Nina Link, President & CEO, MPA NEW YORK--March 22, 2002--As expected, the Postal Rate Commission today approved the settlement agreement reached between mailers and the United States Postal Service, resulting in a postal rate increase to go into effect June 30, 2002. Rates for periodicals will go up an average of 10%. As a signatory to the settlement agreement, we believe it's the best outcome possible given the deteriorating financial condition of the USPS. We are disturbed by unconfirmed reports that the Postal Service is planning to announce yet another rate increase in the fall of 2002, which would go into effect early in 2003. This non-stop cycle of increases must end or all businesses that rely on the postal system will be in serious jeopardy. As the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and U.S. General Accounting Office stated this week, the Postal Service's current business model is "unsustainable.'' We implore Congress and the Bush Administration to address this grave national public policy problem as soon as possible.