Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s plan to consolidate mail processing into 60 regional centers in the U.S. continues to generate vigorous opposition.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester is the latest member of Congress to introduce a bill to block the plan until assurances can be made that rural mail will be delivered in a timely way.

The USPS plan would close the Missoula, Mont. processing center and send the mail through the mountains 130 miles to Spokane, Wash. to be processed, and back for delivery.

Tester is incensed. His bill — Protecting Access to Rural Carriers for Every Location (PARCEL) act — was introduced May 2, joining three similar bills that were introduced in Congress in late April.

Here is a reaction in another part of the country — Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The following press release was issued May 3.

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Dickinson County, MI — Faced with the consolidation with the Green Bay, Wisc. processing center and reduction in local services in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula’s only mail processing plant, the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners has launched an online petition campaign.

The petition, which is available on change.org, is entitled ”Demand the USPS Board of Governors Abandon the “Delivering for America Plan.”

By proposing a nationwide petition campaign, the board of commissioners hopes to unite with other individuals and communities across the nation who face the same concerns about potentially negative changes to America’s postal delivery system.

Speaking on behalf of Dickinson County, Commissioner Barbara Kramer stated, “The Dickinson County Board of Commissioners believes that our Kingsford, Michigan Post Office Processing Center MUST not only survive, but must expand to serve all of the residents of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a timely and efficient way. The proposed USPS DELIVERING FOR AMERICA plan takes away the efficiencies of our local distribution center and has the potential to damage our way and quality of life. Therefore, we strongly support any and all efforts by our congressional leaders to stop the rollout of this plan.”

The Dickinson County Board of Commissioners Petition can be found here — https://chng.it/5VDWFTZZ79

The board of commissioners — Henry Wender, Barbara Kramer, John Degenaer, Jr., Joe Stevens and Ann Martin — is the governing body of Dickinson County, Michigan. The commissioners oversee county properties and establish budgets, participate in, or chair county committees, boards and commissions, as well as actively participate in a wide range of community events, programs, and committees.

Sioux Falls, SD

Also, the USPS announced May 2 that the Sioux Falls regional processing center in South Dakota will downgrade to local processing, only handling mail for about 25% of the state’s zip codes. The rest will go to Omaha, 160 miles away, and back.

Dahlonega, Ga.

Also, this report is from the Dahlonega (Ga.) Nugget newspaper on May 1.

“If you’re mailing a letter or package in Dahlonega, Ga. to another Dahlonega address make sure to bypass the blue bin by the curb, and also the slots inside the post office, and hand your parcel directly to an actual worker at the front counter.”

“On Friday morning, postal employees, who asked to remain unnamed, told The Nugget that if any Dahlonega mail is given to them directly they can make sure that the parcel stays in Dahlonega.”

“Once they hit the bins, however, it’s a different story as mail intended for the other side of town will enter a stack that is headed approximately 80 miles down the road to the much maligned distribution center (in Atlanta) that has essentially become the Bermuda Triangle of Georgia mail.”

“Dahlonega Sunrise Rotary Club President Diane Bates can attest to this.”

“Over 400 invitations to the club’s 2024 Tribute Gala fundraiser were sealed, stamped and dropped off at the post office four weeks ago. And that was the last time they were seen.”

“’It makes no sense,’ said Bates. ‘Most of those 400 were people here in Dahlonega.’”

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