Letter to the Editor: Rural traditions say close mail center

Dear Editor,

I recently read a Letter to the Editor in the Springfield Business Journal and several articles in our local newspapers concerning the potential closure of the U.S. Postal Service’s Springfield processing center. All these pieces solicited written comments in favor of keeping the facility open. …

I have absolutely no agendas to forward, but I do have an opinion on this subject based upon my recent experiences. Let me explain.

Last year, my wife campaigned for an elected county position. In doing so, we sent more than 2,000 letters to the registered voters of our county. After the envelopes were addressed and stamped, they were sorted by town and delivered to the corresponding post offices for delivery. Our first drop was to the post office where we have our box. When I put the tray on the counter with all the letters sorted by town, the postmaster told me I had wasted my time. She explained that mail goes down to Springfield for sorting and then comes back to her for distribution. That came as a surprise to me. I asked her why, and she said it was because the post office wanted to “count the mail.” Then I asked her what would happen to a letter I mailed that went to my bank directly across the street. She said the same thing unless she “happened to catch it.” I made trips to Weaubleau, Wheatland, Hermitage, Urbana, Preston and Cross Timbers that day and got the same story.

I don’t know when the USPS did away with the in-town and out-of-town slots or when all sorting was transferred to a processing center, but I do know the staffing in our local office hasn’t declined. In fact, I’ve noticed more employees working there.

Because all four of the newspapers I subscribe to claim their businesses would be adversely affected and SBJ’s letter said management “will have to make some tough decisions,” I decided to see how my local newspaper manages to mail its editions as quickly as it does. Perhaps this is the solution to the extended delivery times everyone fears.

Our local paper is printed every Tuesday and is ready for mailing that evening. The paper contracts with an individual who takes sorted bundles to all of the USPS branches in the area. My newspaper is delivered to Urbana on Tuesday evening and is put in my box on Wednesday morning. This happens every week, as I am in the habit of buying a cup of coffee and reading the paper in my car in front of the post office. It is a fact that these papers do not travel to Springfield for processing. The same holds true for the previously mentioned facilities in the county.

If it is possible for our local USPS branches to sort and distribute the newspapers once a week, why couldn’t they do this with all the local mail? What makes the local newspaper special or different than it was last year? Why couldn’t the “In-Town” and “Out-Of-Town” slots be reinstated?

I am in favor of closing the USPS Springfield processing center, bringing back the “In-Town” and “Out-Of-Town” slots, and holding the local postal employees responsible for next day delivery of all the local mail in their areas.

—Fred H. Reiss, Urbana[[In-content Ad]]