Postal Service to put living Americans on stamps
Friday, 30 September 2011
Could Bruce Springsteen bail out the U.S. Postal Service? How about Oprah? Is the twisted allure of using Madonna to send out your Progress Energy bill enough for you to ditch online banking and bust it old school?
In a move to stave off financial woes and death-watch buzz, the U.S. Postal Service on Monday announced that, for the first time, living Americans will be eligible to have their proud visages smacked on stamps.
Surely you remember stamps: tiny, sticky, square-y. Before we all filed our taxes electronically and wrote love letters with our thumbs, we used to do things the old-fashioned way. You know, mail stuff.
Originally, someone would have to be dead 25 years before they were considered for grand stampitude. The Postal Service eventually dropped that time limit to 10 years and then, in January 2007, to five years.
Now, in hopes of reviving business - the USPS lost $2.2 billion in the second quarter of this fiscal year - select famous folks will enjoy their postage prestige while they can still hear people complain about the choice.
'The main criterion (for the honor) is outstanding contribution to the U.S.,' says Stephen Kearney, executive director of stamp services for the Postal Service.
'We tried not to limit it up front,' he adds, 'although it is unlikely we would consider any politician currently serving in office or running for office.'
So President Barack Obama is out, and probably Sarah Palin, too. You have to be American. So bye-bye, Canada's Justin Bieber.
Such luminaries as Michael Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres and Rush Limbaugh, as well as the Boss, Oprah and the Material Girl, have been suggested on the USPS Stamps Facebook page.
The Postal Service gets 40,000 suggestions for stamp honors every year; typically 50 finalists are selected, with the ultimate vote going to the postmaster general. Postal officials aren't sure how this gambit will pan out, but they're excited about the reaction.
'It's not that there aren't enough deceased people to honor,' laughs Kearney. 'We're just hoping to be more timely, relevant and meaningful.'
In a move to stave off financial woes and death-watch buzz, the U.S. Postal Service on Monday announced that, for the first time, living Americans will be eligible to have their proud visages smacked on stamps.
Surely you remember stamps: tiny, sticky, square-y. Before we all filed our taxes electronically and wrote love letters with our thumbs, we used to do things the old-fashioned way. You know, mail stuff.
Originally, someone would have to be dead 25 years before they were considered for grand stampitude. The Postal Service eventually dropped that time limit to 10 years and then, in January 2007, to five years.
Now, in hopes of reviving business - the USPS lost $2.2 billion in the second quarter of this fiscal year - select famous folks will enjoy their postage prestige while they can still hear people complain about the choice.
'The main criterion (for the honor) is outstanding contribution to the U.S.,' says Stephen Kearney, executive director of stamp services for the Postal Service.
'We tried not to limit it up front,' he adds, 'although it is unlikely we would consider any politician currently serving in office or running for office.'
So President Barack Obama is out, and probably Sarah Palin, too. You have to be American. So bye-bye, Canada's Justin Bieber.
Such luminaries as Michael Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres and Rush Limbaugh, as well as the Boss, Oprah and the Material Girl, have been suggested on the USPS Stamps Facebook page.
The Postal Service gets 40,000 suggestions for stamp honors every year; typically 50 finalists are selected, with the ultimate vote going to the postmaster general. Postal officials aren't sure how this gambit will pan out, but they're excited about the reaction.
'It's not that there aren't enough deceased people to honor,' laughs Kearney. 'We're just hoping to be more timely, relevant and meaningful.'
From St. Petersburg Times - thanks to Michael
oh her is the Facebook link. Lets get the word out to Madonna fans so they can vote for her. Cuz they usualy dont pay attention to stuff like this and lazy in recent years so thats why that copy cat con artist gaga wins these polls lately cuz all her obsessive STANS trolls gather together and vote for anything she's listed on and they vote multiple time each on multiple fake accounts.
m.facebook.com/USPSStamps?_rdr
Posted by: Truth | Saturday, 01 October 2011 at 05:56 AM
,Oh btw if u can post the link info for Madonna fans to see and vote i found on the news site where u pick your choices,
you might also
let the Postal Service know, via its Facebook page or
by writing (using a stamp!) to the Citizens?’ Stamp
Advisory Committee, c/o Stamp Development, Room
3300, 475 L?’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, D.C.
20260-3501.,,, Washington, D.C. 20260-3501.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,
Posted by: Truth | Friday, 30 September 2011 at 01:13 PM
Hey yay thanks 4 posting this :) u a good little guy or
girl and love ur blog :) i knew u would post it up after
I8 wrote that comment earlier how gaga trolls were
trying to get all her fans and others to vote for her so
thats why i said we should bring attention to
Madonna fans who hardly ever vote for any polls
nowadays they to lazy lol
Posted by: Truth | Friday, 30 September 2011 at 09:28 AM