HELP STOP THE CLOSURE OF
THE HIGHGATE SPRINGS POST OFFICE
THE HIGHGATE SPRINGS POST OFFICE
The U.S. Postal Service has announced the proposed closure of 3600 post offices nationwide including 14 in Vermont. The Highgate Springs Post Office is among those fourteen. This post office provides convenient postal services and supplies to the residents and businesses in Highgate Springs and is the last U.S. Post Office in northwestern Vermont before crossing the Canadian border 3 miles away. Its closure would require a 10 mile round trip to either the post office in Highgate Center or the one in Swanton to rent a P.O. box or conduct postal business. Any resident or business owner who wishes to express their opinion on the proposed closure of the Highgate Springs Post Office may contact Shannon Nadeau at the Office of Congressman Welch:
Shannon Nadeau - Shannon.nadeau@mail.house.gov
Office of Congressman Peter Welch (VT-AL)
30 Main Street, Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 652-2450
Visit Congressman Welch’s Online Resources:
Website | YouTube | Facebook | E-Newsletter
________________________________________________________________
or you may send your comments on the proposed
Highgate Springs Post Office closure to:
Ms. Kathy Rokowski
Manager, Consumer & Industry Contact
Northern New England District
United States Postal Service
151 Forest Ave., Suite 7026
Portland, Maine 04101
________________________________________________________________
SELECTMEN'S SUPPORT LETTER
To read a copy of the Town of Highgate Selectmen's letter in support of keeping the Highgate Springs Post Office open, the USPS response to the Selectmen's letter, and Senator Patrick Leahy's response letter, please click on the links below:
Office of Congressman Peter Welch (VT-AL)
30 Main Street, Suite 350
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 652-2450
Visit Congressman Welch’s Online Resources:
Website | YouTube | Facebook | E-Newsletter
________________________________________________________________
or you may send your comments on the proposed
Highgate Springs Post Office closure to:
Ms. Kathy Rokowski
Manager, Consumer & Industry Contact
Northern New England District
United States Postal Service
151 Forest Ave., Suite 7026
Portland, Maine 04101
________________________________________________________________
SELECTMEN'S SUPPORT LETTER
To read a copy of the Town of Highgate Selectmen's letter in support of keeping the Highgate Springs Post Office open, the USPS response to the Selectmen's letter, and Senator Patrick Leahy's response letter, please click on the links below:
| 0824_2011_slb_letter_3.pdf |
| 0913_2011_usps_response_letter.pdf |
| 1012_2011_senator_leahy_response_letter.doc |
A Rationale for Postal Cuts in Doubt
February 6, 2012
At a time when the U.S. Postal Service is considering deep cuts in services and jobs, an internal watchdog told Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday that a big funding cushion already has been built into the mail service's retirement and health benefit funds. Billions of dollars owed to the funds have been cited by Postal Service managers as a main reason that it must cut 220,000 jobs and close 3,700 post offices and 252 mail processing plants - half of all the current sorting centers.
In a letter to Sanders, however, Postal Service Inspector General David C. Williams said the programs are flush with funds. He said the Postal Service has "significantly exceeded" the amount that the federal government and the nation's most profitable corporations have socked away for pension and retiree health care. "Using ratepayer funds, it has built a war chest of over $326 billion to address its future liabilities," Williams told Sanders. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) joined Sanders a Capitol Hill press conference.
Armed with the new information from the inspector general, Sanders said the Postal Service should be released from what he called an "onerous and unprecedented burden" of being forced to put $5.5 billion every year into their future retiree health benefits fund. Even if there are no further contributions from the post office, and if the fund simply collects 3.5 to 4 percent interest every year, that account will be fully funded in 21 years, Sanders said. He also said the Postal Service should be allowed to recover more than $13 billion in overpayments it has made to a federal retirement systems. Even with those changes, Sanders said the Postal Service needs reforms to make it competitive in the e-mail era.
"Let's be clear: these short-term accounting efforts will not solve the long-term financial problems facing the U.S. Postal Service. In order to do that, the Postal Service needs to adopt an entirely new business model which makes it much more entrepreneurial, pro-business, and pro-consumer compared to where it is today," Sanders said. He wants a blue ribbon commission to give the Postal Service ideas about how it can substantially increase revenue by offering far more services than today.
________________________________________________________________
February 6, 2012
At a time when the U.S. Postal Service is considering deep cuts in services and jobs, an internal watchdog told Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday that a big funding cushion already has been built into the mail service's retirement and health benefit funds. Billions of dollars owed to the funds have been cited by Postal Service managers as a main reason that it must cut 220,000 jobs and close 3,700 post offices and 252 mail processing plants - half of all the current sorting centers.
