WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today raised serious concerns they have about the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) plans to study the possible closure of up to 50 post offices in New Mexico.
In an effort to reduce costs, the U.S. Postal Service announced last week that it will undertake a study of 3,700 post offices nationwide to determine which to close. The USPS identified 50 it may target in New Mexico.
In a letter, the Senators asked for a meeting with the Postmaster General and outlined some of their concerns, including what impact closures may have on rural New Mexico. The letter is as follows:
August 5, 2011
The Honorable Patrick R. Donahoe
Postmaster General
U.S. Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20260
Dear Postmaster General Donahoe:
We write regarding the possible closure of over 50 post offices in New Mexico. While we appreciate efforts to contain costs in this era of fiscal austerity, our constituents, especially those in rural communities, depend on regular and reliable mail service to carry out every day activities. The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides an essential service to our constituents and we fear these closures would negatively impact the quality of mail delivery service they receive. We respectfully request a meeting to discuss this issue, as well as USPS's long-term plan for operations in New Mexico.
The proposed studies include more than 15% of the post offices in our state. The vast majority of the New Mexico post offices under consideration for closure serve rural areas without convenient alternatives. While some residents impacted by postal closures may only be forced to drive an additional mile or two, others may need to drive over fifty miles to the next nearest location. In reviewing the proposed list of offices selected for possible closure, we cannot help but note nearly half of them have no alternative within 10 miles. Our familiarity with these communities also raises concerns that many of the possible closings are in communities that may not have a viable partner for the "village post office" alternative. We ask that you share your plans for addressing service in such communities.
We are also concerned with the significant change to New Mexico regional postal operations. In the past year alone, the Albuquerque Customer Service District has been relocated to Arizona and the USPS has proposed closing the Las Cruces Distribution Center. Additionally, of the total 65 possible closings in the Arizona District, over 55 are located in New Mexico. These potential reductions in New Mexico operations demonstrate a serious change in the USPS's commitment to New Mexico.
While we understand and sympathize with the significant challenges facing USPS, we believe that the negative impact these closures would have on New Mexicans should be carefully considered. Closure and consolidation should not come at the expense of the quality of mail delivery services.
We thank you for your consideration of these concerns, and we look forward to meeting with you and discussing your long-term plan for New Mexico postal operations. Please do not hesitate to contact Dominic Saavedra in Senator Bingaman's office at 202-224-5521 or Sabrina De Santiago in Senator Udall's office at 202-224-6621 should you or your staff have any questions.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bingaman
United States Senator
Tom Udall
United States Senator
