Postal rates go up Monday

I don't understand why postal rates are going up. Our government runs a virtual monopoly on the delivery of first-class mail, and apparently has enough money to actually advertise it's "services." When I was a Boy Scout working on my Citizenship merit badges, I learned that government should use it's funds wisely and should not take too much from its citizens. It's their money, after all, not the government's.

So why am I regularly receiving four-color glossy post cards and other flyers for our US Postal Service touting its non-first-class services? And then it charges me for the privilege of receiving its junk mail?!