BANGOR, Maine — Both of Maine’s U.S. representatives and one senator offered words of encouragement to postal employees attending the Maine State American Postal Workers Union Convention on Saturday morning and promised to fight to keep Hampden’s mail distribution plant open.
Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree, along with a representative from Sen. Olympia Snowe’s office, vowed to continue to work against the planned consolidation of the U.S. Postal Service Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Facility, arguing that the plant is vital to mail service in rural Maine.
“I commend all of you for your strength and determination,” Michaud said to the audience. “It has been a very difficult year, I know, for the postal service.”
Michaud, Pingree and Snowe — who drafted a letter that was read by staffer Mark Kontio — argued that the Postal Service was too important to fail or suffer from drastic cuts.
The three lawmakers said shutting down the Hampden distribution facility could cripple mail service in western, eastern and northern regions of the state — preventing elderly residents from getting medications on time and businesses from being able to operate efficiently.
If the Hampden plant were to close its doors, Maine would be left with one processing facility in Scarborough and only 13 employees remaining at the Hampden plant after a consolidation process is completed in July.
“All too often, it’s easy to pick on rural areas because of the population,” Michaud said, arguing that officials in Washington, D.C., don’t give enough consideration to how changes in service might affect people in lightly populated places.
The mantra of Congress in recent years has been to save and trim the fat from the nation’s spending, “but we can’t do it on the backs of vital services and workers,” Pingree said.
She said Postal Service employees are being faced with cuts and are being asked to get more work done with fewer resources, “and then we’re asking them why they aren’t doing a better job.”
Republican Sen. Susan Collins also has expressed her opposition to the consolidation of the Hampden plant both publicly and in a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahue.
Pingree and Michaud said they would fight to preserve a six-day mail delivery schedule.
At the conference, the American Postal Workers Union distributed fliers that instruct people to call their senators and representatives and ask for a new solution to the Postal Service’s finance problems — one that won’t lead to 100,000 layoffs, the consolidation of 223 mail processing centers and the closure of 3,600 post offices.
The union argues that the financial crisis faced by the Postal Service was caused partly by a 2006 law that required the Postal Service to pre-fund 75 years’ worth of future retiree health benefits over a 10-year period. That drains $5.5 billion from USPS’ annual revenues, the flier states.
No other government agency is required to pre-fund health benefits in that way, Michaud argued.
Pingree and Michaud said they have backed the Postal Service Accountability Act, which would establish a formal appeals process for postal facilities tagged for closure or consolidation.
They also supported the Postal Executive Accountability Act, which would place a pay cap on USPS executive salaries — the postmaster general is the second-highest-paid U.S. government employee — and would prevent certain executives from receiving bonuses in years when postal facilities are closed.
Michaud asked those who attended the conference to call elected officials and urge them to find ways to reform the Postal Service without layoffs or facility shutdowns.
“Hold our feet to the fire,” he said.
Total lack of courage by our lawmakers. If they want to keep Hampden open, make them offer alternative solutions on where the Postal Service can save money. Moreover, make them offer a list of other postal facilities or Post Offices in the Sate of Maine that they would support closing to meet the same savings that closing Hampden would produce.
I watch part of the hearing on tv on the post office an Susan wants to try other thing to keep it open before they close it an stop saturday delivery . One if that plant up there is to big for its needs She would like to see part of it rented out to a company that relays on the post office . Another one is cut the hours that post offices are open like say 8 to 10 in the morning an 5 to 7 an night .Than there are people in DC that want to go at the Post Office with a meat cleave is that want you people want ??
So if we follow our esteemed Senator’s advice, you will not be able to go to the post office during your lunch hour. Also, do you really think you will find workers willing to work from 8 AM to 1o AM then take seven hours off and come back to work from 5PM to 7PM.
I live in Orono, within six miles of my house there are four full service post offices and an additional postal distribution center. I think at least three of those facilities could be closed or consolidated.
Yes, it is time to take a meat cleaver to the budget–the scalpel has not worked so far.
