Sen. Franken to Postal Service: Don’t Close Mail Processing Centers in Minnesota
In Letter to Postmaster General, Senator Says Closures Will Hurt Minnesota Communities
Wednesday, July 2, 2014- Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) pressed the U.S Postal Service to reconsider its plan to close four mail processing centers throughout Minnesota. The closures, he said, will hurt Minnesota’s rural communities and drive more and more customers away from using the Postal Service.
In a letter to the Postmaster General sent Wednesday, Sen. Franken said that shutting down these facilities is a shortsighted, irrational plan that will ultimately degrade customer service and cause more harm than good.
“These closures will hurt the communities that house these facilities, and the greater regions that they currently serve,” wrote Sen. Franken in his letter. “I understand that the Postal Service is under severe financial strain… But closing facilities, uprooting employees, and degrading your customer service will only cause more harm. I would therefore urge you to avoid deteriorating mail service in Minnesota and to refrain from closing additional facilities.”
In addition to urging against the closure of four processing centers across Minnesota—in Bemidji, St. Cloud, Mankato, and Duluth—Sen. Franken also called for legislation to reform the Postal Service. Last Congress, Sen. Franken helped push a bipartisan reform bill through the Senate to restore financial stability to the Postal Service. Included in the legislation was an amendment he wrote to prevent closures likes these from happening. The U.S. House of Representatives, however, failed to act on the bill.
You can read Sen. Franken’s letter to the Postmaster General here or below.
July 2, 2014
Dear Postmaster General Donahoe:
I write today to urge you to reconsider your plan to close four processing centers in Minnesota. These closures will hurt the communities that house these facilities, and the greater regions that they currently serve.
First, I am concerned that any financial savings derived from this action will be negated by the subsequent deterioration of service, which will drive more and more customers away. In a letter sent to me announcing the plan, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman wrote that, “The Postal Service continues to face significant financial challenges associated with the decline in First-Class Mail volume and revenue.” This comes after a year of changed service standards, which shifted mail that had been subject to an overnight standard to either the 2-day or 3-5-day service standard. The closures of these facilities will only further deteriorate mail delivery times. I struggle to see how the deterioration of service will help solve your stated problem of declining mail volume.
Second, these closures have already hurt communities in Minnesota. The closures were announced as part of a “network rationalization” plan. The first wave of closures included a processing center in Rochester, Minnesota. I’ve heard from my constituents that as a result of this closure, a letter sent from one Rochester address to another in the same city now travels all the way to the Twin Cities, and can take up to eleven days to get back down to Rochester. There’s nothing rational about that.
I understand that the Postal Service is under severe financial strain, which is why I supported bipartisan Postal Reform legislation that passed the Senate last Congress. Unfortunately the House did not consider that bill, and work remains in Congress. But closing facilities, uprooting employees and degrading your customer service will only cause more harm. I would therefore urge you to avoid deteriorating mail service in Minnesota and to refrain from closing additional facilities.
Sincerely,
The republican a-holes in congress need to finally do something!! I agree with Knot4mensa; this HAS been going on for YEARS! It has gotten pathetic already.. It’s time to get off your dead asses congress and do what’s RIGHT for the postal service and this country!
Sen. Franken only started to care when re-election became an issue. Where has he been? This has been going on for years!
At least Mr Franken and congressman Keith Elleson are trying. Everyone else including Amy Klobachar along with the president have thrown us all under the bus. I will always vote demacratic but those two have turned their backs on us. I will support Al. We’ve all got to contact our politicians asap!!
Senator Franken is absolutely correct in his remarks
that the great people of Minnesota will be severely
burdened by these closures. This will be the theme
in many other parts of the country also. Which makes
me call for the senators who are fighting to save mail
service in the area’s they represent to gather strength
in numbers to expedite the postal reform commision headed
by Darrell Issa to pass a sound bill that can provide the
relief needed for gaining financial footing. It also should
protect postal workers jobs and pay and not reduce service
standards to the American people. The PMG is taking these
drastic measures because of the senate commision for postal
reforms refusal to act in a bipartisan manner for the good
of this country as a whole. Coorporate greed, backhanded
deals, and mailing industry feeds have us kicking the can
down the road on this issue for way to long. All Senators
who are crying foul! over the closings they represent should
join together to inject idea’s and displeasure over the
handling of postal reform by Issa and his cronies! Do something constructive instead of just sitting back saying
“Oh please don’t do that to my state” Action speaks louder
then words Mr. Franken.
guess you should get off your ass and finally pass a post office bill;