Postal Service sells out to Time Warner

I'm sure you've heard that the price of stamps is about to go up again at the beginning of May but I hadn't heard a word about this egregious abuse of the postal service until today. It's simply ungodly. Is there any place left in our public services where corporations are not dictating policy?

[P]ostal regulators have now rejected a rate plan put forth by the Postal Service itself, and instead are preparing to accept a proposal from media giant Time Warner -- a rate plan that would stifle small and independent publishers in America. The plan unfairly burdens smaller companies (such as the publishers of Mother Jones, Ms. Magazine and Sojourners) with higher postage rates, while locking in special privileges for bigger media companies. The stunning move is an unprecedented abuse of the agency's discretion.

The Post Office simply should not use its monopoly power to favor the largest publishers and undermine the ability of smaller publishers to compete. It must be held accountable for a plan that could drive smaller publications to the brink of bankruptcy. With public involvement, we can reverse the regulators' decision and restore the postal system that has served free speech in America so well.

Why on earth Time Warner should even be making proposals is beyond me and I think they have this thing ass backwards. If anything, the big media corporations already have the advantage under eased consolidation rules and should pay more of the burden, not less.

There's going to a hearing on Tuesday. Working for Change has a petition at the link that I signed and I also left a outraged comment to be passed on to the regulators. I'd suggest you do the same.