Saving Tucson’s Cherrybell Postal Facility

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I almost spit out my coffee this morning when I read this opinion by Mark Evans, editor of the Tucson Citizen blog, republished in the Arizona Daily Star this morning. Closing Tucson postal processing center makes sense – Caveat Lector:

Snail Mail is quickly becoming an anachronism. Moreover, it’s an environmental nightmare. More than 215,000 postal vehicles drive more than 1.2 billion miles a year.

Billions of pounds of mailed paper is made from tree pulp. That’s about 68 million trees a year for the U.S. alone, according to the American Forest and Paper Association.

Most snail mail can be electronic these days, it’s just old people resistant to change who insist on it. And the postal worker’s union.

Poor people without computers need only get their snail mail bills and personal communication once a week; every day delivery is unnecessary. Package delivery also can be weekly or handled by private industry, UPS, FedEx and the like.

This ignorant, ill conceived opinion at first struck me as the rantings of a techno-snob: it's just old people and poor people who rely on snail mail. "F#&k them, get a computer and join the digital age, grandma!"

But it displays an ignorance of the world and how it runs far worse than the ill-mannered rantings of a techno-snob. Here are some excellent points to consider in a press release from the Pima County Democratic Party that I am certain never even entered the mind of Mr. Evans before he wrote his ignorant, ill conceived opinion:

The Pima County Democratic Party’s Executive committee voted last week to endorse the resolution being put forward by the Pima County Board of Supervisors, opposing the US Postal Service’s proposed closure of the Tucson Processing and Distribution Center at the Cherrybell Postal Facility.

The party joins the Board of Supervisors in opposing the closure for the following reasons:

• The loss of 440 jobs, loss of $30 million in economic activity, and the loss of $4.8 million in federal, state, and local tax revenues;
• Delaying the ability of the US Postal Service to identify anthrax attacks and distribute the prophylactic antibiotic treatment to Pima County residents in a timely manner;
• The violation of state election law concerning distribution of vote by mail ballot and backup facilities;
• Disenfranchising Native American voters on the Tohono O’odham Nation;
• Delaying time sensitive victim notification letters required by court rule and statute;
• Delaying time sensitive court hearing notices to self-represented litigants in both Family Law and Civil Litigation in Pima County Superior Court;
• Delay of time sensitive road closure notices;
• Delay of timely mail delivery to and from service members at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca; and
• The loss of a local bulk mailing discount, causing unnecessary harm to local businesses.

“This is the latest in a long line of Phoenix-first decisions being made at our expense,” said Pima County Democratic Party Chair Jeff Rogers. “This is a move so poorly conceived and so harmful to Southern Arizona, that I’m surprised the Republican-controlled State Legislature hasn’t endorsed it. This is a needless loss of a mail distribution center that will leave the entire state with only one distribution center — in the Phoenix area. A state the size of Arizona needs a larger distribution network for time sensitive mail.”

There is also this far more thoughtful and considered opinion from Tucson City Council Member Richard Fimbres in the Arizona Daily Star. Speak up to keep mail-processing center:

I want to thank the hundreds of people who attended the public meeting about the potential closure of the Cherrybell Stravenue processing and distribution center held Dec. 28 at the Leo Rich Theatre.

(And they were not all old poor people without computers, either.)

Tucson and Southern Arizona turned out for both meetings, with close to 600 present for the general meeting and 50 business owners for the earlier meeting, visibly surprising USPS officials with the turnout. It was the biggest of these hearings held across the country.

Tucson and Southern Arizona showed that we are strongly opposed to closing the Cherrybell Stravenue post office processing and distribution center.

Here is what is at stake for Tucson and Southern Arizona, in addition to the 300 potential jobs lost from the plant:

• The costs to mail packages and letters would rise.

• Social Security checks and other similar financial measures would be delayed.

• Prescriptions would be delayed.

• Vote-by-mail would be severely affected, since the Phoenix processing station would have to handle all vote-by-mail for both state and city elections.

• Governments' costs to mail their various items would increase, as stated by the USPS representative at the hearing.

• Overnight, two-day or quicker delivery for first-class postage would cease for Tucson and for all Southern Arizona cities.

• More than 23,000 of our local businesses in Tucson and Southern Arizona, which may use mail order and had used Cherrybell, would have to pay more for shipping and postage.

These businesses would also be affected by the loss of the processing center from all aspects. Tucson's economic potential would also be impacted by this loss.

• Local mail houses would have to charge more for the services. The same local mail houses would lose the discounts by the USPS if this facility is closed, with the resulting increase in costs passed to the consumer.

• Relocation of businesses could happen, resulting in further job losses. Potential businesses will not relocate to a city that doesn't have a processing or distribution center.

This is more than just a post office closing; it involves Tucson and Southern Arizona's livelihood.

If you could not attend this meeting, you can still comment on this by mail. Letters postmarked with Thursday's date will be accepted.

Written comments may be sent to: Management, Consumer and Industry Contact, Arizona District, P.O. Box, 21628, Phoenix, Arizona 85036-1628.

A decision is expected in May. Send your comments now.