USPS: What About Advertising on Stamps?

We're all familiar with the financial constraints of the US Postal Service. Postage prices rise, jobs are cut, post offices are eliminated, and there is talk that in all probability one day of home delivery will be eliminated each week. 


Anyone can see that email, electronic banking, online shopping, and the economy have taken a toll on the number of pieces of mail that get sent. I know in my home, I receive fewer catalogs (thankfully), fewer credit card solicitations (although Capital One and American Express remain relentless in their efforts to get me to spend money), smaller magazines (less advertising = fewer pages), and less mail each day. 


So I have just two questions:
1. USPS, why the heck did you spend millions of dollars to sponsor the US Pro Cycling Team (in other words, Lance Armstrong's bike team) in the late 1990s and early years of this decade?


2. What about selling advertising on stamps? Many of the stamps now feature beautiful artwork, famous Americans, or places of historical significance. At one time, the USPS introduced a program in which customers could create their own personalized stamps featuring a photo of your choosing...your face or someone else's. 

But what about offering that space up to businesses with deep pockets...or even smaller local businesses?  I'd like a book of 44 cent stamps sponsored by Starbucks or Bloomingdales or Hallmark. They could still be visually attractive, a good fit with the sponsoring brand, and the USPS reaps a double whammy...revenue from the advertiser and from the stamp purchaser.

Don't laugh. I am getting ready to mail two birthday cards today and will be adhering the very boring Liberty Bell "forever" stamp to the upper right corner. But I would love if I had Mad Men stamps, sponsored by AMC to correspond with the launch of the show's new season, to lend a little pizzazz to each envelope.

Running the numbers:
In fiscal year 2008, 37 billion U.S. stamps were printed.
If one advertiser sponsored one million stamps at 10 cents/stamp, the USPS reaps $100,000. If they can get ten sponsors at the same rate, then the USPS earns $1 million.
Small potatoes, but a start...