You have a very simplistic view of this. It isn't the amount of an increase, it's the principle that an increase is taking place. The Postal Service is a very wasteful and stupidly run business. The reason you are going to pay 4 more cents, not that it's going to break your wallet, is because veteran dock workers pull in around 100 grand a year with overtime. Nice racket eh? Their union is giving the govt. major grief over reforming the system. It's the biggest issue facing the Postal Service. They are adamant in not changing their ways. They are a dinosaur....all they need now is for the obligatory meteor to fall out of the sky and destroy them.