializing in media design and production for museums, national parks, visitor centers, science centers and television. His television work has taken him to remote corners of the world, and includes national productions at WGBH Boston and WQED Pittsburgh for PBS, as well as for Discovery Channel and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His projects in American history, natural history, and science have involved collaborating with partners at the White House Historical Association, National Park Service, World Wildlife Fund, and the National Academy of Sciences. He began his career in the education department of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and has earned numerous awards for his work, including a Special Jury Award for Best Exhibit Program from CINE. He earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and a master’s degree in international relations as a Benton Fellow in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Chicago.

Justin Bua is an award-winning artist, author, speaker and entrepreneur. Born in 1968 in New York City’s Upper West Side and raised between Manhattan and East Flatbush, Brooklyn, he attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts and complemented his education on the streets by writing graffiti and performing as a breakdancer on worldwide tours. Bua earned a B.F.A. at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and taught figure drawing at the University of Southern California for 10 years. Bua created the artistic genre known as “distorted urban realism”, and his works have been shown in museums and galleries around the world. Beyond art, Bua has authored two books, and he has created, produced and performed in several television series, and directed the Ovation TV documentary, “Walk This Way: the DMC Story.” In 2012, Bua received an NAACP Image Award and a Telly Award for his art direction in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s documentary film “On the Shoulders of Giants.” Bua is host, executive producer and co-creator of the upcoming Oxygen television series “Street Art Throwdown.”

Carolyn Lewis was a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors from 2004 to 2010, and also served as chairman. She is the former CEO of Texwood Furniture, Inc., and has served on numerous private and public sector boards. In 2003, Lewis served on the President’s Commission on the United States Postal Service, which submitted the report “Embracing The Future.” In 1976, Lewis earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and in 1982, a master’s degree from the Harvard Business School. She has been a community leader in Austin, TX, for many years, chairing numerous non-profit boards.

Katherine C. Tobin joined the committee in 2013, is a commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and was a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors from 2006-2009. There, she helped set policies on all postal matters. Tobin brings 15 years of experience as a business manager, market researcher and consultant to CSAC, having worked in corporate America at Hewlett-Packard and IBM. In 2009, she was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Performance Improvement at the Department of Education. Tobin earned doctoral and master’s degrees from Stanford University’s School of Education. She earned a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Massachusetts’ School of Education, and a bachelor’s in English with honors from Skidmore College.

Former Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar, who joined CSAC in 2007, is leaving the committee. Bailar served as Postmaster General from 1975 to 1978.

“The Postal Service is grateful to Benjamin for his service and contributions to the Committee, and before that, as Postmaster General,” said Donahoe. “His invaluable assistance in the complex process of recommending stamp subjects and stamp designs has been vital to helping the Postal Service produce a superior stamp program.”

Submitting Stamp Suggestions
Due to the time required for research and approval in the stamp selection process, ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three years before the proposed issuance. Each submission should include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with the subject. No in-person appeals are accepted. Mail suggestions to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee at the address below.

Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

NOLA.com/Times-Picayune writer Jarvis DeBerry makes fun of stamp collectors who are unhappy with the commercialization and pop-culturization of the U.S. stamp program.

It’s a well-written piece that shows a knowledge of the subject: DeBerry notes Monday’s USPS announcement that its losses continue to mount. (That doesn’t mean I think DeBerry is correct, just that he read up on the subject before writing it.)

Make sure you take a look at the poll embedded in the article.

DeBerry’s column is an amusing read, and an insight into how outsiders view stamps, stamp collecting, and the choice of subjects for U.S. stamps.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Reports 2.0 Percent Revenue Increase, $2.0 Billion Loss in Quarter 3
· Shipping and Package Services Revenue Up 6.6 Percent
· January Price Increase Offsets Continued Volume Loss in First-Class Mail, Driving All Mail Revenue Up $424 Million
· Need for Comprehensive Legislation Remains Urgent

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service ended the June 30, 2014, quarter with a net loss of $2.0 billion, compared to a net loss of $740 million for the same period last year. The Postal Service has recorded a loss in 21 of the last 23 quarters, the excepted quarters being the two in which Congress rescheduled the Retiree Health Benefits prefunding payments.

Revenue continues to improve as a result of the Postal Service’s January mail price increase, successful sales and marketing initiatives, and continued success in growing the package business. Total operating revenue of $16.5 billion increased by $327 million, or 2.0 percent, compared to the same period last year.

Shipping and Package revenue was up 6.6 percent. Standard Mail revenue was up 5.1 percent, driven by a 0.9 percent increase in volume and the January 2014 price increase. First-Class Mail volume was down 1.4 percent, but the January price increase offset this decline, resulting in a 3.2 percent revenue increase.

“We’re seeing momentum in our package business and continued use of direct mail as an advertising medium,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Donahoe. “We’ve been effective in developing and marketing our products, and we’re improving how we leverage data and technology—all providing a higher return on mail for many customers and causing them to take a fresh look at the Postal Service.”

