The United States Postal Service (USPS) is once again tightening its belt with severe budget cuts and office closures. The company that delivers “40 percent of the world’s mail” has slowly but surely begun the process of closing an alarming number of its doors.
A staple in American communities since its inception in 1775, the post office has been experiencing difficulty for several years now. Internet access, coupled with serious competition from companies such as FedEx and DHL, have made business increasingly tough. Tougher times are projected for the future as the organization says “without dramatic changes to the way the Postal Service does business, that cumulative loss will reach $238 billion by the year 2020. The USPS incurred a net loss of $3.1 billion in the final quarter of the 2011 fiscal year, and has also seen the elimination of 110,000 jobs in just four years.” That said, USPS announced July 25 that it would begin a study on the effectiveness of 3,700 retail stores nationwide, all of which are being reviewed for “possible closure.”
According to official reports released by the USPS, of the 3,700 branches being studied, 41 of those branches are in the state of Maryland, with eight of those locations within Baltimore City limits.
“If Baltimore is any example, they are targeting communities that depend on these services the most,” said Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, organizer of the “Return to Sender” campaign that brought attention to the closures with a protest at the Waverly branch, also up for closure.
“We object to the eight closings being in predominantly African-American communities where people don’t have cars and have to walk to get their mail,” Clarke told the AFRO.
Baltimore isn’t the only city suffering from USPS budget cuts. Urban areas nationwide are experiencing the same anxiety over possible closures. Protests are being staged in other metropolises such as Chicago, where eight of 10 proposed closures are also located in low-income and predominantly African-American communities. Louisville, Ky., currently faces the same concerns about how a heavy population of senior citizens will receive mail if the only post office serving the Louisville West End closes.
Yvette Singh, communications coordinator and spokeswoman for the Baltimore region of USPS, denies that these closures are going after those who can afford it the least. “These areas are not being targeted by location – they met the criteria needed to become a part of the study.” According to Singh, decisive factors included “proximity to grocery stores, other retail stores and customer demand.”
Mail carriers nationwide have become an integral part of the community. Whether delivering crucial social security checks or bills, checking the mail is a daily activity for millions across the nation. With 36 percent of Baltimore’s sites under review, the closures could send well over 52,000 citizens searching for another branch to conduct business.
“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a recent press release. “Our customers’ habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”
Other branches that are possibly facing closure include the Carroll, Clifton East End, Druid and Walbrook locations. Singh stresses to all those concerned that “the review process will take 4-5 months and afterwards a decision will be announced. There will be a 60 day notice prior to any action and customers will get an invitation to provide their input.”
