Welcome to the first issue of the PCSC Newsletter. There will be a new issue about twice each month, containing news and information valuable to your business and with analysis and action items to help you in all aspects of your business.

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Enjoy!

Postmaster General John E. Potter spoke yesterday at the National Postal Forum in Nashville, TN. before and audience of nearly 6,000 people who mail - representatives of businesses and organizations just like ours.

He spoke on a number of topics. For the most part, the news is good. PMG Potter referred to a, "strong, growing economy", and how entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to the U.S.P.S. to grow their businesses:

"The small business entrepreneur who for the first time is using the mail has seen results. So are corporate leaders of major financial institutions who depend on the mail to build new customers and continue relationships with existing ones."

The Postmaster General also spoke in detail about postage rates, which have remained unchanged since 2001. The Civil Service Retirement System Funding Reform Act of 2003 requires the Postal Service to fund an escrow account in the amount of $3.1 Billion in 2006. Currently, it is not clear whether the U.S.P.S. can use money from this account for operating expenses. If they can, rates will not change until 2007. If they can't, the U.S.P.S. will need to increase the letter rate by two cents effective in 2006. In order to meet the funding requirement, the U.S.P.S. must act now. Should congress clarify the act, PMG Potter says they will withdraw the increase.

Action Item: Those of you who mail now, or expect to mail in the near future, would be well-served to include this increase in your budget for next year.

Finally, PMG Potter briefly mentioned the Transformation Plan. This document, first released in 2002, outlined in general terms the future of the U.S. Postal Service as it relates to viability, meeting the needs of the new century for both consumers and business, and increasing efficiency. He said, "...it will be a blueprint for making continuous improvements in every segment of the business". Having read the original document, I have a high level of confidence in the future of the U.S.P.S.

Also at the National Postal Forum:

The U.S.P.S. has fully revised the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). In the 'old days', the DMM was printed like a phone book and and required hours of study and several pads of sticky notes to cross-reference in order to obtain simple answers. Beginning in the mid 1990's, PMG Marvin Runyon began a program to rework the DMM into a truly useful publication.

The new edition of the DMM was accompanied by business sessions at the National Postal Forum to demonstrate the new system and other features. The new DMM is dated 1/6/2005. You can view it online in either .pdf or html at http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/dmm300_landing.htm.

And Locally...

Carlsbad will be adding two new ZIP Codes. Currently, Carlsbad has two ZIP Codes: 92008 and 92009. The new ZIP Codes, 92010 and 92011 will go into effect in late June.