We frequently defend our local postal workers.
They do the best they can to get the Lexington County Chronicle to you on time each week.
But they are dealing with staff shortages and other challenges.
Blame the pandemic.
Blame Washington for unemployment benefits that discourage people from returning to work.
Also blame generations of mismanagers at the top who paid themselves well, took extravagant retirements and left the postal folks who do the real work to fend for themselves.
Now the US Postal Service brass want you to reward them with even higher postal rates.
This will directly affect our cost to get your newspaper to you - without any on-time guarantee.
The newspaper industry is fighting back. We want the US Court of Appeals to halt increased postal rates August 29. 
The National Newspaper Association, of which we are a long-time member, has filed a lawsuit with other publishers and mail users.
We are challenging the Postal Regulatory Commission’s authority.
They have allowed rate increases beyond the inflation-based cap in the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, reports Tonda Rush of NNA.
Our 1st attempt was turned down because the rate increase was not yet known. 
Increases of nearly 9% are ahead for community newspapers like yours.
The rate hike will be more than 4 times what is allowed under the inflation cap.
Now the impending rates are known.
Their damage will be irreparable unless the court holds off the increase until the end of the lawsuit. 
The rate increase will hamper the free flow of community news.
Your newspaper will be forced to reduce news coverage and provide less service to our community.
Oral arguments are due Sept. 13. 
Without a court order, the rates will take effect before a decision can be made on the PRC's authority. 
Once USPS spends the increased rate money it won't refund it.
Our readers nor our newspapers should not have to pay for these increases while all of us are recovering from covid.
We frequently defend our local postal workers.
They do the best they can to get the Lexington County Chronicle to you on time each week.
But they are dealing with staff shortages and other challenges.
Blame the pandemic.
Blame Washington for unemployment benefits that discourage people from returning to work.
Also blame generations of mismanagers at the top who paid themselves well, took extravagant retirements and left the postal folks who do the real work to fend for themselves.
Now the US Postal Service brass want you to reward them with even higher postal rates.
This will directly affect our cost to get your newspaper to you - without any on-time guarantee.
The newspaper industry is fighting back. We want the US Court of Appeals to halt increased postal rates August 29. 
The National Newspaper Association, of which we are a long-time member, has filed a lawsuit with other publishers and mail users.
We are challenging the Postal Regulatory Commission’s authority.
They have allowed rate increases beyond the inflation-based cap in the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, reports Tonda Rush of NNA.
Our 1st attempt was turned down because the rate increase was not yet known. 
Increases of nearly 9% are ahead for community newspapers like yours.
The rate hike will be more than 4 times what is allowed under the inflation cap.
Now the impending rates are known.
Their damage will be irreparable unless the court holds off the increase until the end of the lawsuit. 
The rate increase will hamper the free flow of community news.
Your newspaper will be forced to reduce news coverage and provide less service to our community.
Oral arguments are due Sept. 13. 
Without a court order, the rates will take effect before a decision can be made on the PRC's authority. 
Once USPS spends the increased rate money it won't refund it.
Our readers nor our newspapers should not have to pay for these increases while all of us are recovering from covid.