Updated Jan 26, 2010 - 9:05 am

Seattle City Council wants a 'do-not-mail' registry

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The city of Seattle is taking a symbolic stand against junk mail.

The City Council is asking the state legislature to create a 'do-not-mail' registry to give people the opportunity to opt-out. Members said they're tired of spending millions of dollars to collect and recycle all those ads for the neighborhood dry-cleaners or dentists.

Small business owners, like John Madden, say a 'do-not-mail list' would kill jobs. "This resolution wreaks of bias. You've taken a clear anti-business stance. Please keep in mind, we're the ones providing the jobs and paying the taxes," said Madden.

The city actually has no power to prevent junk mail. The state legislature also doesn't really have the power.

The federal government is only one that could create a do-not-mail registry, and it's just not a priority right now.

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• Ledog3 wrote...

  Dead on arrival..

  Glad to see the city council working on the big problems. It will never go anywhere anyway. Why?? You know what would qualify as "junk mail"?? Do you.??? Right! Campaign flyers. THose that take a permanent hold on your mailbox during election season..Unless those running for office will let that material go out at the full first class postage rate, (which they would never do) it would never get delivered..

  January 26, 2010 8:33 am

  146037

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• YourPalVal wrote...

  If you live in an apartment

  Its worse than residential mail. I get 7 pieces of junk to every piece of legit mail. My apartment building had to put 3 recycling totes out to collect it all, and they overfill if not emptied every week.

  I see the logic behind it killing jobs, but I weigh the cons list as much longer than that lone pro. Wouldnt creating the registry provide a few jobs? I know it doesnt pan out...I dont know what the answer is but I can tell you I've hated the Red Plum and other fliers I receive for a few years now and would sign up right away if there was a DNM registry.

  January 26, 2010 9:37 am

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• Will Swigart wrote...

  Not so fast Seattle City Council!

  What is junk mail? Who defines it? How do we know if want something or don't until you've seen some words about it? The thing about receiving mail is that the sender bears the cost, in contrast to receiving emails, text messages, etc. and keeps USPS in business. If mail volume goes down then rates have to go up. The Postman still has to make that walk by your house and the marginal cost of dropping mail into your box is pretty insignificant yet he or she still gets a paycheck. Beyond that what makes it junk mail, the amount of postage a firm pays to mail, First Class or Standard postage rate? Or if not the amount of postage, the number of pieces mailed in a single day perhaps? What one person considers junk, the neighbor of that person just re-roofed his house based on the bid he received from that mailed "junk". Better solution is to just require all mailings to be recyclable.

  January 26, 2010 9:44 am

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• ForestEthics wrote...

  LeDog3 said:

  "It will never go anywhere anyway. Why?? You know what would qualify as "junk mail"?? Do you.??? Right! Campaign flyers." Unfortunately, political and religious/nonprofit speech would be exempted from a Do Not Mail Registry, because they have stronger First Amendment rights than commercial speech. These groups are exempted from Do Not Call for the same reason. Nonetheless, Do Not Mail can have a big impact while also satisfying citizen frustration with junk mail.

  January 26, 2010 9:46 am

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• Concerned wrote...

  Not a smart move.

  Just think of all the jobs that are tied into junk mail. Printers, postal workers, ink companies, paper companies etc.......

  January 26, 2010 10:04 am

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• CJN wrote...

  Junk mail keeps the Postal Service in business

  How much are you willing to pay for a first class stamp to send a letter? The USPS can't really survive at 45 cents per letter or whatever it is now. Bulk mailings pay for a lot of the USPS operating expense and without junk mail do you think sending a letter to New York will get magically cheaper?

  January 26, 2010 10:51 am

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• cop4hire wrote...

  Depends

  Can I consider my tax bill "Junk mail"?

  January 26, 2010 11:08 am

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• davidd37 wrote...

  More wasted time

  I love how the Seattle city council wastes it's time (and our money) trying to change Federal legislation at the city level.

  January 26, 2010 11:34 am

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• HLC wrote...

  Reminds me of Olympia.

  Just like declareing Olympia a nuclear free zone. They must have all went to that youth propaganda camp, Evergreen.

  January 26, 2010 1:25 pm

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