Congressman Eliot Engel submitted testimony at a town hall event hosted by the United States Postal Service on Tuesday blasting postal officials for the inadequate response to the systemic issues plaguing mail service in Westchester and the Bronx.
“The issues plaguing the Postal Service in Westchester and the Bronx have been out of control for quite some time,” Engel wrote. “Late deliveries, missing or lost mail, non-existent customer service, and a complete lack of accountability have become the norm here, and it seems that no matter what we do, the problems persist.”
The townhall event was organized in response to calls by Engel and Senator Chuck Schumer to have an open forum where postal officials could hear directly from constituents who have been affected by poor service.
Full text of the Congressman’s testimony can be found below:
“I regret that I am unable to attend this evening in person, as I am in Washington. But this meeting is of critical importance and is, quite frankly, long overdue.
“The issues plaguing the Postal Service in Westchester and the Bronx have been out of control for quite some time. Late deliveries, missing or lost mail, non-existent customer service, and a complete lack of accountability have become the norm here, and it seems that no matter what we do, the problems persist. I have written letters, made phone calls, and hosted meetings with postal officials at the local, state, and federal level over the course of the last 3 years sounding the alarm about these issues. And though we see temporary improvement after every meeting, things quickly revert back to substandard levels soon thereafter. This is completely unacceptable. We have heard every excuse under the sun as to why mail delivery has been poor, but what we haven’t heard are lasting, long-term steps that are being taken by the Postal Service to ensure the entire system is finally rid of these systemic problems. That is what we are all looking for here this evening. It isn’t enough to say the regular mail carrier is on vacation, or someone is new to the route and is still learning the ropes. My constituents deserve better than that, and I hope we get it here tonight.
“In addition, I must also note that I am dismayed by how unresponsive the Postal Service has been to all parties involved during this whole fiasco. Every phone call or meeting I have had with a postal official has been precipitated by weeks, even months of back and forth with a liaison before I receive straight answers to any of my questions. The same has been true for my constituents, who have logged complaints with their local branches that have gone absolutely nowhere. The Postal Service needs to do better, across the board, to ensure it is listening to the feedback it is getting and responding to that feedback in a timely manner. Maybe then we’ll begin to see the progress that has been so desperately lacking in our area. Thank you.”
EDITOR'S NOTE:
It is unfortunate that the public did not know of this town hall meeting so that we the public who use the USPS could advise the Postmaster of what is happening at the local post office. Be it less staff, computer break downs, closing post offices for lunch breaks, or just plain old bad service by the USPS and not the clerks behind the windows.
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