Congresswoman Chellie Pingree Urges Postmaster General to Keep Cliff Island Post Office Open

Press Release

In a letter today to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree urged the Postal Service to keep the Cliff Island Post Office in Portland open. The post office is one of 30 of Maine's rural communities proposed for closure.

"Having lived on an island community for most of my life, I know how islanders rely on post offices to connect to the mainland," said Pingree, who lives on North Haven Island. "When I owned a mail-order business, I literally depended on it for my livelihood. When an island offices close, it's devastating, especially to year-round residents who have few other options."

To cut expenses, the Postal Service proposed closing 34 post offices serving rural communities in Maine. Last week, it announced that four of those had been taken off the list for closure, including Matinicus Island off Rockland. Pingree has set up a link on her website, www.pingree.house.gov, for constituents to send comments to the Postal Commission on the closings.

"With the Postal Service's decision to keep Matinicus open, I hope they reconsider Cliff Island--it's one of the last remaining year-round island communities in Maine. With few ferries running in the winter, this public building is essential to allowing residents to call the island home," said Pingree. "On Cliff Island, the post office is not only where they mail packages but also cast their vote. The community lost its polling location two years ago with the agreement that they would be able to vote by mail. If this office closes, it's a five-hour round trip and $24 fare to cast a vote--a cost that threatens to disenfranchise those voters."

Pingree has sent numerous letters urging the Postal Service to consider other options to cut costs besides closing local post offices. One of the options Pingree supports is allowing the Postal Service to recover billions of dollars in overpaid pension benefits.

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