Letter - People Power United joins coalition efforts to Restore the USPS Board of Governors Public Comment Period
🗽A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
People Power United joined other local, state, and national groups to urge the United States Postal Service Office of the Board of Governors to Restore the USPS Board of Governors Public Comment Period. Shout out to Our Financial Security for leading these efforts.
Here is the letter sent on behalf of our People Power United membership to United States Postal Service Office of the Board of Governors:
December 19, 2023
Roman Martinez IV, Chairman
Amber F. McReynolds, Vice Chair
United States Postal Service
Office of the Board of Governors
475 L'Enfant Plaza SW Rm 10300
Washington, DC 20260-1000
Dear Chair Martinez and Vice Chair McReynolds:
The United States Postal Service has a long history of public service and a developed trust with the public. Indeed, even the agency mission statement demonstrates a commitment to “maintain and enhance our reputation and role as a trusted face of the federal government in every community.” A recent poll noted that even in a current climate of historic public distrust in the federal government, the Postal Service continues to be the most favorably viewed government agency across the country, and across political affiliation.
This is why members of the Save the Post Office Coalition and other stakeholders were surprised and deeply concerned at the board’s recent step to severely limit public comment, announced during the November 14 quarterly meeting of the Board of Governors. During the meeting, Postal Board Deputy Secretary Lucy Trout told attendees that in 2024, the Postal Board will only hear public comments once during their November meeting. Trout further explained select written comments may or may not be read out loud in whole or in part. During the August meeting, virtual and in-person public comments were given only twenty-five seconds to introduce themselves and raise their questions or concerns. Commenters at the meeting experienced frustration at not having the time to say essentially anything of substance. These abrupt new public accessibility barriers resulted in the number of public comments–which in recent meetings has been in the double-digits–to drop to four at the November 14 meeting.
The public comment period is the sole opportunity the public has to directly reach the senior leadership of the Postal Service to inform them of the everyday realities they experience when interacting with the agency. This change will mean that the public will have no opportunity to communicate with the Postal Board about their concerns for nearly an entire year, which is deeply troublesome given the significant nature of the topics typically brought during the public comment period. The year will be momentous by any measure – the postal fleet acquisition, the new sorting and delivery centers, pricing and mail speeds – all of which are of compelling public interest and some controversy.
Just this year alone, members of the public, stakeholder groups, and postal workers have brought invaluable direct feedback on critical issues such as: mail slow downs, price hikes, and service and delivery quality. Together we have advocated for expanded community services and environmental and labor considerations in the planning and procurement of the new multi-billion dollar delivery fleet. Outside stakeholders provide valuable and much-needed perspective that, when done right, makes USPS stronger.
The Postal Board’s unexplained, sudden restrictions on public comment are unacceptable. The Postal Service must reverse course by allowing both in-person and virtual public comments at all open sessions in 2024 and beyond. Further steps to improve public transparency should also be considered, such as allowing governors the opportunity to respond to public comments, and recording the comment portions of the quarterly meetings and posting them to the USPS website alongside each formal session. The chance for the public to comment substantively is essential to the public service promise and reputation of the Postal Service as a public agency., and it must be protected and expanded.
Sincerely,
Americans for Financial Reform
CLUW, Coalition of Labor Union Women, San Francisco chapter
Communities and Postal Workers United
New York Metro Area Postal Union (APWU)
Our Revolution
People Power United
Public Citizen
Save the Berkeley Post Office Committee
Take On Wall Street
True North Research
Revolving Door Project
UAW Local 578
cc: Michael J. Elston, Secretary of the Board of Governors and Lucy Trout, Deputy Secretary of the Board of Governors