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Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) today released the results of a survey of 2,130 Mainers who were asked how recent operational changes at the US Postal Service (USPS) by the Trump administration have impacted them. The survey was issued on Monday, August 24, by Rep. Pingree’s office.
56% of the survey respondents (1,195 individuals) shared personal stories of mail disruptions they have experienced. Mainers wrote about delayed prescriptions, disrupted business operations, dead mail-order animals and more. A sampling of responses received by Representative Pingree’s office is provided below:
+ “Having been diagnosed with ALS, I rely on medication to prevent painful muscle cramping and twitching. The only source of this medication is in Florida. It typically takes 3 to 4 days from placing the order to delivery. My last order took ten days to geet here and it was and extraordinarily painful week!”
+ ” I am a small business person who sells on Etsy. As such, I rely on the postal service to ship orders. I’ve experienced delays and a least one package is lost somewhere. i know other Etsy sellers who are having a really hard time with orders arriving really late, and are losing business.”
+ ” The post office in our summer community is closed this summer, requiring trips ashore to pick up mail. While understandable, I’m so afraid of this closure – the first in the long history of t his office of which I am aware – will become permanent if things at the USPS aren’t helped. Please get rid of the 75- year prefunding mandate behind its financial issues.”
+” We seem to have 1 – 2 days delay in mail that affects my cash flow as someone who is self-employed. A couple of my clients only send checks and I do not have option of ACH deposits. My personal income is low because there isn’t a lot of demand for my services now and the cash flow is hard.”
+” I have received time sensitive letters from DHHS and Mainecare too late to respond before the deadline resulting in loss of food supplements for three months, the inability to choose my own pccm and additional Rx costs. These delays are hampering Maine State agencies.”
Put in another way, 64% of respondents said they have experienced mail delays or know someone who has. 89% of respondents said they were aware of the operational changes by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. 82% said they’ve paid their bills via USPS or plan to within the next six months.
Representative Pingree has voted with the US House to approve three bills to put the post office on a stable financial setting. The Senate has yet to Act.