March 29, 2024
Rural Post offices on notice in digital age
The prospect of losing a post office is alarming people in small towns everywhere. The post office gives area residents a reason to come to town — and patronize other businesses there — and provides a service they count on and believe their government owes them.

The Postal Service, a self-supporting agency that gets no tax dollars, has no choice but to reduce its offices, stations and branches, which now total 31,871, spokeswoman Sue Brennan says. It loses $23 million a day and ended fiscal year 2010 with an $8.5 billion shortfall.

In March, the Postal Service will begin identifying offices that could be closed. Brennan says it's a 57-step process that can take up to 21 months and includes opportunities for community input. Federal law bars closures based solely on economic reasons.

Mail volume is down as more people use electronic communications, she says, and people have access to postal services at ATMs, groceries and online.

Customers "don't need to come to a brick-and-mortar location with a big flagpole," she says. "Those days are over." (Source: USA Today)
Story Date: February 21, 2011
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