Total operating expenses for the third quarter of 2014 were $18.4 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion from the same period last year, driven mainly by the Workers’ Compensation fair value adjustment. Compensation and benefits expenses increased by $15 million, or 0.1 percent, compared to the third quarter of 2013, as contractual pay increases were offset by work-hour reductions and more efficient use of available labor flexibility.

“Due to continued losses and low levels of liquidity, we’ve been extremely conservative with our capital, spending only what is deemed essential to maintain existing infrastructure,” said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. “To continue to provide world-class service and remain competitive, we must invest up to $10 billion to replace our aging vehicle fleet, purchase additional package sorting equipment, and make necessary upgrades to our infrastructure.”

Corbett also said that the organization will be unable to make the required $5.7 billion retiree health benefit prefunding payment to the U.S. Treasury, due by Sept. 30, 2014. Comprehensive postal legislation is necessary to eliminate this liability and provide a basis for the Postal Service to return to long-term financial health.

This quarter’s results were improved as a result of implementing the exigent price increase, which the Postal Regulatory Commission has ruled as a surcharge to be collected only until the Postal Service recovers a total amount of $3.2 billion of incremental revenue, estimated to occur in the second half of 2015. The Postal Service has petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the PRC’s order on the exigent price increase. Among other things, the Postal Service’s position is that the PRC improperly and artificially limited the amount of relief to which the Postal Service was entitled as a result of the Great Recession.

Following is a summary of third quarter results of Operations compared to same period last year.
· Total mail volume of 37.7 billion pieces compared to 37.8 billion pieces

o Shipping and Package volume increased 7.7 percent.
o Standard Mail volume increased 0.9 percent.
o First-Class Mail volume declined 1.4 percent. This was the 32nd consecutive quarterly decline for First-Class Mail volume.

· Operating revenue of $16.5 billion increased $327 million or 2.0 percent.

Operating expenses before non-cash workers’ compensation and Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund expenses of $16.5 billion increased from $16.3 billion, a 1 percent change.

Complete financial results are available in the Form 10-Q, available at http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/welcome.htm

Former Postmaster General Benjamin F. Bailar has quit the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee, reports Linn’s Stamp News, saying it has becoming overly concerned with making money for the USPS and not with the significance of the stamps the U.S. issues. Bailar was a serious stamp collector before he became PMG, and remains an APS member, so this reduces the number of “real” stamp collectors on CSAC further. The Linn’s story is here.

According to the article by Linn’s Washington Correspondent Bill McAllister, Bailar’s letter to Postmaster General Patrick J. Donahoe is scathing at points.

“In my opinion the stamp program should celebrate the things that are great about the United States and serve as a medium to communicate those things to a world-wide audience. To prostitute that goal in the pursuit of possibly illusory profits does not make sense to me,” he wrote.

What’s important to remember is that Bailar isn’t a “philatelic battlefield conversion,” one of these postal stamp functionaries who, when asked if he is a stamp collector, says, “I am now.” Bailar was a stamp collector before he became Postmaster General (1975-78) and after. See the VSC radio feature with him from 2007. Read his comments at the dedication of the Gordon and Mary Morison Pavilion at the American Philatelic Center earlier that year. (The photo above was taken at that event.)

But Bailar also has solid business credentials. He’s a graduate of Harvard Business School, according to Wikipedia, and has worked for several major corporations.

One more quote from the letter, as quoted in the Linn’s article: “The idea that the stamp program can make a meaningful contribution at the Postal Service is not realistic.”

Stamp sales are a drop in the bucket of USPS revenues. They are a drop in the bucket of the USPS deficit. They do garner publicity for the USPS, but to what end? If you want to mail a birthday card to your mother, chances are you won’t use UPS or FedEx. The USPS has no competitors in U.S. mail delivery.

Bailar says membership on CSAC is no longer rewarding. Indications are he is not the only established stamp collector to quit the panel for that reason.

Bailar’s departure leaves Janet Klug, a well-known philatelist, former American Philatelic Society president, exhibit judge and columnist, as Chair of CSAC. And perhaps nominee for for Philatelic Sisyphus of The Decade.

Office supply chain Staples and the U.S. Postal Service are ending a pilot program to put postal counters inside Staples stores that would have been staffed by non-union Staples employees. The decision comes just a few days after the country’s biggest teachers union called for a boycott of Staples, just as the lucrative back-to-school buying season was beginning.

There had also been protests outside some stores recently.

There are articles about the cancellation of the program in The Wall Street Journal and on Reuters.

Several people connected with the U.S. Postal Service hinted broadly that there would be such an issue in the not-too-distant future, and one later confirmed it. However, it won’t be next year or probably the year after, because the USPS is spacing out its automotive issues.

Will they be classic pickup trucks, like this one at the NATS-East auto show?

Or something a little jazzier?

We don’t know, but it should be another fun issue.

In an interview for a March 14, 2014, article in Rolling Stone about the Jimi Hendrix stamp, USPS director of stamp services Susan McGowan says the 2015 Music Icons stamps will not honor rock ‘n roll musicians.

“I definitely see that we need to pay a little honor to some other genres that haven’t been covered,” she says. “For example, jazz is something that will be in the foreseeable future, or Motown and types of music that we need to recognize.”