Suncoast postal workers stage rally
Last Update: 9/27/2011 5:19 pm
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SARASOTA - Thousands of postal workers across the country rallied together Tuesday in front of lawmakers offices, urging them to pass a bill they say will save the postal service. Suncoast postal workers are at Congressman Vern Buchanan's office in Sarasota as part of the Save America's Postal Service Rally. They say their message is simple: To support House Bill 1351 and the postal service will back on solid financial footing. We count on them to deliver our important letters, to get our gifts to loved ones, and six days a week, rain or shine, they make a stop at our homes. “Our community, our nation is dependent upon the postal service in one way or another,” says Kindra Obermeier of the American Postal Workers Union. Obermeier says the postal service we have come to know and trust is in danger. She says despite what some say about declines in mail volume, “People need to understand that the issue of first class mail declining, because of email is not the only issue at hand. The Internet has produced more avenues for the postal service to get revenue. One of those is shipping what you've ordered online, so the postal service is a viable business.” Obermeier says it's a 2006 postal reform law that has put the U.S.P.S. in a dire financial situation, but she says if lawmakers pass HR 1351 the bill will allow the postal service to use it's own surplus pension funds to pay down it's debt. “This bill does not use any taxpayer funds, nor does it increase the national deficit.” With hundreds of possible post office closures across the country, including the Manasota Postal Processing Center, Obermeirer says this bill would save more than just post offices. “The postal service is the cornerstone of a trillion dollar business with other mailing industry groups who support another 8 million jobs across the country.” ABC 7 did contact Congressman Buchanan's office Tuesday and was told he was not available for an interview and he's not able to attend this rally. However, his communications director did issue a statement on his behalf saying, “The congressman is closely monitoring the financial challenges facing the U.S.P.S. and he's hopeful a solution will be reached to help ensure Americans continue to receive quality mail delivery.”
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