In a letter to Sanders, however, Postal Service Inspector General David C. Williams said the programs are flush with funds. He said the Postal Service has "significantly exceeded" the amount that the federal government and the nation's most profitable corporations have socked away for pension and retiree health care. "Using ratepayer funds, it has built a war chest of over $326 billion to address its future liabilities," Williams told Sanders. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) joined Sanders a Capitol Hill press conference.
Armed with the new information from the inspector general, Sanders said the Postal Service should be released from what he called an "onerous and unprecedented burden" of being forced to put $5.5 billion every year into their future retiree health benefits fund. Even if there are no further contributions from the post office, and if the fund simply collects 3.5 to 4 percent interest every year, that account will be fully funded in 21 years, Sanders said. He also said the Postal Service should be allowed to recover more than $13 billion in overpayments it has made to a federal retirement systems. Even with those changes, Sanders said the Postal Service needs reforms to make it competitive in the e-mail era.
"Let's be clear: these short-term accounting efforts will not solve the long-term financial problems facing the U.S. Postal Service. In order to do that, the Postal Service needs to adopt an entirely new business model which makes it much more entrepreneurial, pro-business, and pro-consumer compared to where it is today," Sanders said. He wants a blue ribbon commission to give the Postal Service ideas about how it can substantially increase revenue by offering far more services than today.
________________________________________________________________
.
Sen. Sanders Postal Service Protection Act - December 19, 2011
.
The U.S. Postal Service has agreed to a request by Bernie and other senators for a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities and laying off tens of thousands of postal workers. Congress now has until May 15, 2012 to consider comprehensive postal reform legislation, including Bernie’s Postal Service Protection Act. The Sanders bill would modernize the Postal Service to help it succeed in the 21st century and prevent massive job loss. “The post office must adapt to the challenges of the digital age, but we must do it in a way that makes it stronger and more responsible to the needs of consumers and not just cut, cut, cut,” Bernie said.
Sen. Sanders Postal Service Protection Act - December 19, 2011
.
The U.S. Postal Service has agreed to a request by Bernie and other senators for a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities and laying off tens of thousands of postal workers. Congress now has until May 15, 2012 to consider comprehensive postal reform legislation, including Bernie’s Postal Service Protection Act. The Sanders bill would modernize the Postal Service to help it succeed in the 21st century and prevent massive job loss. “The post office must adapt to the challenges of the digital age, but we must do it in a way that makes it stronger and more responsible to the needs of consumers and not just cut, cut, cut,” Bernie said.
Subject: HIGHGATE SPRINGS POST OFFICE CLOSURE - August 11, 2011
.
Below is the official information from the U.S. Postal Service regarding their timeline/process they will go through for the study of each VT post office on the list for possible closure. USPS said they expect the process to begin over the next 10 weeks or so, and expect to only go through the process with a few VT offices at a time. Unfortunately there is no indication at this time as to when Highgate Springs will enter into the study, but we’ve asked to be notified as soon as any VT office is entered into the study so we can remain in contact with communities. If everything goes perfect, this is the timeline:
.
First 10 days - financial analysis(feasibility) proceed/or stop - 0 to 10th day
Then running concurrently:
Post Final Determination - 80th to 110th day
Closeout -140th day
If appealed - PRC has 120 days from the 110th day to render a decision.
There are a lot of factors that can cause extra days within the study, but the aim is for 140 days. -This information from Shannon Nadeau.
.
Below is the official information from the U.S. Postal Service regarding their timeline/process they will go through for the study of each VT post office on the list for possible closure. USPS said they expect the process to begin over the next 10 weeks or so, and expect to only go through the process with a few VT offices at a time. Unfortunately there is no indication at this time as to when Highgate Springs will enter into the study, but we’ve asked to be notified as soon as any VT office is entered into the study so we can remain in contact with communities. If everything goes perfect, this is the timeline:
.
First 10 days - financial analysis(feasibility) proceed/or stop - 0 to 10th day
Then running concurrently:
- post proposal for 60 days for comment - 10th to 71st day
- questionnaires and customer responses - 10th to 71st day
- community meeting and comments - 10th to 71st day
Post Final Determination - 80th to 110th day
Closeout -140th day
If appealed - PRC has 120 days from the 110th day to render a decision.
There are a lot of factors that can cause extra days within the study, but the aim is for 140 days. -This information from Shannon Nadeau.
TOWN OF HIGHGATE, P.O. BOX 189, HIGHGATE CENTER, VT 05459
Telephone: (802) 868-4922, Extension 203
FAX: (802) 868-3064
PHOTOS (C) 2009-11 BY DAVID JESCAVAGE
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Telephone: (802) 868-4922, Extension 203
FAX: (802) 868-3064
PHOTOS (C) 2009-11 BY DAVID JESCAVAGE
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