The Delivering for America plan is the U.S. Postmaster General’s 10-year strategic plan to review and modernize the nation’s aging network of mail service.
The Postmaster General is selling it as a cure-all for our mail service, to pull the postal system out of financial instability and increase its efficiency and service. But, there are too many issues surrounding the plan to rubber stamp it.
I don’t think this plan does anything to help mail service in rural America, especially in Wyoming, where the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) wants to move all processing centers out of the state. Wyoming would be the only state without a processing center, as Wyoming’s mail would be processed in Billings, Denver and Salt Lake City.
While the USPS says they are in review, some believe decisions have already been made to modernize our postal service. Some think it is the start of the process to privatize the postal system.
I remember a few years back when they removed processing from Rock Springs and moved it to Salt Lake City. I had heard Salt Lake City was not prepared for the move, but whatever happened, the mail service in western Wyoming was a disaster. There were horror stories coming from western Wyoming for a year or so.
Newspapers, magazines and other periodicals always get the bad end of every change in the postal system.
A couple of years ago, Congress gave the USPS billions of dollars and permission to raise postal rates twice a year. From 2021-23 the Wyoming Livestock Roundup’s cost for mailing has gone up 48 percent with less customer service. It is almost like they want to get rid of periodicals, especially newspapers.
I attended a USPS meeting on Feb. 21 to hear about these proposed changes. Most of those attending were USPS employees or retirees.
While my concerns included increased costs and service, everyone else had job concerns, and rightfully so. Those from USPS management assured everyone at the meeting there would be no layoffs and the Casper Post Office would not be closed.
They plan on modernizing the Casper Post Office, but I really don’t know the details or how our mail would fit in the process. I do know hauling the mail to Billings and back to Casper is an eight-hour trip, plus time for processing.
Some of those in attendance were worried about their prescriptions coming in the mail and the length of time it would take to receive it, which is a real concern. Other concerns were if USPS would shut down more rural post offices which are so vital to small rural communities.
I think our post offices are controlled by unions, as there are five unions involved. The unions need to realize they have customers out there and can help with the issues facing us today. There is more to their job than taking care of themselves. Those in the post office are going to need their customers to help with the right thing to do in regard to the post office changes.
We both need each other.
Our Congressional delegation and staff, along with our Governor’s office are working hard on this issue and have asked for meetings with the Postmaster General. So far, he is just ignoring them. We need to support their work by sending in our comments to surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-casper-wy.
Dennis Sun is the publisher of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, a weekly agriculture newspaper available in print and online. He can be reached at: Dennis@wylr.net.
