USPS Considering Closing 3700 Offices

Facing a dire financial crisis, the U.S. Postal Service is proposing closing approximately 3700 post offices, nationwide. Many of them are in rural areas.

According to USPS spokesperson Al DeSarro, operating revenue has declined by 20 percent in the last five years and it continues to decline.

DeSarro said the tough economy and the growth of the web are to blame for the possible closures.

KRDO talked to customers at the Yoder, CO post office, which employs five people. The proposal doesn?t sit well with most customers in the rural town.

?I don’t think it’d be good, take people out of jobs and the convenience of being able to use a post office just down the road,? said Joshua Slosson.

?(It?s) not good at all,? said Lorissa Kots. ?People need their mail.?

It?s a sensitive subject, as the cuts will impact the livelihood of postal center employees.

?The internet is taking away quite a bit of jobs these days, but it’s just how technology works these days I guess,? said Slosson.

It?s a sign of the times.

?I guess so,? said Slosson. ?Especially with a lot of things like factories taking away people’s jobs.?

The post office is looking at a variety of different cost-cutting options, including eliminating Saturday delivery. ?We need Congress to approve eliminating Saturday delivery,? said DeSarro. ?It would save the postal service three to five billion dollars a year.?

Another new concept announced Tuesday is that of Village Post Offices. According to DeSarro the post office would contract with a small business to offer limited types of services, including stamp sales, pre-paid package sales and post office boxes.

According to Yoder?s postmaster, the Yoder post office has been open since the early 1900s. So far it is not slated for closure.

To view a list of the proposed closures in Colorado, click here.