I believe it will be post office that are need but the times they are open can be cut down. Yes i agree you don’t need that meny so close to gether
there are people that will want to work those hrs.
Did you miss the part that said “required the postal service to prefund 75 years’ worth of future retiree health benefits over a 10-year period. That drains $5.5 billion from USPS’s annual revenues…”
Did you stop reading the article before you it said “No other government agency is required to prefund health benefits in that way…”If they weren’t mandated to this requirement they’d have at least a large part of $5.5 Billion to work with. You don’t think this is enough money to keep this facility open? Exactly how much do you think they need to find?
Once they abolish this facility it will cost billions more to reinstate it if needed – which they already know is destined to be the case almost as soon as they close it. One sorting facility in all of Maine is simply not enough and, if were’re to invite businesses to move to Maine they will need to know that our mail system works. That won’t be the case if Maine has but one sorting facility.
So, what’s it going to be – should Maine get rid of a sorting facility that it needs and then suddenly discover a massive over-payment that represents 75 years of anticipated retirement for thousands of employees who don’t work there? Or… should they keep the facility open and re-think the necessity of pre-paying 75 years of retirement funding. Next year the federal government won’t need to pre-fund $5.5 billion in the budget since there will be thousands less retiring. This is going to create a huge over-payment to pre-funded retirement and the federal government will find ways to spend this “windfall” and when they do they will not have funds to restore the broken postal system they created.
Like ive said people in here do not read the whole thing an they are to lazy to do searchs
This is the problem. At some point we have to curtail SPENDING!! if every American gives every penny to the fed we can not afford to fund everything. Sooner or later it will come down to cut or die.
The Postal Service is NOT funded with tax dollars.
Susan Collins and the GOP forced the Postal Service to fund its pension program 75 years in advance.
THAT is what is causing the problem.
Please try to keep up.
yessah
Our tax dollars certainly do fund the post office, when they are 5 billion over budget where do you think the money comes from.
The USPS has not taken one of your precious single tax dollars since 1971. The money is generated by those stamps we buy and the packages we mail.
As one well informed political wag said this week: Where else can you mail a letter for .45 cents and get it returned free, if you put the wrong address on it?Chop chop “shutter the government” right wing politicians aren’t even thinking of closing other non-profit making government institutions like the Pentagon, FBI., Park service etc. etc. They’re government services, just like the Postal Service and they’re all important services that we need. Under the Bubble Me Speak theory we should be closing the gates of the non-profit making National Parks – like Acadia? Give the FBI Saturday and Sunday’s off? Put the Pentagon on half time?
During the recent playback of the Great Depression, the USPS shone and showed off with a $700 million profit.
It’s easy to sit under the Big Bubble and cry out to cut and close everything that is an essential of government, which we pay to service our needs. The Bubble Warble in Washington is echoed by other states. Maine, with its tea party – sponsored governor, is typical of the panic being spread across the land.
The USPS is a vital part of our economy. FedEx would like to see it go – naturally. But FedEx doesn’t put the mail in your mailbox and pick up the letters the postal carrier picks up free of charge.
The feds have overcharged the USPS more than $8O Billion to pre-fund its retirement system. The feds need to give back the money, so that the Koch boys and radical right privatize government freaks can go hunt down another federal agency created to serve the people.
Could you please explain how they covered the 5.5 billion short fall this year if they did not get any tax dollars??? They didn’t.
Do a search there is no short fall they are talking about the futher do a search on google
NO THEY DON’T. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF FOX AND READ UP ON THE FACTS….
People don’t want to hear that if it was not for pre funding they would of made about a billion dollars an yes i got that from a search i did as you know people are to lazy to do a search before they speak
THEY ARE AFRAID OF THE TRUTH.
Munebaght, people do not follow the idea of ‘pre funding’ the pension. Susan Collins put the idea before Congress years ago – it was that branch of government that forced the USPS to fund its health care/pension cost forward by 75 years !! That restriction is unheard of in any industry/business !! Imagine covering your own medical/retirement needs out by 75 years … how much would you have to fund your current needs?
