Postal Workers $800,000 Pig-Out

Let's create some MORE government workers just like these!

As the Congress prepares to have the U.S. government take over the health care system, let’s check in on on how one of Uncle Sam’s other bloated bureacracies is doing.

The United States Postal Service is predicting its budget will be $7.8 billion in the red in 2010.

While one might think the Postal Service would be looking to tighten its belt here and there, instead there is a new Inspector General report showing postal workers and management blew through nearly a million dollars in just the last five months stuffing their faces with appetizers, lavishing themselves with gifts …and it was our treat!

Tad DeHaven of the CATO Institute has this review of the postal porking.

Here’s a little history of the price of postage stamps from the “way-back” machine at Consumer Education.com:

In July 1885, a first class letter only cost two cents to mail. That rate increased to three cents during World War I, but was reduced back to two cents in July 1919 where it stayed for the next 13 years. The first class stamp rate increased in cost to three cents for the second time in July 1932 where it remained for 26 years until an increase to four cents in August 1958.

Since the increase to four cents in August 1958, the cost of first class postage rose in one-, two-, or three-cent increments at least once every five years until April 1988. The rate jumped from 25 cents in April 1988 to 29 cents in February 1991. There were two more increases in the nineties. In 1995, Americans saw an increase to 32 cents; in January 1999, first class stamp rates rose to 33 cents.

The price of the 42 cent first class stamp is scheduled to go to 44 cents in May 2011 because, after all, United States postal workers have pigs to feed!

Here’s why the CATO Institute supports privatizing the U.S. Postal Service.