Post Office Update
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to tour the downtown Grand Rapids Post Office on Michigan Avenue. This facility handles roughly all the letters, and ballots, that come out of West Michigan. On average, they handle anywhere between 1.3 million and 1.7 million letters per day. The reason I went to visit this facility was because of the wild accusations that were being made in Washington regarding the post office.
The next day, I went to Washington and voted no on a $25 billion bailout of the post office. Without a doubt, the post office is in dire need of reform and modernization. Last year alone, the post office was $8.8 billion in the red. However, $25 billion with no reforms attached is not the answer to the problems that plague the USPS.
Currently, the post office has billions of dollars in cash on hand and is properly funded through August 2021. Additionally, the CARES Act that passed with bipartisan support earlier this year included a provision that would allow the post office to have access to a $10 billion line of credit - which it has not been tapped or utilized to this point.
It's disappointing the post office has become the latest political football for some in Washington. People across the nation, including right here in West Michigan, rely on the post office to deliver everything from a note to a friend to vital medicine.
After my tour, I asked some follow up questions regarding the ability of the Grand Rapids Post Office to handle the influx of ballots as well as questions regarding their machinery. I want to ensure that resources are properly allocated and that the post office is able to properly handle all absentee ballots.
Here is the note I received from the post office earlier today clarifying the matter:
"We apologize for any misunderstanding there has been regarding the disposition of our automation machines at the Grand Rapids facility on Michigan Ave. We reviewed your questions and what was shared with you still stands. No machines have been removed from that facility in the last thirty days."
"To clarify; any machines that have been dismantled are being reused and reassembled to be used in a way that is more efficient. Additionally, some machines were dismantled to just be moved and reassembled in a different location in the same facility."
Thank you to the men and women at the post office for not only your work, but your timely answers to help clear up this situation.
