HARTFORD, Conn. — Video is from August 2020
Connecticut Attorney William Tong has joined a group of 23 attorneys general calling on the Postal Regulatory Commission to oppose Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s efforts to make delivery times faster for First-Class mail and other essential postal services.
“DeJoy’s latest plan would increase delivery times for forty percent of First-Class Mail, whether it is paychecks, holiday cards, or election materials,” Attorney General Tong said. “This is a terrible plan for families, businesses, and for the functioning of our government.”
General Louis DeJoy was appointed by President Trump and has been criticized in the past about his comments regarding the past election.
The suggested changes could impact up to 96% of Zip Codes in the United States. According to a release from Attorney Tong, 40% of all First-Class mail in the U.S. will be slowed down if these changes were to go into effect.
The attorneys general submitted a statement of position to the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent federal agency that provides transparency of the U.S. Postal Service operations.
The statement urged the USPS to keep their focus on improving from the mistakes of the previous year, not implementing changes that would reduce service.
“One year ago, the Postal Service implemented a series of purported cost-saving initiatives that had a devastating effect on mail service,” The Attorneys generals wrote.
The attorneys continued on with the impact that followed after the postal services made changes last year.
“...Mail delivery across the nation slowed, and Americans who depended on the Postal Service for the delivery of prescription medication, paychecks, and other necessities were left stranded. The increased delays also made it more difficult for the States to perform a variety of essential functions and provide critical services to their residents...Regrettably, it appears that the Postal Service is poised to repeat many of these mistakes.”
Due to COVID-19 the group of attorneys recognized the hardships placed upon postal service workers because of the cuts.
“The Postal Service has already once imposed sweeping changes in the face of these unprecedented challenges, and the result was disastrous,” The Attorneys General said. “As the Inspector General found, the July 2020 cost-saving initiatives were implemented without adequate planning and were poorly communicated, leading to a rapid decline in service from which the Postal Service has not fully recovered...The Postal Service should abandon its current effort and refocus its energies on fixing its ongoing performance deficiencies.”
This is being led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and New York Attorney General Letitia James. They were joined by many other states including California, New Mexico, and Hawai’i.
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