Huffman, Thompson to USPS: Don't Close Petaluma and Eureka Mail Processing Centers

Statement

Reps. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) today sent a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe expressing their strong opposition to the United States Postal Service's (USPS) announcement of a plan to close both the North Bay Processing and Distribution Center in Petaluma and the Eureka Customer Service Mail Processing Center. Huffman and Thompson previously opposed the consolidation plan when it was first proposed in 2011, citing that this plan would cause disruption of mail delivery, cause job loss, and damage local economies.

"In 2011, we opposed this same consolidation proposal because we knew then that such a proposal would hurt the local economy and be detrimental to mail delivery in the region," Huffman and Thompson wrote. "We are again opposing this misguided consolidation as a means to solve the USPS financial crisis. It is our understanding that this decision will result in the loss of hundreds of postal staff positions, and our constituents will face a 2 to 3 day service standard for First-Class Mail, instead of 1 to 3 days. This change would be especially difficult for seniors, veterans, and our rural communities, who rely on timely delivery of prescriptions and other postal services."

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