Interview: Non-Forever Stamps Will Last

In this Monday, Jan. 27, 2003, file photo, John E. Potter, U.S. Postmaster-General and CEO of the United States postal service, speaks in a panel session on the quality of leadership by today's CEOs during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum WEF, in Davos, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Keystone, Eddy Risch) (Eddy Risch - Associated Press)

WASHINGTON -- The new "forever" stamp, the one that will always be good for first class postage, is proving popular, but the postmaster general says other commemoratives will be sticking around, too.

The forever stamp was issued in April, and sales now total 1.2 billion. The post office produces around 40 billion stamps a year.

In an Associated Press interview Friday, Postmaster-General John Potter said he expects sales of the forever stamp to jump in the months before any new rate increase, but he added: "We have other stamps that are of keen interest."

"The American public buys stamps for more than just postage, they use it many times to send a message. You have people who buy flag stamps to show their patriotism," for example, he said.

Others use the "Love" stamp for wedding invitations, and many people collect stamps on subjects that interest them.

"The stamp represents the things that make America great, the people, the places and the things," Potter said.

On the business side, he said a law passed last year covering how the post office operates is requiring some fundamental changes.

"Probably the biggest change, and the one that is probably the least understood, is that the Postal Service cannot just raise rates as our costs grow," he said.

The new law caps rate increases at the rate of inflation. The post office is working to stay in the black and improve service, he said.

A key for the agency now is avoiding deficits, because "once you get into a deficit situation you can spiral into the ground, because if you don't respond to it quickly you're going to have to finance growing debt," he said.

The agency must do whatever is necessary to keep Americans using the mail, Potter said.

"We know they have choices, so we know we have to improve our service levels," he said.