SCHUMER URGES U.S. POSTAL SERVICE TO REVERSE POLICY PREVENTING ROCHESTER VETERANS FROM DISTRIBUTING MEMORIAL DAY POPPIES AT LOCAL POST OFFICE

Senator To USPS: Let Veterans Distribute Memorial Day Poppies At Post Offices 

  U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today publically demanded the U.S. Postal Service, specifically Postmaster General of the United States Megan Brennan, immediately reverse the Jefferson Road Post Office in Rochester from blocking veterans from distributing and accepting donations for poppies on post office property. Schumer said every year around Memorial Day, veterans far and wide distribute and accept donations to help local veteran groups.

“Preventing veterans from distributing Memorial Day poppies is simply disrespectful to our veterans who protected and defended us,” said Senator Schumer.  “Not only is it exasperating that the post office would stand in the way of this long-standing tradition that helps so many veterans, but also that the post office shamed a group of veterans by forcing them to vacate the post office against their will. I strongly urge the U.S. Postal Service to immediately reverse this overly bureaucratic policy and formally apologize to the veterans who were wrongfully treated by the Jefferson Road Post Office.”

Schumer’s public call comes in response to the Jefferson Road Post Office forcing local Rochester veterans to leave the premise, citing a rarely enforced United States Postal Service policy against soliciting on post office property.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We commend U.S. Senator Schumer in his effort to help veterans, but in this time of cutbacks in service, attempts to close post offices, and price increases for all types of mail we think the last three should be the priorities of not only U.S. Senator Schumer, but also U.S. Senator Gillibrand.

The public can no longer deal with short staffed post offices, post offices with equipment constantly in need of repair, and post offices that are constantly closed during business hours for one reason or another. 

The number one priority of both U.S. Senators should be that post offices are kept open, are properly staffed, and that the effort by the USPS to close post offices when the reason is that customers are mailing elsewhere because their local post office if understaffed, closed for lunch or closed because the computer network is down.

Deal with what the real problems at the post office are U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand.