U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is expressing frustration with the U.S. Postal Service’s announcement this week that First Class mail deliveries to some parts of Maine that used to take one day will soon take two or three.
The Postal Service is changing its service standards beginning July 1. Tom Rizzo, USPS spokesman for the Northern New England District, said delivery times are being changed as fewer people use the mail and the Postal Service tries to save money. The USPS is projected to run a $14 billion deficit this year.
The change will mean fewer trucks and fewer trips between Maine’s two processing locations.
“In May, the Postmaster General announced his decision to abide by the service standards established by the Senate-passed postal reform bill that I co-authored,” Collins, R-Maine, said in a statement Thursday night. “The result was that both of Maine’s processing plants — in Hampden and Scarborough — were deemed essential and will remain open. There will be no change in the processing infrastructure in Maine until at least February 2014.
“It is, therefore, difficult to understand why the Postal Service’s elimination of a few truck routes would create such a marked deterioration in service for some of the residents of our state,” Collins added.
The Lewiston Sun Journal reported that now, a First Class letter mailed in Portland arrives in Aroostook County the next day. But after July 1 it could take longer.
But one-day delivery within certain groups of ZIP codes will still take a day after the change takes effect.
Really. What is so important today that it cannot wait another day or two? If it is that critical, use email (PDF) or overnight. Time to join the 21st century.
In the 20th century they could deliver a letter in one day; in the 21st century they can’t? What kind of progress is that?
It’s called progressive politics.
It’s called defunding the post office by Republicans to show justification for the transfer to private enterprise.
The reality is they couldn’t afford it then either.
How do you send a certified by email ??
I think the USPS has an overnight service. That would work for certified.
So as i have said before not every thing can be sent by email
As it is, it takes Priority Mail packages ONE day to get to Maine from California, then TWO more days to get to me in Maine. With less truck routes, they are saying only 1st class will be affected, but I don’t see it only being one class. It will all get slowed down.
Senator Collins got the wool pulled over her eyes. She fought for the postal service because if they closed the facility it was going to cause delivery times to be longer. She gets it passed so they don’t close and they make sure delivery times are going to be longer but they still have their facility. What a bunch of political bull crap.
I guess you should not pay for 1st class mail, since it will now be 2nd class.
The demise of our postal service is due only to legislation passed by the Republicans. A now Sen. Collins complains? they are a shameless lot.
Maybe she should have been (Critical) when she helped pass the Post Office Reform Act of 2006 that destroyed it!