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Postal Workers Seek Answers in Public Meeting
01/14/10 - 10:11 PM
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Jessi Chapin - bio
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click for larger image Bay County, Fla:

It was a tense discussion as U.S Postal Service (USPS) representatives met with workers and residents of Bay County Thursday, as they sorted through a proposal to close the Panama City distribution center located inside the Sherman Ave. office.

But to get the story, News13 first had a discussion with representatives about the First Amendment.  Afterward, they agreed to allow News13 and other media cameras into the public meeting, where more than a hundred residents and workers were happy to have their say.

“When you make the statements that it will be delivered,” said Panama City resident Andre Colvin, “Sir, it will be delivered but it will be delivered 3 days later.”

The speed and efficiency of first class mail is the major concern.  Panama City’s sorting and distribution will be moved to Pensacola, as part of a nation-wide consolidation that impacts 65 facilities.

“We want this institution to continue to be self-sustaining,” said USPS spokesperson Joseph Breckenridge.  He says the move will save half a million dollars a year, at a time when revenue is down 18 percent.  He also says only 9 jobs will be affected, and those will be relocated to alternate assignments.

But, others say the savings will lead to a net decrease from dissatisfied customers.

“Instead of increasing service provided to the customer you’re decreasing it and you’ll lose more mail volume,” said one resident at the meeting.

“My concern is if the level of service goes down for bulk business mail,” said former postal worker Marie Robinson, “the churches are going to hand out bulletins at church. They will just simply stop mailing.”

While letters within the postal code will remain one-day delivery, those currently next day to Dothan or Tallahassee could turn into two. 

“Leave this facility here, move the Pensacola processing to Mobile and leave ours alone,” suggested some of the residents.

Bay County Commissioner Bill Dozier put his constituents’ thoughts into one plea.

“Please re-think this and keep the service here in Bay County where it’s already been proven that the quality of service is high and the workers are good,” he said.

Postal service officials have not yet made a final decision on the consolidation.  They will continue to accept comments and suggestions until January 29th at the following address:

Manager Consumer Affairs
North Florida District
PO Box 40005
Jacksonville, FL 32

User Comments

Everytime I think the “blame Bush” topic is over someone else brings it back. up. Look, mischief,  every administration does that. Do you remember when Bush took office the first thing he said was the country was going into a recession. The covers him just in case.Then the housing bubble burst and they blamed it on the Clinton administration.  The all do it so if you stop bringing it up maybe it will die until the next administration takes office.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/16  at  08:35 PM

This is one more “REAL CHANGE” BS
USPS will never be efficient.
Can’t blame Bush for this either.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/16  at  04:46 PM

What will happen is that local service will be affected.
If you mail a letter or bill in Panama City to Panama City or say Blountstown, it would be delivered the next day 99% of the time as that is their current on time percentage rate for local 3 digit zip first class external mail measurement system or EXFC, which sends daily TEST letters to record service standards for 1,2,and 3 day delivery areas.
If consolidated operations are out of Pensacola, when you mail a letter from Panama City to Panama City or Blountstown, it will be shipped to Pensacola after 7:00 pm for processing and cancelling the stamp,sorted there and shipped back after midnight. Problem is not all the LOCAL letters will get processed in time to make the morning Panama City last truck, so some local letters won’t get delivered for two days! Probably drop the next day EXFC score to 60 or70% of letters and to Blountstown, probably 90% will take two days instead of one.
Service will deteriorate. Slower local mail

Posted by retired one  on  01/15  at  08:01 PM

jday1999, the comments I was referring to have been removed. I just think they need to really look at the efficiency of both facilities before they hamstring us like they are proposing to do. PC is growing and if the gods of the airport are right we are going to need this facility big time in just a few short years.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/15  at  02:55 PM

How is the facility here more efficient than the one in Pensacola? Where does it say that in the article? If they’re trying to consolidate to improve efficiency and save money at the rate only relocating 9 jobs and save $500k it’s a no brainer. Don’t see your logic oldman.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/15  at  02:51 PM

Just like everything else in the government….promote the inefficient and punish the efficient. Even though no longer a government run francise, the USPS just cannot get past it’s roots. It would make more sense to shut down Pensacola and save the money it wastes but that’s just not the way the system works.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  01/15  at  07:20 AM
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