Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

Local News

Related Photos

  • Cavinder

    Cavinder

Discussion

April 29, 2011

Citizens speak out on proposed postal closures

By BILL ARCHER Bluefield Daily Telegraph

WELCH — The communications world is changing rapidly, and the U.S. Postal Service appears to be caught between an ipod and a hard place as it tries to balance a new position for itself between an emerging customer base that carries everything it needs in the palm of its hand with its traditional customer base that has put its stamp on U.S. communications since the time of Ben Franklin.

Robert A. Cavinder, district manager for the Appalachian Region of the U.S. Postal Service explained that the postal service lost $8.5 billion last year and is on track to lose another $6 billion this year.

“People are not going to the post office the way they used to,” Cavinder said. “There are a lot of small towns in West Virginia that don't have a post office.”

Cavinder spoke frankly about the challenges that the Postal Service is facing. He noted that rate increases don't bring the revenue the service needs to survive. He said the reality is that there are “200,000 less people walking into our post offices a day,” he said. “The brick and mortar isn't being used.”

The Postal Service is considering closing post offices at Eckman, Elkhorn, Hensley and Jenkinjones. To underscore the drop in business, Cavinder explained that the Eckman post office sends out an average of 15 pieces of mail and one package per day. “They make under $20 per day. How many businesses can make it at that return. The Postal Service receives no federal funding.”

The conversation was not one-sided. State Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell, who also serves as McDowell County manager, explained that the rural post offices of McDowell County deliver more than the mail. He said that the post office is a socialization point, a place to buy money orders and send mail as well as a medical checkpoint. He noted that if a regular customer fails to come to the post office, the postmaster finds out if there is something wrong with the patron.

“These same comments have been echoed at many public meetings,” Cavinder said. “Our post masters are very good about taking care of the public. I hear stories all the time about post masters (and the good deeds they do).”

Several people who use the Jenkinjones Post Office asked some pointed questions about the status of the local post offices. Danny Bridgeman questioned why the Postal Service even bothered having a meeting if they had already decided to close the four post offices. “That's money you could be saving,” he said of the public meeting expense. He added that there are people living in the Jenkinjones area who are almost blind and some who can't read. “Why fool with the one in Jenkinjones?”

Mitzi Bridgeman complained that if a mail carrier sold money orders, “he would have to sit there all day selling money orders,” she said. “He's not going to sit there and do that.”

Glen Shoun said that people with disabilities would have a hard time using what he called “cluster boxes,” and Christine Smith said, “most people can't use a computer,' and said they are concerned about giving away personal information “if you're going to order something.”

“We really do not want to close down our post offices, but no business can afford to lose billions of dollars ever year,” Cavinder said. He said the Postal Service has downsized 16 percent of its administrative personnel, 7,500 management positions and 215,000 employees have left.

He said that the entire closing procedure takes 3-6 months, but added that after the public meeting the decision will be made in 30-60 days. Cavinder said after that point, if the decision is made to close the post office, it will be closed in 30 days.

The meeting in Welch was the first of four meetings organized by U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III, and hosted by his staff members. Sara Payne Scarboro, Manchin's deputy state director said the group would travel to Beckley next and finish with post office meetings in Parkersburg and Elkins today.

Scarboro said Manchin requested the meetings “to foster a productive exchange of ideas” and to give the U.S. Postal Service “constructive ideas” as they consider their next steps.

Text Only
Local News