With the U.S. Postal Service reportedly putting the Glendale post office on Broadway on the chopping block, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) sent a letter to USPS Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to persuade him to keep the historic post office open.
The Postal Service has not confirmed reports of the closures, but it appears it is moving ahead with potential closures and consolidations throughout the Los Angeles area, including two consolidations in Pasadena and the City of Industry, according to Schiff’s office.
In the letter to Donahoe, Schiff wrote:
“Closing the Post Office would mean a significant degradation in services for the community. Small business owners and families who rely on the Post Office on a daily basis to help their firms grow and mail care packages, respectively, will likely have to travel far outside the downtown business district to conduct their business with USPS. Additionally, seniors who depend on being able to access the Post Office on foot will no longer have a Post Office within walking distance.
This step is misguided not only because it will negatively affect the services USPS provides the community, but also because closing the Post Office will not achieve anywhere near the level of cost savings that USPS needs to improve its fiscal health. USPS faces an annual multibillion dollar operating deficit, but selling the Post Office will do little compared to the scale of the financial challenges USPS faces. Unfortunately, the damage done by selling the Post Office would be permanent – the community would never be able to get back its beautiful and historic Post Office.”
USPS plans to consolidate its network of 461 mail processing location, starting with 140 consolidations through February. This would be followed by a second phase of 89 consolidations beginning February 2014, reducing its workforce by 28,000 employees.
