The bolding below is mine.  It is imperative that we move forward, and work together with the USPS towards a sustainable future for us all…there is a lot more work to be done.

CONGRATULATIONS! After hours of hearings and thousands of statements the Postal Regulatory Commission has rejected the Postal Service’s demand for a massive rate hike above the rate of inflation. Now the Postal Service will be obliged to follow the law and keep any rate increase within the legal limit, equal to the rate of inflation.

Thank you to every member of the Alliance and particularly to Senator Susan Collins for her leadership and advocacy for the future of the Postal Service.
There is more work to be done to ensure that the Postal Service gets its costs under control and the Alliance stands ready to work with the Postal Service and Congress to do everything possible.

The Affordable Mail Alliance will continue to work with the Postal Service to eliminate excess capacity and costs in the system. Additionally, the Alliance will press Congress to correct the overfunding of postal pensions so that mailers are not taxed to subsidize other government programs.

We’re proud of our work in the last three months, creating the Affordable Mail Alliance – an unprecedented coalition of Postal customers – committed to working with all parties, including the Postal Service and Congress, to improve the mailing system for all that use it. With over 1,200 members and counting, the Alliance is made up of non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, major trade associations, consumer groups and citizens.

Look forward to updates in the coming weeks from the Affordable Mail Alliance, as we continue to work towards better conditions for mailers and the United States Postal Service.

“We will need to take a much closer look at the ruling from the PRC in order to make an informed decision about what options we have and what may be the best course of action for our customers, our employees, our stakeholders and the American public.”

USPS News Release: Statement of Postmaster General on PRC Ruling, Fully Paying Retiree Health Benefit Mandate.

bears careful watching…

“After careful consideration, the Commission agreed with the Postal Service that the recent severe recession, and the decline in mail volume experienced during the recession, do qualify as an extraordinary or exceptional circumstance under the law. However, the Commission finds that the requested exigent rate adjustments are not due to the recent recession, or its impact on mail volume. Rather, they represent an attempt to address long-term structural problems not caused by the recent recession. The Commission finds, therefore, that the Postal Service has failed to meet its burden under the law and the Commission is unanimous in denying its request for an exigent rate increase.”

PRC Issues Decision on USPS Extraordinary Rate Request

Chairman’s Statement

Order No. 547

Press Release

DENIED!  More info to come!

I’ll be logged in to the live feed of the Postal Regulatory Commission live broadcast at 11am Eastern to announce their recommendations on the USPS Exigency Rate Case.  Stay tuned, and stop back, I will be posting the news and then the links to the recording of the broadcast as I can.

Washington, DC -The Postal Regulatory Commission invites press and interested parties to a short briefing on its decision in the U.S. Postal Service Request for an above inflation, “exigent” price increase for its market-dominant products. This is the first time that the issue of what is an “exceptional or extraordinary” circumstance will be decided under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). Questions from the Press will be entertained following the briefing.

What: The Commission will announce its decision on a closely watched case, the Postal Service exigent price increase request filed on July 6, 2010, seeking to increase prices by an average of 5.6 percent on its Market-Dominant products, including, but not limited to, First-Class and Standard letters and flats, Periodicals, and Standard packages.
Under the PAEA, price increases for Market-Dominant products are capped at the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The Postal Service may request Market-Dominant increases above the rate of inflation, however, due to “extraordinary or exceptional” circumstances.
Who: Commissioners and Commission staff

When: 11:00 a.m., Thursday, September 30, 2010

Where: Hearing Room
Postal Regulatory Commission
901 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 200
Washington DC 20268

Federal Eye – What if the Postal Service runs out of money?.

Senator Collins’ remarks on USPS from yesterday’s Senate session – postalnews blog.

Three investigations of the U.S. Postal Service USPS by the Postal Inspector General IG, requested by Senator Susan Collins, have uncovered stunning evidence of contract mismanagement, ethical lapses, financial waste, and excessive executive perks that cost the Postal Service more than $800 million a year in unnecessary costs. The IG examined three areas where the Postal Service could realize significant savings: employee benefits, contracting policies, and area and district field offices.

IG Audit That Finds Postal Service has More than $800 Million in Unnecessary Costs | Postal Employee Network.