On December 24, the commission approved the increase (PDF), but only temporarily, rejecting the USPS request for a permanent change. The increase, which will raise the price of a first-class postage stamp from 46 to 49 cents and affect magazines, newspapers, and other forms of direct mail, combines a 4.3 percent “exigent” increase with a 1.7 percent inflation-related increase that the commission had already approved. The move, designed to help the USPS recoup $2.8 billion lost as a result of a decrease in mail during the recession, requires the Postal Service to create a plan to phase out the rate increase within two years. A 2006 law allows for an increase in the postal rate of up to 10 percent in emergency circumstances.

Do you suppose the USPS will survive another 2 years to end the emergency?