Collins Questions Rural Post Office Closings
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee, questioned the U.S. Postal Service’s “standardization” plan which calls for the shuttering of some post offices.
In a letter sent today to Postmaster General Jack Potter, Collins wrote, “The fact that the Postal Service is cutting back service in rural areas greatly concerns me. What I find particularly disturbing is that almost 200 of Maine’s 425 post offices have already been affected by the process, with 99 more having posted notices describing pending cuts.
“As chairman of the committee that oversees the Postal Service, I am well aware of the Postal Service’s need to reduce operating costs, but cutting back on service to rural customers is not the solution.”
Collins also requested information about the criteria being used to determine daily hours of operation, and, how much the USPS expects to save through this process, whether negative customer responses have influenced any decisions in Maine and how many other states are undergoing this process.
USPS officials could not be reached at deadline.
