On Thursday, October 7, US Congressman Dwight Evans will address ongoing  issues with the United States Post Office in a virtual meeting open to the public.

The invitation starts with: “It goes without saying that mail delivery and the US Postal Service are broken, resulting in countless problems for all.”

And that includes the Local. Readers already know that the September 9 issue was delivered as much as two weeks late, depending on the neighborhood, when the copies were misdirected to the USPS Network Distribution Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. Kilians Hardware and other local businesses have had similar complaints.

On October 1, the Post Office implemented new changes to make service slower. In an interview with NPR,  USPS spokesperson Kim Frum said they would be slowing their target delivery time by about 30%, affecting 39% of first-class mail and an additional 7% for periodicals.

“This is not just a newspaper problem and it’s not just a Pennsylvania problem,” remarked Brad Simpson, president of the trade group Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. “It’s impacting all 50 states, and it affects any business that relies on the postal service – such as magazines and mail order drugs.”

To facilitate the discussion, a steering committee of neighbors went through dozens of emails on the Cresheim Village Neighbors listserv and prepared questions reflecting neighbors’ concerns and frustrations.  After the Congressman addresses these questions, the floor will be open to everyone.

This is not a new issue for Rep. Evans. In April 2020 he co-sponsored the Protect Our Post Offices Act, H.R. 6425, which would allocate $25 billion in emergency appropriations to the Postal Service. Congress has not taken action on the bill yet.

The meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m. No registration required. Join by phone 646 558 8656 or by Zoom Link:   

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4896480312?pwd=MTRVZW5SQ2s1cE5WRis2cG50OEJlZz09

Meeting ID: 489 648 0312
Passcode: 004063

Contact Rep. Evans office at 215-276-0340 or evans.house.gov/contact