GOING POSTAL

THIS IS MORE OF A REGIONAL BASED POST, BUT THE POSTAL SERVICE IS THINKING OF CLOSING A MAIL SORTING FACILITY THAT HANDLES 50 MILLION PIECES OF MAIL PER MONTH- THE GATEWAY SPRINGFIELD SORTING FACILITY.

COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THIS THURSDAY
 JAN 12, 2012.

THE PROPOSED COST CUTTING MEASURE PROPOSES SENDING LANE COUNTY MAIL 200 MILES ROUND TRIP TO PORTLAND SORTING FACILITIES, THEN BACK DOWN TO LANE COUNTY TO BE DELIVERED. THIS WOULD EFFECT OVER 300,000 PIECES OF MAIL, AND LIKELY LOSE 150 FAMILY WAGE JOBS.

LANE COUNTY IS HOME TO A LEVEL II TRAUMA HOSPITAL (THE ONLY ONE BETWEEN SAN FRAN & PORTLAND), THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 23,000 CAMPUS POPULATION, AND LANE COUNTY IS A HUGE LAND MASS, FROM THE COAST TO THE CASCADES.

THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE BUSH ERA MANDATE THEY MUST SET ASIDE 75 YEARS WORTH OF PENSION $. IF NOT FOR THAT AMOUNT, THE USPS WOULD BE IN THE BLACK.

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Eugene has a population of 156,185, and Lane County (co-located with the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area) (MSA) has a population of 351,715.

Springfield is home to Peacehealth Riverbend hospital The new facility is home to a 24 hour Level II trauma center including full Medical/Surgical care, and the largest employer in the region..

Lane County is a huge region with 2 hospitals, and the University of Oregon with a population of 23,389 Campus itself is 295 acres.

After a closure of the Gateway center, mail would be trucked to Portland for processing, where postal workers already struggle to manage the load.

Eugene has the best overnight delivery record of any plant in the state, far superior to Portland because they come in dead last, The overnight delivery, our efficiency, our productivity — everything  at Gateway— is No. 1 in the state.

STILL IF COST CUTTING MEASURES ARE NEEDED, I'D PREFER CUTTING OUT 1 DAY PER WEEK MAIL DELIVERY.

MAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO:

 Manager:Consumer and Industry Contact

 Portland District

 P.O. Box 4759

 Portland, OR 97208-4759

OR:

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

901 NEW YORK AVE NW, SUITE 200

WASHINGTON, DC 20268--0001

OR- YOU CAN E MAIL IN TO

http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/about/contact/default.aspx

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