Throughout my first term in Congress, I have heard from hundreds of constituents about mail delivery services and the rapid decline of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Residents, businesses, and postal workers deserve better than the leadership they are getting from USPS headquarters.
Many North Alabama residents tell me they experience delays in mail delivery to their homes. At times, some constituents say their mail arrives nearly a week late. This is unacceptable.
Seniors typically write checks at a higher rate than other age groups and unreliable mail delivery impacts elder Alabamians to a greater degree. Seniors should not have to fear that their medication could arrive days after their next scheduled dose.
Businesses across North Alabama have contacted my office to express their frustration that checks are being lost in the mail. This affects businesses and consumers, as customers could unexpectedly see their services terminated or accumulate late fees because the USPS lost or delayed their payment.
In one case, a constituent contacted my office out of concern that his credit score would be impacted due to a payment not arriving on time. Once again, this is completely inexcusable.
On top of receiving their mail late, residents are having packages delivered in poor condition.
Just this week, a North Alabama resident sent me this photo – which shows mail being stored in the parking lot of the Owens Cross Roads Post Office.
Let me be clear – I stand in full support of the postal workers who are suffering from a lack of leadership in Washington. These employees, who are often beloved by many in their communities, have inadequate space to perform the essential functions of their jobs.
No post office should have to store mail in its parking lot and fail to give its workforce the tools they need to succeed. It is evident that the USPS facilities management department should enhance their monitoring of conditions on the ground.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. I have recently heard from many constituents in Hytop, Harvest, and Owens Cross Roads that their situations are worsening. However, the issues facing these communities are far from isolated. USPS faces a range of problems across the Tennessee Valley.
North Alabama is experiencing unprecedented industrial and residential growth. With this comes a greater need for USPS investment in their facilities across our region’s footprint.
In 2011, USPS began the process of closing the Huntsville Processing and Distribution Facility (PD&F) and consolidating it to Birmingham.
Since the completion of the 2010 census, the population of Huntsville has grown by 36% while the greater Madison County area has grown by 23%. Given that Huntsville is now the largest city in the state, the time has come for USPS to establish a standalone North Alabama-based PD&F.
As I see it, timely mail delivery is a quality-of-life issue. It is the very least my constituents should expect from their federal government.
I will continue to do everything in my power to hold USPS accountable to the people it was established to serve.
Congressman Dale W. Strong represents the Fifth District of Alabama and is a member of the House Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Science, Space and Technology Committees.
