December 13, 2011 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson and 11 other senators announced that the United States Postal Service has agreed, at their request, to a five-month delay on closing 3,700 post offices nationwide, including 90 in Nebraska, which will buy time for Congress to enact postal reform legislation.
"Closing post offices before we try to fix the system is putting the cart before the horse, so today’s decision to delay any closings until next May is good news,” said Senator Nelson. “With 90 rural post offices targeted for closure in Nebraska, we have to remember that the USPS was created to provide a public service.
“Our local post offices play a special role in our communities, keeping us connected to our friends and families, and keeping businesses connected to their customers. They are an important part of our economy, serving every city, suburb and small town in Nebraska,” Nelson added.
The Postal Service has been considering the elimination of overnight delivery and studying whether to close 3,700 mostly rural post offices to reduce expenses. Nelson and a number of colleagues have said that as the Postal Services works to turn around its tough financial condition, it should take into account the needs of rural communities.
Some of the 90 Nebraska post offices targeted for closing are the communities of Bee, Beldon, Benedict, Bladen, Brownville, Carleton, Champion, Comstock, Davey, Dixon, Elk Creek, Endicott, Ellsworth, Gresham, Hallam, Holstein, Malmo, Martell, Morse Bluff, Oakdale, Otoe, Prague, Riverton, Ruskin, St. Libory, Staplehurst, Stella, Unadilla, Waterbury, Whitman and Winslow.
Nelson has heard from community and business leaders across Nebraska raising concerns about the impact of the possible post office closings.
For example, a business owner in Lisco wrote to Nelson: “My business depends upon the US mail for daily mail, bills, payments to vendors, etc. It is my understanding we would have to pick up our mail in Oshkosh, NE, which is a huge inconvenience, not to mention expense.”
A city official in Danbury wrote that the village has to send water samples several times a month by mail to state labs on a timely basis, which would be more difficult because they’d have to be driven several dozen miles to the nearest surviving post office. She added: “Just another expense that is ridiculous because of this closing.”
A Naper Village official wrote: “I know everyone has to look out for the bottom line but I’m sure that the answer does not lay in the closing of 3,700 offices…Five years from now they’ll be in the same boat. The srmall rural areas are taking the brunt of this problem and it is not going to solve it.”
A woman in Broadwater wrote that security and climate control is imperative in many mailed items, from gifts to products to medications. “Some of these must be kept in specific temperature ranges such as kept refrigerated, protected from freezing, or not allowed to get above some temperature. Some medications are controlled substances, which must be signed for…Spoilage of medications, delays or failure to receive crucial medications could result in people’s medical conditions worsening, hospitalizations, or even death,” she wrote.
The Postal Service’s decision to delay any closings for five months was welcomed today by Nelson and Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Tester of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Mark Udall of Colorado, Tom Udall of New Mexico, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.
During the moratorium, scheduled to end on May 15, 2012, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input.
Today’s announcement follows a meeting on December 12, 2011, where several senators expressed concern to U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe and Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Thurgood Marshall that the closings could reduce service and cause the loss of thousands of jobs.
Last week, Nelson and 19 other senators sent a letter to Senate leadership requesting that Congress prevent the USPS from closing or consolidating rural post offices and mail processing facilities.
“Rural post offices, the services they provide, and the people who provide them, have great value to communities across Nebraska. Congress needs to work with the Postal Service to fix the problems before deciding to reduce services to people who need them,” said Nelson.
1 comment:
The Postal Service is a business and needs to be run as such. Riverton has a population of about 140, only 63 households, Danbury has about 127 people with maybe 54 households. And what is the cost to maintain a post office there. Maybe like more than $2000 per resident??? or more. the cost of the building, the utilities, and man power. No one suggested that the postal service not provide mail delivery service, just not have the Post office, they would still have pick up and delivery of the mail. It makes good sense to eliminate wasteful spending when possible and still maintain service. The city official in Danbury who worried about water samples, was just not thinking it through. The mail would still be delivered and picked up. The difference would be maintaining an expensive unneeded facility. People need to THINK, not just react emotionally. In this day and age there are a lot of things that have always been, that need to be changed, it is time to move into the new century.
Some of the smaller counties should be consolidated and services and man power shared with county governments as well. WE don't live in the horse and buggy age and need to stop acting like we do.
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