My grandfather on my dads side was the postmaster in his town. So have a little history. The post office was set up to be SELF SUSTAINING! They are not living up to that. So in fact they are using TAX DOLLARS to fund the po at this point.
Please try to keep up…. Yeeeeeeppp
Do a search an you will see they are not i did an no were dose it say they are using tax payers dollars
Do a search an see IF the post office gets tax payers dollars ? If you had read some of my other statements you will see that by law the post office can not make a profit an all extra money they do make HAS to be turn over to the Government. Like i said do a search an you will see the last time they did get tax payers dollars was back in 1985
After reading the comments on here you can tell people just do not get it. People think tax dollars pay the salary of Postal workers. They don’t. Most people are so mis-informed, it is really quite scary. No matter how many times you scream, your tax dollars do not support the Post Office….hello….because some guy does not get much mail, he is ready to put the post office out of business..LOl It if goes, so do many small business owners….UPS and FedEx are not going to mail a box of checks to California for 3 bucks…LOL UPS does not want the small packages. No money in it…LOL The Tea Party mentality is laughable. Stop the wars, shut down some useless bases across the world…No they want to give subsidies to oil companies making billions in profits.. Farm subsidies are great…..Many congress members are right there sucking off that tit of the government, while wanting to privatize the Post Office…read the constitution. Making a few changes is no big deal. Becoming meaner and leaner is good. Stop the ignorance. YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE POST OFFICE AND WITHOUT IT YOU WILL PAY TRIPLE TIME 5, IF YOU CAN EVEN GET THE SERVICE.
Susan Collins caused this mess – why isn’t she helping to fix it?
If you had watch her on cspan from DC live at a hearing she has offered some great ideas
Prefunding the Postal Sevice 75 years in advance over a 10 year period was not one of her “good ideas”.
It will result in 100,000 lost jobs if it isn’t fixed.
yessah
You like to throw the 75 year number around like it just started. These payments begin in 2007. 2009 they got a deferment and only made a partial payment and 2011 the payment was deferred with no payment at all and there probability won’t be a payment this year. The 75 year rule goes all the way back to 1970 when the workers struck and the Congress changed the Postal Service and they were no longer under the civil service agreements. The unions got what they wanted and the P O grew from 200,000 to 600,00 and the pension and healthcare benefits grew right along with it. So to keep this monster dinosaurs system with the average age of 56 from becoming a taxpayer bail out Congress set up this 10 year payment system. You reap what you sow.
those 100,000 is going to be part of the plan those people are near retirement age they will be given buy out before they start to lay off people
And that is the reason behind this Koch-backed radical right wing goal. The $80 billion dollar pre-pay retirement plan cut a huge chunk of cash out of the USPS bank account.
Because she, like many r’s, wants to see the union broken and the post office privatized.
What mess? The Bush entanglement created a bill that forced the postal service to finance its 70 year retirement program – in advance. In advance? Yep – $80 billion dollars. Because of that we have to shutter tiny post offices in Sherman Mills, and close down the essential distribution point in Hampden.
And people whine about government waste. How about the waste associated with keeping an under-utilized, over-staffed postal facility up and running?
Like i said before they are going to take care of that if you had watch cspan from DC you would of gotten some of Susan ideas like having some of those post offices only open 4 hrs a day if the plant in Hampdam is to large for there need rent out part of it to a print company that uses the post office.They are going to give buy outs to employees that are near retirement are 100, 000 people would be effected
There is empty commercial space all over the State. No ‘print’ company needs to rent some huge warehouse anymore and nobody is looking to rent large spaces in Hampden. There are already a half dozen sites there sitting empty.
You and I both know, for sure, that there is not enough work for the people who are currently at the distribution center. I understand that it’s not something you really want to be honest about, but you and I both know that the work there is nothing like it was 20 years ago. And the staff levels haven’t changed, even though the volume has dropped off a cliff. There’s not enough work there to justify the infrastructure.
Data please. When this 1st came up, tghere have been staff reutctions there. Keep it open.
a print shop i bet would love to move into the same building they would save money
Prove it.
As someone who works there. They’re bored to death.
