[dhume]

You can cherry-pick intervals where stamp prices outstripped inflation, and I can cherry-pick intervals where stamp prices stayed well below inflation.

A 12.8% increase (not sure how you came up with 15%) over a period where inflation was only around 7.8% (based on month-to-month consumer price index report) sounds pretty bad, but you seem to have missed the previous four years, where inflation was 10.1% and the price only went up 5.4%. For the interval between raising to 37¢ and raising to 44¢ (an 18.9% increase), inflation totaled 18.7%. If a difference of 0.2 points makes all that much difference, you probably shouldn't be using the first class rate anyway.

[roboneal]

I wasn't cherry-picking - I used the interval cited in the parent of my reply.

Why go back only 4 years more - postal rates were 2 cents in July 19 and 44 cents in May 2009 - a 2200% increase. However, inflation was only 1129%.

So who is cherry picking?

Historical Postal Rates: http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/DomesticLetterRates18...

Inflation Calculator: http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Calculators/Inf...