And they are soooooo friendly too.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT. Close it. E-mail is the way of the future.
What business will come to maine if you close then ?? How do you sign for a email ?? I will not give out my email how will courts get a whole of people for jury duty ?
They do not care if any business comes to Maine.
Do you know any profit that the post office makes it HAS to be turn over to the government ? The post is suppose to operate on a brake even bases an make no profit . Do a search on google an find out for your self
They should doing something. Give DHHS a break for a week and try to keep Post Office open. Then go back to the DHHS problem. All in favor.
Uh, what does the Maine Department of Health and Human Services have to do with Congress?
The post office needs to shrink because they don’t provide a service that everyone wants. 75% of the refuse that comes thru my mailbox goes directly into the recycling bin. It doesn’t cross my threshold. Postal service will still be available in rural Maine, the items will simply be sorted in the gigantic sparkly new facility in Scarborough. Grandma will have to order her meds a day early. I think she can handle it. At some point we need to close some of the facilities that are no longer required. Jobs are not guaranteed for life. Considering the $16 trillion national debt, alot of other government facilities need to be looked at for efficiencies sake. The problem is Congress wants to solve our spending problems in everyones district but their own. Reality is technology has made the Postal Service obsolete. Email, Estatements, direct deposit, paypal, credit cards, etc. have signalled the end of the post office as we know it.
that refuse as you say brings in 17.2 BILLION a year you want to to do away with the junk mail as people call if they ,, they mite as well close all the post offices down
My mailbox is full every day. I order lots off the internet. half comes through the Post office…So you think you are the norm. I still get all my bills by mail. I signed up once to have them sent via email. My computer crashed. Had a heck of a time paying bills till i went out a bought a new computer…LOL
They wanted to be treated differently when they went on strike in 1970. In those years, they had us by the shorthairs and took full advantage. Now they have to prepay for all the retiree costs that the union negotiated back then. I’d rather see consolidation, forced efficiency, and money actually set aside for their retirement than an additional expense that piles onto the national debt. If the federal employees retirement system turns out to be underfunded guess who gets to bail out these guys?
Here we go, an inefficient system trying to fix its problems and we have a bunch of politicians jumping in to tell them how. No wonder its a mess.
Ok what would you do ??
What they need to do is close the plant and build a new one across the road a little smaller(just a couple foot smaller and than open it) Just think of all the money we would save on fuel with the smaller building. I should run for office the way I think. And if your anybody you would think like me because I’m a liberal and I have to be right.
close it we do not need it. it is that simple.
So you are ok with mail say coming fort kent traveling all the way to portland an than traveling all the way back up to nothern maine thats over a 600 mile trip
actually if they went back to local postmarks that would not be an issue either.
im talking about a town like 15 miles away for the post office
CLOSE IT, PUT THOUSANDS OUT OF WORK. ADD THE COST TO A BUSINESS, BECAUSE GUESS WHAT…THEY USE THE POST OFFICE….Brainwashed fools….good thing they are not running the country.
Bravo to our lawmakers Bravo. No offense folks, the USPS wants to close places down and our lawmakers step up to fight to keep it open, but when another business in this state closes, they don’t say a word….
The post office does use taxpayer money and it is funded by the treasury but not entirely: http://www.fms.treas.gov/fastbook/fastbook1/fastbook1_may2011.pdf
People want to close places now what business will want to come to Maine with slow mail or half to travel 20 miles or more . Now people say the internet is the only way to go can you send a letter thru the email that has to be sign for ? can you send a package thru the email ? What will you do to people that refuse to give out there email or people that don’t have computers an one more thing people on the state dole you want to take away there computers an telephones what do you do than ??
How about they stop paying people overtime for coming in 4 hours early and leaving after those 4 hours. 20 hours a week, all overtime pay? That makes sense!
And how about they get rid of the people who are obviously drunk.
And how about they stop playing card games and do some work.
“being faced with cuts and are being asked to get more work done with fewer resources”
What a joke. They could get 5x time work done if they replaced the lazy people with employees who actually did what they are hired for.